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Bulgaria at a glance
Bulgaria is an EU member state with its own national company forms and registration rules. Compare company types, capital, tax, timing and signing requirements before you choose. The proposed 28th Regime (EU Inc) is a separate option that is not available yet.
Company types in Bulgaria
- EOOD / OOD (limited liability company) Bulgaria's workhorse: EOOD with one owner, OOD with several. Together they account for about 85% of all Bulgarian companies. EUR 1 of capital, limited liability, foreign ownership up to 100%.
- AD (joint-stock company) The joint-stock route for larger ventures or capital raises: EUR 25,000 minimum capital, a quarter of it paid in before registration, plus board governance.
Company formation in Bulgaria: key facts (last reviewed July 2026)
- Corporate tax
- The headline figure, and the reason most foreign founders look at Bulgaria in the first place, is the flat 10% on corporate profit. Hungary undercuts it at 9%; nobody else in the EU does. The flat-tax theme runs through the whole system: personal income tax is also 10%, and dividends leave the company with a 5% withholding that a treaty or the EU parent-subsidiary rules can often cut to zero.
- VAT rate
- VAT is the one Bulgarian tax that looks ordinary. The standard rate is 20%, with 9% for hotels, books and a short list of other items. Registration becomes compulsory once turnover crosses roughly EUR 51,130 in a rolling year; below that it is optional, and consultants billing EU clients often register early anyway to reclaim input VAT.
- Dividends & payroll taxes
- Dividends carry just 5% withholding. Personal income tax is a flat 10%, and employer social and health contributions add roughly 19% on top of salaries up to the monthly ceiling, which makes Bulgaria's payroll wedge one of the EU's lighter ones.
- Minimum share capital
- EUR 1. That really is the whole requirement for an OOD or EOOD, a carry-over of the symbolic BGN 2 from before Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. Only the AD joint-stock company asks for real money: EUR 25,000, a quarter of it paid in before registration.
- Setup time
- Bulgarian registry clerks work fast: a complete, correctly translated filing usually clears the Commercial Register in 1 to 3 business days, which puts the OOD or EOOD itself at roughly 3 to 7 days. What stretches the calendar is everything around the filing. Notarise the power of attorney abroad, courier it over, open the capital account, and the honest start-to-finish estimate becomes 2 to 4 weeks.
- Remote setup
- Yes, by an old-fashioned but reliable mechanism: a notarised (usually apostilled) power of attorney naming a Bulgarian lawyer, who files the entire registration electronically on your behalf. You never board a plane. The familiar exception applies: some banks still want to meet the account holder in person before opening the corporate account.
- Director / residency
- Nothing in Bulgarian law requires the manager to live in Bulgaria or hold an EU passport, and 100% foreign ownership is routine. There is one administrative string attached: a company owned entirely by foreign non-residents must name a local contact person, so official correspondence has somewhere to land.
- Banking options
- UniCredit Bulbank, DSK Bank, UBB (KBC) and Fibank dominate. The sequence is always the same: temporary capital account first, deposit the share capital, then convert it to an operating account once the company is registered. Foreign-owned firms get more KYC questions than locals, which is worth budgeting patience for. For daily euro payments plenty of founders skip the branch network entirely and run Wise or Revolut alongside.
- Our formation service
- from around ā¬100 to ā¬200 (estimated). You get a fixed quote in your free plan before you commit.
On 1 January 2026 Bulgaria became the euro area's 21st member, so capital requirements and tax thresholds are now quoted in euros rather than leva. Beyond that, the case for Bulgaria is plain arithmetic rather than any single clever feature: EUR 1 of capital, 10% on profits, 10% on personal income, 5% on dividends. Few EU structures run leaner on paper.
How to register a company in Bulgaria
Step by step, this is how a Bulgaria formation actually runs:
- Prepare the OOD/EOOD file. Articles, manager consent and specimen signature; a notarised, usually apostilled power of attorney lets a local lawyer act for you.
- Open the capital account. A temporary account receives the EUR 1 (or chosen) capital and the bank issues the deposit note.
- File with the Commercial Register. Electronic filing by the lawyer; approval typically lands in 1 to 3 business days.
