Applications for Component 2 of the "I Choose Bulgaria" project opened today at the Employment Agency, its press office said. The scheme supports people who move from big cities (over 50,000 residents) to live and work in smaller towns and villages (under 50,000 residents).

Deputy labour and social policy minister Lilia Stoyanovich said a few days ago that the project also gives a chance to support the local workforce.

Participants must live in Bulgaria. The scheme aims to encourage people to move for work and to make job hunting easier. It helps with the move, housing and transport to the workplace, and pays money to those who keep their jobs.

The project pays up to €480 for moving household belongings, and the money goes to participants and their families. After the move, they get a housing allowance of €207.58 for up to 12 months. Anyone who works outside the town or village where they live also gets €4.09 for transport, again for no more than 12 months.

There is also a one-off payment for those who keep their job for a total of 8 months out of the last 12. It is based on six average monthly wages for Bulgaria in the latest year for which the National Statistical Institute has published data. Families with children under 18 get the payment multiplied by 1.1 for one child, 1.2 for two and 1.3 for three or more.

Applicants must apply to the labour office in the town or village they want to move to. Applications can only be filed online, through the Secure Electronic Delivery System. They need a qualified electronic signature (a cloud-based one is fine) or a personal identification code (PIK) from the National Revenue Agency or the National Social Security Institute. The application form is on the Employment Agency's website.

The agency said applicants must be registered at an address in a big city when they apply. The population of the new place is taken from National Statistical Institute data. A move is proved by a change of permanent address, which must match the current address. People who work from home or remotely under the Labour Code cannot take part.

After approval, applicants have up to four months to move and start work in the town or village they chose. The participation contract is signed once they have met both conditions.