{"id":6117,"date":"2019-03-05T13:07:18","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T13:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/?page_id=6117"},"modified":"2026-02-23T18:56:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T16:56:14","slug":"vidove-trudovi-dogovori","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/en\/general\/vidove-trudovi-dogovori\/","title":{"rendered":"Types of employment contracts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"color: #29588e;font-size: xx-small\"><strong><em>Updated last 18.06.2025<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>This section provides information on:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li><a href=\"#id1en\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The differences between employment contracts and civil contracts<\/span><\/a>;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li><a href=\"#id2en\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Different types of employment contracts<\/span><\/a>;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li><a href=\"#id3en\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Different types of fixed-term employment contracts<\/span><\/a>;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li><a href=\"#id4en\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Required elements of the employment contract<\/span>.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><a id=\"id1en\"><\/a>What is the difference between labour contracts and civil contracts?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The table below summarises the key differences between a labour contract and a civil contract. It is important to note that there are two types of civil contracts: a civil contract to provide a final product and a civil contract\u00a0for services.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;border: 0px solid #ffffff;border-color: #afabab;border-width: 2px\" border=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #4f81bd;border: 1px solid #4f81bd\">\u00a0<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #4f81bd;border: 1px solid #4f81bd;text-align: center\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><strong><strong>Employment contract<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #4f81bd;border: 1px solid #4f81bd;text-align: center\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><strong><strong>Civil contract<\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;background-color: #f2f2f2;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><strong><strong>Subject matter of the contract<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;background-color: #f2f2f2;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p>Delivering a certain job \u2013 the employee obliges to provide their wok force.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;background-color: #f2f2f2;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p>Civil contract to provide a final product:\u00a0 the objective is to achieve a specific result<\/p>\n<p>Civil contract\u00a0 for services: the objective is to perform \u00a0specific legal actions<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><strong><strong>Internal relations<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p>The employee works under the control of the employer and in accordance with the established by the latter internal rules and work discipline.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p>The assignee is independent<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><strong><strong>Repetition of the work<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\">\n<p>Contract for continuing performance of the job<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\">\n<p>One-off execution is assumed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\"><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><strong><strong>Allocation of the risk<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p>The employee \/ worker bears no risk of the economic activity \u2013 such risk is assumed by the employer<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p>The risk is borne by the assignee<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><strong><strong>Location of the job<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\">\n<p>Agreed between the employer and the employee and is most often at the registered address of the employer<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\">\n<p>Determined by the assignee<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #ffffff\"><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong>Performance of duties and obligations<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #ffffff\">The duties and obligations are performed personally by the employee \/ worker<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #ffffff\">It\u2019s not mandatory for the obligations to be performed by the assignees themselves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\"><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong>Form of the contract<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\">The contract shall be mandatory in written form<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff;background-color: #f2f2f2\">The contract may also be an oral contract<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #ffffff\">\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><strong><strong>Legislative framework<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlsp.government.bg\/uploads\/37\/politiki\/trud\/zakonodatelstvo\/2024\/kt-bg-0824.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Labour code<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: justify;border: 1px solid #ffffff\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.registryagency.bg\/bg\/za-agenciyata\/normativna-uredba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Obligations and Contracts Act<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><a id=\"id2en\"><\/a>What are the various types of employment contracts?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Fixed-term employment contract<\/span>;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract for a probation period (signed before the signing of a final employment contract; its main purpose is to ensure that the intended employment contract is aligned with both parties\u2019 interests);<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;border: 2px solid #afabab;height: 34px\" border=\"2\" cellpadding=\"8\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 24px\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #4f81bd;border: 1px solid #4f81bd;height: 24px\" colspan=\"2\"><em><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Important to know<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 10px\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff;border: 1px solid #ffffff;width: 60px;height: 10px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"\u0412\u0430\u0436\u043d\u043e \u0435 \u0434\u0430 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0435\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/files\/useruploads\/images\/msp\/attention_-_important_to_know.jpg\" alt=\"\u0412\u0430\u0436\u043d\u043e \u0435 \u0434\u0430 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0435\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff;border: 1px solid #ffffff;height: 10px\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">When you are drafting an employment contract for a probation period, do not forget\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">To define whom the defined probation arrangement is beneficial for, if this is not specified in the contract, it shall be deemed that the trial period is agreed for the benefit of both parties.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">To clearly state the duration of the probation period;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">The maximum duration of a probation period is 6 months, and then the term of employment is set to be less than one year, the trial period shall be up to one month.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>An employment contract for a probation period<\/strong> may be signed only once with one and the same employee, for one and the same type of work, in one and the same company.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">The employment contract is considered definitively concluded if it is not expressly terminated before the expiry of the trial period.<br \/>\nIt is not a separate type of contract, but a clause that can be included in a permanent or fixed-term contract.