Insights
Practical guides to the questions clients ask us most often: what the law says, the deadlines and costs involved, and how to prepare your matter.
Company changes in a Bulgarian OOD or EOOD: new manager, address, name, objects and partners
Who decides and by what majority, when the minutes must be notarised, which documents and fees the Commercial Register requires, and from when a change takes effect.
- In an OOD the manager is appointed by more than half of the capital unless the articles provide otherwise, while the name, seat, address and objects are changed by more than three quarters of the capital or any higher majority the articles require.
- Minutes appointing a manager or admitting a partner need signatures and content notarised, unless the articles allow written form.
- The change is filed on form A4 within seven days, and the state fee is EUR 7.67 online or EUR 15.34 on paper.
Expelling or leaving a partner in a Bulgarian OOD: grounds, warning, majority and paying out the share
When the partners in a Bulgarian limited liability company can no longer work together, the law offers several ways out: expulsion, withdrawal, selling the share or winding up the company. We explain when expulsion is lawful, how it is challenged and what a departing partner receives.
Registered in the Bulgarian Commercial Register without consent or with a forged signature: how to delete the entry
Finding out that you are registered as a partner or manager of a Bulgarian company you never agreed to join, or that your share was transferred on a document you never signed, is serious, because what is entered is deemed known to everyone dealing with the company in good faith. We explain how such an entry is challenged and deleted, and what to do in the first days.
Can foreigners buy property and land in Bulgaria? Apartments, houses, plots and farmland
Foreigners can buy apartments and buildings in Bulgaria without restriction, but the rules on land depend on the buyer's nationality and on the kind of land. We explain what is allowed, when a Bulgarian company is used, and what to check before you pay.
Dividing inherited property in Bulgaria: voluntary and court division, phases, costs and the indivisible home
Heirs become co-owners of the inherited property and sooner or later have to decide what to do with it. We explain how voluntary division works, how court division runs, when the home is assigned to one heir, and what it costs.
Liability of the manager of a Bulgarian OOD or EOOD: damage to the company and its taxes
The manager of a Bulgarian OOD or EOOD is, as a rule, not liable for the company's debts, but there are cases where he answers with his own assets: to the company for damage caused, and to the National Revenue Agency for unpaid taxes and social security. We explain when, for how long, and how to protect yourself.
Tax audit by the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency and appealing the assessment: deadlines, objection, suspension and court
A Bulgarian tax audit ends with a tax assessment (ревизионен акт) that can establish substantial debts with interest. The deadlines to react are short, and evidence you do not provide in time can cost you the case. We explain the stages and what to do at each of them.
Price indexation under Bulgarian public procurement and construction contracts: Art. 117a of the Public Procurement Act, the methodology and disputes
The rise in material prices since 2021 has made indexation one of the key questions in construction and supply under public contracts in Bulgaria. We explain when and how the price can be increased, how it is calculated under the Council of Ministers' methodology, and what options exist for private contracts.
Performance bank guarantees in Bulgaria: calls, unjustified demands and how to protect yourself
A performance bank guarantee is a standard requirement in Bulgarian construction and infrastructure contracts and in public procurement. It gives the employer quick access to money, but also leverage over the contractor. We explain how it works, when it can be called, and what to do if a demand is unjustified.
Building rights in exchange for apartments in Bulgaria: the contract with the developer and how the landowner can protect himself
A plot owner grants a developer the right to build on his land and receives finished apartments, shops or garages in the future building in return. The deal can be attractive, but the risk lies with the owner: for years he has given up his land while the units do not yet exist. We explain how to structure the contract and what to do if the developer stops.
Lodging a claim in Bulgarian insolvency proceedings and avoidance actions: deadlines and creditors' rights
When a debtor becomes insolvent in Bulgaria, creditors receive only what they lodge in time and manage to defend. The deadlines are short, and the greatest value often lies in the transactions by which the debtor moved assets out beforehand. We explain what a creditor must do and where most is won or lost.
Merger control in Bulgaria: when a deal needs clearance from the Commission for the Protection of Competition, thresholds, timing and fines
Acquiring a company, a business or joint control may require clearance from the Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition before the deal is implemented. A missed filing can cost up to 10 per cent of turnover. We explain when a filing is required, how the review runs, and what changed in November 2025.
