Frequently Asked Questions

€280 total for an EOOD/OOD: documents, state fee (~€28), notarization, capital deposit account. No extra charges. Learn more →

1–2 business days with electronic filing. The Registry Agency must rule on a first-registration application by the end of the next working day (Art. 19(2) Commercial Register Act); the UIC (EIK) is issued on entry.

€1 (Art. 117 Commerce Act). We recommend €50–€500 for a better standing with banks and partners.

No. The manager of an EOOD or OOD can be a foreign national who lives outside Bulgaria (Art. 141 Commerce Act). The manager signs a notarised consent and specimen signature, which can be done abroad with an apostille or at a Bulgarian consulate. Nominee directors are not needed and we do not recommend them: why →

Yes, a registered address in Bulgaria is mandatory (Art. 12 Commerce Act), but it does not have to be an office you rent. A virtual-office address from a provider that receives official mail is sufficient. The company's bank, the NRA and the Registry Agency use this address for correspondence, so it must actually work.

For an individual founder: a passport or ID copy, three name options for the company, the registered address, the share capital amount and the business activity. If you sign abroad: a power of attorney and the manager's specimen signature, notarised and apostilled, with a certified Bulgarian translation. For a corporate founder: an apostilled extract from its register and a resolution to found the Bulgarian company. Checklist: remote EOOD setup →

No. With a qualified e-signature everything is remote; without one, a notarized power of attorney is used.

Yes — with a power of attorney certified at a consulate or by a local notary with an apostille.

Yes. Bulgarian law places no nationality or residence condition on the owner of an EOOD or OOD; a citizen of the USA, UK, India, Turkey or any other country can hold 100% of the shares and be the manager. A foreign company can be the sole owner too. Ownership does not grant a residence permit; that is a separate immigration procedure.

The company is a Bulgarian tax resident regardless of where you live: 10% corporate tax on its profit (Art. 20 CITA) and 5% withholding when it pays you a dividend (Art. 194 CITA), or a lower treaty rate with a tax residency certificate. Your home country will normally tax the dividend as well and credit the Bulgarian 5%. If you manage the company entirely from home, your home authority may also claim the company as resident there under the place-of-effective-management rule. Details: extracting profits as a non-resident →

No. Individual residency is decided by Art. 4 of the Personal Income Tax Act: a permanent address in Bulgaria, more than 183 days of presence in any 12-month period, or a centre of vital interests here. Owning shares or being the registered manager is not one of the tests. If you do become resident, your worldwide income is taxed in Bulgaria at the flat 10%.

Yes, communication can be in English; documents are signed remotely.

No. The capital (deposit) account is opened before filing only to hold the share capital and obtain the bank certificate the Registry Agency requires; it costs roughly €10–€20 and is included in our €280. After registration the company opens an operating account, which is a separate onboarding with the bank's full due diligence.

Weeks rather than days. Bulgarian banks apply enhanced due diligence to companies with foreign owners: source-of-funds questions, business description, sometimes a personal meeting. Some banks decline certain countries or industries outright. Prepare the documents before you apply and expect at least one round of follow-up questions. Guide: corporate bank account for non-residents →

For the operating account, yes: an EU-licensed electronic money institution account in the company's name is legal and works for invoicing, receiving EU payments and paying taxes to the NRA by transfer. The share capital, however, must be deposited in a Bulgarian bank capital account before registration. Many of our clients run an EMI account for daily payments and a bank account for backup.

10% corporate tax, 5% dividend tax, 20% VAT once registered. The owner, if working in the company, is insured as a self-insured person. All rates with sources: company facts 2026 →

Quarterly. The company withholds 5% when it pays the dividend and files a declaration and pays the tax by the end of the month following the quarter in which the distribution was decided (Art. 201–202 CITA, Art. 55 and 65 PITA). A decision taken in May is therefore declared and paid by 31 July. No annual dividend tax return is needed beyond that. Calculator →

30 June: corporate tax return (Art. 92 CITA), payment of the tax, and the no-activity declaration for dormant companies. 30 September: publication of the annual financial statements in the Commercial Register (Art. 38(1) Accountancy Act). Monthly: VAT return by the 14th, payroll and social security by the 25th. Personal tax return of the owner, if any: 30 April. Full list: taxes 2026 →

27.8% (31.3% with sickness/maternity cover) on chosen income between €620.20 and €2,300 from 1 August 2026 — a minimum of approximately €172/month. Calculator →

With low costs and income up to ~€30,000 — freelancer status (25% flat-rate deduction). With growth, EU clients, or employees — an EOOD. Comparison: Legal forms →

When taxable turnover exceeds €51,130 for the calendar year — an application must be filed within 7 days. For services to/from EU companies — under Art. 97a, before the first supply. Learn more →

Yes, for B2B services. Under Art. 21(2) VAT Act the place of supply is where the business customer is established, so the Bulgarian company invoices without VAT and the customer self-accounts (reverse charge). Conditions: your company holds an Art. 97a or full VAT number, the client's VAT number is valid in VIES, and you report the sale in the monthly VIES declaration. Sales to EU consumers follow different rules (OSS above €10,000). Check a number: VAT number check →

Yes, under Art. 100 VAT Act, at any turnover. It makes sense if your customers are VAT-registered businesses and you have significant Bulgarian input VAT to recover. The trade-off is a monthly VAT return by the 14th even in months with nothing to report, and €30 a month extra on our subscription. A dormant company should not be VAT-registered.

Ongoing bookkeeping, VAT, payroll for up to 2 people, annual closing and financial statement, representation during audits, personal accountant. Industry pricing: restaurants, construction, online stores.

By email, cloud storage, or photo. We don't require paper originals.

The firm is — fines and interest due to our fault are covered by us, per contract.

Yes. We review the filed returns and balances and notify you in writing of any discrepancies before taking over the period.

Yes, with VAT. The firm is VAT-registered.

An open-ended contract with one month's notice; the price is fixed for 12 months.

A declaration of inactivity is filed with the Commercial Register by 30 June; no taxes are due, but records and archives must be kept. Comparison of "dormant vs. closed": Company closure.

You lose the no-activity exemption and the company must publish full annual financial statements by 30 September; failure to publish is an administrative offence under Art. 74 Accountancy Act, with fines that can be imposed repeatedly. A company that files nothing for years also blocks its own liquidation later, because the NRA will not issue the clearance certificate until every return is in. Filing the €120 no-activity declaration on time is far cheaper: dormant EOOD costs →

In three stages: a shareholder resolution to dissolve and appoint a liquidator, filed with the Commercial Register together with an invitation to creditors (minimum 6-month notice period, Art. 267 Commerce Act); notification of the NRA and NSSI and settlement of all taxes and contributions; then a final liquidation balance sheet and deletion from the register. Our fee is from €400 plus state fees. Selling the shares to a buyer is the alternative if the company is clean: transfer of shares →

A minimum of 7 months — a 6-month notice period for creditors, plus certificates from the tax authority (NRA) and the social security institute (NSSI). Learn more →