06/11/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2021 09:03
Read this page in combination with the general guidance for EEA countries and Switzerland.
The authoritative source for Bulgarian market regulations is the Bulgarian government. This guidance links to official Bulgarian sources wherever possible.
Trade and services regulations in Bulgaria
If you're a business providing services in Bulgaria, you need to follow Bulgarian regulations about:
The Bulgarian e-government portal for service providers can help you:
Consider appointing an English-speaking lawyer in Bulgaria to help you comply with specific regulations.
To check if nationality requirements apply to you, contact the appropriate competent authority.
Trade reservations
To sell or provide services to customers in Bulgaria, you must follow local laws. If in doubt, you should get professional advice.
Reservations are part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. They reserve the right of each party to keep or make new laws restricting investment, or the sale of services, in ways that would otherwise breach the rules in the agreement.
Check which reservations apply to the sale of services from the to Bulgaria. This includes an interactive tool to find reservations that are already in place.
VAT on sales of digital services
To use the 's VAT Mini One Stop Shop () to declare sales of digital services to consumers, businesses need to register for in an member state.
Find out more about paying VAT on sales of digital services.
Ownership of companies registered in Bulgaria
If you have a business, you might face restrictions on your ability to own, manage or direct a registered company in Bulgaria.
For information about setting up and running a business in Bulgaria, visit the Point of Single Contact.
Read more about this in our guidance on selling services to the and Switzerland.
Ownership of legal firms in Bulgaria
If you're a legal professional who has investments in law firms in Bulgaria, contact the Bulgarian Supreme Bar Council (site in Bulgarian) for further information on the implications for your investment.
Business travel and entry requirements
business travellers and service providers may need a visa, work permit or other documentation. Check if you need a visa or permit for Europe.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Invest Bulgaria Agency have more information about:
Check which actions travellers visiting Europe need to take.
Social security payments for employees
Check if you need to pay National Insurance in the or social security contributions in Bulgaria.
Recognition of professional qualifications
To check what you need to do in Bulgaria, read our guidance on professional qualifications in the and Switzerland.
If you need to take action to secure the recognition of your professional qualification in Bulgaria, these sources can help you:
The Centre for Professional Qualifications ( CPQ) provides practical assistance and advice to:
statutory auditors working in Bulgaria
For statutory auditors, the Commission for Public Oversight of Statutory Auditors Bulgaria should be able to give more information.
lawyers working in Bulgaria
If you're a -qualified lawyer working in Bulgaria, using either a Bulgarian or professional title, you should contact the local Bar association in the region where you are working or the Bulgarian Supreme Bar Council for specific advice.
Data transfer and
As part of the wider - Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the free flow of personal data from the to the will continue after 1 January 2021 for no longer than 6 months, until adequacy decisions come into effect.
As a sensible precaution during this 6 month period, it is recommended that you work with organisations who transfer personal data to you to put in place alternative transfer mechanisms to safeguard against any interruption to the free flow of to personal data.
Read guidance on using personal data in your business or other organisation.