Settling a commercial dispute out of court in Bulgaria: mediation, limitation, confidentiality and when the settlement is enforceable
A commercial dispute with a counterparty, supplier or fellow shareholder often costs more time and money than the amount at stake. Settlement and mediation can resolve it in weeks, but only if the agreement is enforceable and leaves no open questions. We explain what Bulgarian law provides and where the costly mistakes are made.
Online defamation and insult in Bulgaria: how to sue and which court
If you have been insulted or defamed on Facebook, on a website or by an online media outlet in Bulgaria, you can file a private criminal complaint or bring a damages claim. Either way, the case can usually be heard in the town where you live, not only at the author’s address. For damages claims, the Supreme Court of Cassation confirmed this again in a ruling of 27 October 2026. We explain the difference between insult and defamation, which route to choose, the time limits and how to prepare the case so that it is not sent to another town.
Protection against SLAPPs: what the new Civil Procedure Code rules provide for claims over public participation
Since 10 October 2026 the Civil Procedure Code has a new chapter for cases brought against a defendant because of their public participation (State Gazette No. 92 of 6 October 2026). What changes for journalists, activists, researchers and anyone who has spoken out on a matter of public interest.
Discrimination at work or in services in Bulgaria: complaint to the Commission or a court case
If you believe you were treated less favourably because of your sex, age, ethnic origin, disability or another characteristic, you have two routes: a complaint to the Commission for Protection against Discrimination or a court case. We explain how they differ and how to choose.
Online shop and website legal requirements in Bulgaria: terms, withdrawal, cookies, accessibility
What a company website must disclose, what the law requires of an online shop before an order and on withdrawal, when cookie consent is needed, who is covered by the accessibility rules, and who enforces them.
Public procurement appeals in Bulgaria: deadlines, fees and suspension of the procedure
Which decisions of a contracting authority can be challenged, by whom and within what time limits, what a complaint to the Commission on Protection of Competition costs, and what happens to the procedure and the contract while the dispute is pending.
Being the defendant in a civil case: what it means and what to do if you are sued
When someone takes you to court, you become the respondent. We explain in plain words what that means, what to do when a letter from the court arrives, how much time you have and what you risk if you do not reply.
Buying an off-plan property in Bulgaria: the risks and how to protect yourself in the contract
Buying off-plan is usually cheaper, but the buyer pays before there is a finished home. We explain how these deals are structured, what to check before the first payment and which contract terms actually protect you.
When an insurer refuses or delays payment in Bulgaria: deadlines, interest and remedies
How to make a claim you can prove, how long the insurer has to decide and pay, when it owes default interest, and what to do after a refusal: a complaint, conciliation or a court action, including the direct claim of a road accident victim.
Liquidating a Bulgarian OOD or EOOD: steps, deadlines, taxes and fees
How owners close a solvent Bulgarian limited company: the decision and the liquidator, the invitation to creditors and the six-month period, VAT and the social security audit, distribution of assets and deletion from the Commercial Register.
The EU AI Act: what businesses must do and which deadlines have been postponed
Which rules of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 already apply, what the Digital Omnibus on AI of July 2026 changed, and what a business using chatbots, generative AI, recruitment software or credit scoring tools needs to do.
When a company cannot pay: a director’s duties in Bulgarian insolvency
When a Bulgarian company is legally unable to pay or over-indebted, what its director must do within the 30-day deadline under the Commerce Act, the personal and criminal exposure for delay, and when stabilisation proceedings are an alternative.
Power of attorney from abroad: how to authorise someone in Bulgaria without travelling
If you live abroad and need to sell a property, appear in a court case or change the manager of a company in Bulgaria, you can do it through an attorney-in-fact. We explain the form the power of attorney must take, where to have it certified and how to prepare it so it is not rejected.
Legal due diligence before buying a company in Bulgaria: scope, approvals and deal terms
What to check before buying a Bulgarian company or business, when foreign investment screening and merger clearance apply, and how the findings feed into the price and the agreement.
GDPR for companies in Bulgaria: required documents, deadlines and what the CPDP checks
What every company needs under the GDPR and the Bulgarian Personal Data Protection Act, when a data protection officer is mandatory, how to handle a data breach or a request from an employee or customer, and how the Commission for Personal Data Protection inspects and fines.
