Questions about setting up a company in Bulgaria, answered.

The Commercial Register processes a correctly submitted application within three to seven working days. In practice, the full process — from your first call with us to a registered, bank-ready company — takes around eleven working days on average. The main variable is how quickly you can provide the required identity documents and confirm your company name and structure.

An EOOD (Еднолично дружество с ограничена отговорност) has a single owner. An OOD has two or more. Both are limited liability structures — your personal assets are not at risk for company debts. If you are the only shareholder, register an EOOD. If you have a co-owner or if a parent company will hold the shares, register an OOD. The registration process, costs and tax treatment are identical.

Not necessarily. Registration can be completed by power of attorney, which we arrange, notarise and apostille on your behalf. You sign the document in your home country — at a notary or Bulgarian consulate — and send it to us. Bank account opening is the step that sometimes requires a physical visit, depending on the bank's KYC policy. We advise on this once we understand your structure and intended banking partner.

Yes. There is no nationality or residency restriction on company ownership in Bulgaria. A Bulgarian EOOD can be 100% owned by a foreign individual or a foreign company. Directors must have a valid identification document and a clean criminal record declaration — residency is not required.

€1 (one euro, or the leva equivalent at the official fixed rate). This must be deposited into the company's bank account before or at the point of registration. There is no ongoing minimum capital requirement after that. For practical reasons, most clients open with €500 to €2,000 to cover early operating expenses without needing to top up immediately.

The name must be unique in the Bulgarian Commercial Register. Before we submit your application, we run a name search and, if needed, reserve your preferred name for up to three months. Names in non-Latin scripts (Chinese characters, Cyrillic) must be transliterated or translated for the Register. Trading names and trademarks are separate matters and are not part of the registration process.

Every Bulgarian company must have a registered address — a physical address in Bulgaria where official correspondence can be received. You do not need to lease office space. A virtual registered address is a standard, legal arrangement. We include a registered address for the first year as part of the engagement. After the first year, the address service can be renewed — contact us for details.

At minimum: a notarised copy of your passport (or ID card for EU citizens), a criminal record certificate or equivalent declaration, and confirmation of the company name, registered address and share structure. If a corporate entity will be the shareholder, we also need a certificate of incorporation and, in some cases, a certificate of good standing for the parent company. We send you a complete document checklist at the start of engagement.

Yes. A branch (клон) of a foreign company can be registered in Bulgaria. It is not a separate legal entity — it is an extension of the parent. Tax treatment is different: a branch's profits are attributed to the parent company and taxed according to the parent's home-country rules, not Bulgaria's 10% flat rate. For most clients, a separate subsidiary (EOOD or OOD) is the better structure. We can walk through the trade-offs on a call.

Ten per cent, flat. It applies to all company profits regardless of size. There is no surcharge for higher profits, no municipal add-on and no slab system. Bulgaria has held this rate since 2007 and it has not changed. Dividend tax on distributions to non-resident individuals or companies is 5%, one of the lowest in the EU.

No. The 10% corporate income tax is the national rate and is the only tax on company profits. There is a separate municipal tax on property (if the company owns real estate) and a vehicle tax (if it owns vehicles), but these are asset taxes, not profit taxes.

Bulgaria has double tax treaties with over 70 countries, including China, Türkiye, South Korea, India, and most EU and OECD members. These treaties typically reduce or eliminate withholding tax on dividends, interest and royalties paid from Bulgaria to the treaty country. The applicable rate depends on the specific treaty — we can confirm the relevant rate for your home country on request.

The corporate income tax return is due by 30 June of the year following the financial year end. Bulgaria's financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December. Monthly or quarterly advance payments are required if the prior-year tax liability exceeded a threshold. First-year companies are exempt from advance payments.

Personal income tax in Bulgaria is a flat 10%, the same as the corporate rate. Social security contributions (roughly 32.7% of gross salary, split between employer and employee) apply on top of that if the director is employed and registered as a local insured person. For non-resident directors drawing a management fee rather than a salary, different rules apply — this is worth clarifying on a call if it applies to your situation.

Yes. A non-EU citizen who is the director or shareholder of a Bulgarian company can apply for a Bulgarian residence permit on the basis of business activity. The most common route is a Type D long-stay visa followed by a long-term residence permit. Processing times and requirements vary by nationality. We provide guidance and referrals to immigration specialists for this; it is not within our direct scope.

The EU Blue Card is a work and residence permit for highly qualified non-EU nationals. Eligibility requires a higher education degree or equivalent professional experience and a Bulgarian employment contract with a salary of at least 1.5 times the average gross salary in Bulgaria (approximately BGN 3,750 per month as of 2026, subject to annual adjustment). The Blue Card gives the holder the right to live and work in Bulgaria and, after 18 months, to move to another EU member state under simplified conditions.

An intra-corporate transfer (ICT) permit allows a company to relocate a manager, specialist or trainee from a non-EU office to its Bulgarian entity for a fixed period (up to three years for managers and specialists, one year for trainees). It requires that the employee has worked for the company group for at least three to six months before the transfer. This is a common route for Korean and Indian companies setting up a Bulgarian subsidiary and sending a senior employee to manage it.

No. A Bulgarian EOOD can operate with a foreign director and no local employees. There is no minimum local staffing requirement. If the company wants to hire locally, Bulgarian employment law applies, and payroll must be registered with the National Revenue Agency. We include payroll setup as part of our accounting and compliance service.

Thirty minutes, by video call, in English or Bulgarian. We will ask about your business, your structure, what you intend to use the Bulgarian entity for, and any constraints (nationality, existing entities, banking history). We will tell you whether Bulgaria is a good fit, what services you need, and what the process looks like for your situation. There is no obligation after the call.

By bank transfer in euros. We issue a proforma invoice before work begins and a final invoice on completion. We do not take payment by card. A 50% deposit is required to start the engagement; the remaining 50% is due when the company is registered and the registration documents are delivered to you. We do not start work until the deposit is received.

For larger engagements, we can discuss staged payments aligned to milestones (registration, bank account opening, nominee director agreement). For simpler engagements, full payment in two instalments (deposit + completion) is our standard arrangement. Contact us to discuss what works for your situation.

Consultations and all written communication are in English or Bulgarian. Some notarial and certified-translation steps are handled by accredited third-party translators as a standard part of Bulgarian registration procedure — a normal, itemised cost, agreed in advance and not a hidden extra.

We tell you immediately, explain what has happened and what the options are. If a bank declines to open an account, we re-approach with a different partner bank — this is covered in the engagement fee and does not cost you extra. If the Commercial Register requests corrections, we handle them as part of the service. We do not charge for delays or complications that are within our control to resolve.

Yes. The information you share with us during the engagement is treated as confidential. However, Bulgarian law requires disclosure of beneficial ownership to the Commercial Register (publicly visible) and to the company's bank. We do not offer structures that conceal ownership from Bulgarian authorities — any such arrangement would be illegal.