- Convert the account and register for VAT. The capital account becomes the operating account; VAT registration is mandatory past about EUR 51,130 of turnover and optional before.
- Appoint the accountant. Monthly bookkeeping starts immediately; the local contact person requirement applies when all owners are non-resident.
We can help coordinate documents, address requirements and filings with licensed local counsel. The steps and timing depend on your company and circumstances.
What company formation in Bulgaria costs
The state's share is almost a rounding error: around EUR 30 for the electronic Commercial Register filing, plus modest notary charges on the founding documents. What a remote founder actually spends is EUR 200 to 500 all-in once a lawyer, the power of attorney and certified translations are counted. After that, a small EOOD pays its accountant roughly EUR 60 to 150 a month.
Plan your Bulgarian company formation
Tell us where you live and what you are building. Our formation service fee is from around ā¬100 to ā¬200 (estimated). We help you compare structures and prepare a quote with the scope, costs and expected timing. Government charges, capital and ongoing services are separate unless included in that quote.
Get your free planWho can form a company in Bulgaria
Check ownership eligibility separately from director, local-address and licensing requirements. Permission to own shares does not automatically give you permission to live or work in Bulgaria. The director and residency information above identifies the main formation conditions to review.
Bulgaria suits consultants, agencies and lean holding setups chasing the EU's second-lowest corporate tax with token capital. The honest caveat: administration happens in Bulgarian, and banks quiz foreign owners harder than locals. It rewards founders who keep a steady local accountant, and frustrates anyone hoping for a set-and-forget vehicle.
After registration: what Bulgaria expects each year
Two dates anchor the year: the corporate tax return and payment by 30 June, and publication of the annual financial statements through the Commercial Register by 30 September for most companies. VAT returns run monthly once you are registered. Note that even a dormant company owes a declaration, so the accountant relationship never fully switches off.
Plan beyond the registration fee
Use these guides alongside the national rules for your company. The cost and filing examples cover Estonia, Ireland and Portugal.
Bulgaria and the 28th Regime (EU Inc)
EU Inc, the proposed 28th Regime, would add a harmonised company form in EU member states. Registration is not open and no launch date is confirmed. A national company in Bulgaria is available under existing rules, but a later EU Inc conversion would depend on the adopted law and eligibility. Read how to prepare an EU Inc company, or compare current options in company formation in Europe.
Sources and review scope
Use the linked registries, authorities and specialist references to check the requirements for your company. A review of formation costs and filings does not replace a review of your tax position.
No separate topic-level check date is recorded for this profile. Confirm the current requirements with the linked authority before proceeding.
Reference links
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner open a company in Bulgaria?
Nothing in Bulgarian law requires the manager to live in Bulgaria or hold an EU passport, and 100% foreign ownership is routine. There is one administrative string attached: a company owned entirely by foreign non-residents must name a local contact person, so official correspondence has somewhere to land.
How long does company formation in Bulgaria take?
Bulgarian registry clerks work fast: a complete, correctly translated filing usually clears the Commercial Register in 1 to 3 business days, which puts the OOD or EOOD itself at roughly 3 to 7 days. What stretches the calendar is everything around the filing. Notarise the power of attorney abroad, courier it over, open the capital account, and the honest start-to-finish estimate becomes 2 to 4 weeks.
What corporate tax does a company in Bulgaria pay?
The headline summary is 10% flat, with standard VAT of 20%. Company form, activity, size and where the business operates can change the treatment. Read the detailed tax information and confirm the rules for your case.
Can I form a company in Bulgaria remotely?
Yes, by an old-fashioned but reliable mechanism: a notarised (usually apostilled) power of attorney naming a Bulgarian lawyer, who files the entire registration electronically on your behalf. You never board a plane. The familiar exception applies: some banks still want to meet the account holder in person before opening the corporate account.
What does it cost to form a company in Bulgaria?
The state's share is almost a rounding error: around EUR 30 for the electronic Commercial Register filing, plus modest notary charges on the founding documents. Our formation service fee is from around ā¬100 to ā¬200 (estimated). Government charges, capital and ongoing services must be budgeted separately unless the written quote includes them.