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<ul>\n<li>Employment contract for an indefinite period of time;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract for additional work with the same employer;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract for additional work with another employer;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract for work during specific days during the month;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract for short-term seasonal agricultural work;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract with an on-the-job training term;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract for an internship;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract for home work;<\/li>\n<li>Employment contract with an enterprise, providing temporary work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;border: 2px solid #afabab;height: 80px\" border=\"2\" cellpadding=\"8\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 24px\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #4f81bd;border: 1px solid #4f81bd;height: 24px\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><strong><em>For more information<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 56px\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff;border: 1px solid #ffffff;width: 60px;height: 56px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"For more information\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/files\/useruploads\/images\/msp\/computer_-_more_information.png\" alt=\"For more information\" width=\"50\" height=\"53\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff;border: 1px solid #ffffff;height: 56px\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">More information on the types of employment contracts is available <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlsp.government.bg\/trudovo-pravootnoshenie-vznikvane\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><a id=\"id3en\"><\/a>What are the different types of fixed-term employment contracts?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li><em>For a specific term<\/em> \u2013 the specific period of time for which the contract is signed should be explicitly stated; it may not exceed 3 years, unless otherwise stated by law or by an act of the Council of Ministers.<\/li>\n<li><em>For completion of a specific task<\/em> \u2013 the term of the contract is determined by the time required for the completion of the agreed task; therefore, the specific task (and the expected result) should be explicitly defined in the contract; there is no limit as to the maximum duration of this type of fixed-term contact.<\/li>\n<li><em>For the substitution of an employee who is currently absent<\/em> \u2013 the contract may be signed for the substitution of an employee who is employed either under an employment contract for an indefinite period of time or under a fixed-term contract; the term of this contract is determined based on the return date of the absent employee \u2013 holder of the position. Therefore, this fixed-term employment should specify explicitly the holder of the position who is currently absent.<\/li>\n<li><em>For the duration of a job contest<\/em> \u2013 a job contest is announced for the respective position. During the duration of the job contest, the respective position should be filled. This fixed-term contract may be signed at any time during the job contest procedure;<\/li>\n<li><em>For set mandate<\/em> \u2013 when the worker or employee, in the performance of her\/his activity, provides assistance to certain mandate body for the term of the mandate thereof (mandate bodies are, for example, the President, the Mayor, the Council of Ministers, etc.);<\/li>\n<li><em>For the term of a long-term mission in a consular, diplomatic or other representation of the Republic of Bulgaria abroad<\/em> \u2013 when an employee from the diplomatic service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or from other governmental institution is sent to a long-term work abroad.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;border: 2px solid #afabab;height: 34px\" border=\"2\" cellpadding=\"8\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 24px\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #4f81bd;border: 1px solid #4f81bd;height: 24px\" colspan=\"2\"><em><strong><span style=\"color: #ffffff\">Important to know<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 10px\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff;border: 1px solid #ffffff;width: 60px;height: 10px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"\u0412\u0430\u0436\u043d\u043e \u0435 \u0434\u0430 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0435\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/files\/useruploads\/images\/msp\/attention_-_important_to_know.jpg\" alt=\"\u0412\u0430\u0436\u043d\u043e \u0435 \u0434\u0430 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0435\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff;border: 1px solid #ffffff;height: 10px\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">A fixed-term employment contract may be transformed into an employment contract for an indefinite period of time if after the expiration of the agreed term, the employee continues to work for <strong>5 or more working days without written objection by the employer<\/strong> and the position is open.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Employment contract for an indefinite period of time cannot be turned into a fixed-term contract unless there is \u00a0an explicit consent of the employee in writing.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">The fixed-term employment contract for a set time is concluded for the performance of temporary, seasonal or short-term activities as well as with newly hired workers and employees in enterprises declared insolvent or in liquidation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;border: 2px solid #afabab;height: 80px\" border=\"2\" cellpadding=\"8\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 24px\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #4f81bd;border: 1px solid #4f81bd;height: 24px\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><strong><em>For more information<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 56px\">\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff;border: 1px solid #ffffff;width: 60px;height: 56px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"For more information\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/files\/useruploads\/images\/msp\/computer_-_more_information.png\" alt=\"For more information\" width=\"50\" height=\"53\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #ffffff;border: 1px solid #ffffff;height: 56px\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Additional information on fixed-term employment contracts is available <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlsp.government.bg\/trudovo-pravootnoshenie-vznikvane\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Additional information on the regulatory framework related to the different types of employment contracts is available on the website of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlsp.government.bg\/eng\/legislation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ministry of Labour and Social Policy<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"color: #29588e\"><strong><a id=\"id4en\"><\/a>What are the required elements of the employment contract?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Every employment contract must include the following elements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Place of work;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Position and type of the work assigned;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Date of execution of the employment contract and working starting date of the employee;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Term of the employment contract;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Duration of the basic, extended and additional (if applicable) paid annual leave;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Duration of the notice period in case of termination of the employment contract, which should be identical for the employer and the employee;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Gross monthly remuneration and fixed additional benefits (such as remuneration for length of service and professional experience) as well as the periodicity of the payment thereof;<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\">Duration of the working day or week.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In the event of any amendment to the employment relationship, the employer shall be obligated to provide the employee, no later than the date on which the amendment enters into force, with the necessary written information containing details of the changes made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated last 18.06.2025 This section provides information on: The differences between employment contracts and civil contracts; Different types of employment contracts; Different types of fixed-term employment contracts; Required elements of the employment contract. \u00a0 What is the difference between labour contracts and civil contracts? The table below summarises the key differences between a labour contract [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":150,"featured_media":0,"parent":6419,"menu_order":1000,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6117","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":6117,"bg":6116},"pll_sync_post":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/150"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6117\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mi.government.bg\/rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}