Transferring shares in a Bulgarian OOD or EOOD: steps, documents, fees and tax
When the other partners must consent, what form the contract takes, which declarations the Commercial Register requires, and what costs and tax the seller should expect.
Inheriting property in Bulgaria: who inherits, what to do and the time limits
When someone dies leaving property or bank accounts in Bulgaria, the heirs need to establish who inherits what, file a tax return if tax is due, and decide whether to accept the estate. We explain the steps, including if you live abroad.
Enforcing foreign judgments in Bulgaria and Bulgarian judgments abroad
How judgments from EU member states and third countries, and arbitral awards, are recognised and enforced in Bulgaria, which documents are needed, how long it takes, and how to plan for it in the contract.
Construction contract claims in Bulgaria: acceptance, delay, variations and guarantees
What rights contractors and employers have under a construction contract in Bulgaria, how delay and additional works are proved, when a guarantee can be called, and the time limits for claims on private projects and public contracts.
Freezing a debtor’s assets in Bulgaria: account attachment and property charges
When a creditor can ask a Bulgarian court to attach a debtor’s bank accounts or charge its property before or during a lawsuit, what the guarantee involves, the deadline for filing the claim and how the debtor can respond.
Served with an order for payment in Bulgaria: what it means and how to object
An order for payment lets a creditor obtain a writ of execution quickly, without a full lawsuit. You have one month to object; if you do not, the order becomes final. We explain what to do.
Legal costs and lawyers’ fees in Bulgarian courts after the CJEU ruling in Case C-438/22
Who pays the costs of a civil case, how the court assesses a lawyer’s fee now that minimum fees have gone, and what to agree in writing with your lawyer so that you can recover it if you win.
AML obligations in Bulgaria: internal rules, due diligence and reporting for obliged entities
Who the obliged entities under Article 4 of the Bulgarian AML Act are, when internal rules must be adopted, when customer due diligence is required, how suspicions are reported to the Financial Intelligence Directorate, the penalties, and what the EU’s 2024 AML package changes.
Court-referred mediation in Bulgaria: when the court sends the parties to an information session
Which cases Bulgarian courts send to a mediation information session, and what of it is mandatory.
Unlawful dismissal in Bulgaria: how to challenge it and what you can claim
If you believe your employer dismissed you unlawfully, you have only two months to go to court. We explain when a dismissal can be annulled, what you can ask the court for and what to do straight away.
Company changes in a Bulgarian OOD or EOOD: new manager, address, name, objects and partners
Who decides and by what majority, when the minutes must be notarised, which documents and fees the Commercial Register requires, and from when a change takes effect.
Beneficial owners in Bulgaria: which companies must declare them, how and by when
Who counts as the beneficial owner of a Bulgarian company, when their details must be entered in the Commercial Register or the BULSTAT Register, the deadline for reporting changes, who can see the data after the Court of Justice ruling of 2022, and the penalties.
Contractual penalties in Bulgaria: reduction, invalidity and drafting a clause that holds up
The difference between compensatory and moratory penalties, whether a penalty can be claimed alongside statutory interest, when a court reduces an excessive penalty, when the clause is void, and the special rules for traders and consumers.
Property purchase costs in Bulgaria in 2026: taxes, fees and documents
What the local acquisition tax, the notary fee and registration cost in euro, who usually pays them, and which documents and checks are needed before signing.
Debt recovery in Bulgaria: demand letter, order for payment or court claim
How a creditor chooses between a demand letter, order-for-payment proceedings under Article 410 or 417 of the Civil Procedure Code and a court claim, what each route costs, and the limitation periods that decide whether a debt can still be enforced.
Capital in euro: how Bulgarian OOD, EOOD, AD and KDA companies update their articles by 2028
The Registry Agency has already converted registered capital into euro, but each company must amend its own articles or statutes. The deadline has been extended to 31 December 2028, and no state fee is charged for publication.
Registering a company in Bulgaria: documents, timelines and what foreign founders should know
A practical guide to setting up an OOD or EOOD: the documents you need, how quickly the Commercial Register decides, the state fees in euro and the follow-up registrations that are most often missed.
Document templates
Free templates with notes on when and how to use them and when it is better to consult a lawyer. Each comes as the Bulgarian original, which is the version to use, and an English translation for reference.