Updated 13.08.2026

Company registration · Bulgaria

Company registration in Bulgaria a flat10% rate inside the European Union

One of the lowest corporate rates in the Union with a modest cost of upkeep and no local business tax. A practical base for services, IT and regional trade.

Select a structure
BRIDGES GLOBALCorporate

Launch package

What the base package covers

  1. 01Name check and preparation of the articles
  2. 02Capital deposit and filing with the registry agency
  3. 03Registered address for the first year
  4. 04Full set of corporate documents
  5. 05Tax registration and a Bulgarian accountant
  6. 06A calendar of obligations for the year ahead

and 3 more documents

Corporate income tax rate10%
BRIDGES feefrom $1 400
Incorporation with the registry agency1-2 weeks
Full access to the single marketEU

The actual timing, cost and tax treatment depend on the corporate form, the activity and the structure of the company. Government fees are paid separately at the official tariffs.

Quick selection

Find the right structure

Where will the clients be?

What will the company do?

What do you need?

How many owners?

Reply within one business day

Fit

Who Bulgaria suits

Works when
  • IT companies and outsourcing with a local team
  • Services and consulting billing across the EU
  • Regional trade and distribution
  • Holdings that need a low-cost EU entity
  • Businesses looking for the cheapest EU upkeep
Does not work when
  • You need a premium reputation for the counterparty
  • A fully remote company with no local accountant
  • You are counting on anonymity: the registry is public
  • There is no willingness to work with Bulgarian-language filings

Company types

What company you can open in Bulgaria

The limited liability company is the working form for nearly every case.

Druzhestvo s ogranichena otgovornostOOD / EOOD — limited liability company

A company with limited liability and a symbolic minimum capital.

For whom
IT, services, trade, holdings.
Advantage
The lowest entry cost in the European Union.
Limit
A local address and a Bulgarian accountant are required.
Aktsionerno druzhestvoAD — joint stock company

A company with share capital and a board structure.

For whom
Larger businesses and structures raising capital.
Advantage
Flexible share classes and higher standing.
Limit
Higher capital requirement and heavier governance.
Branchbranch of a foreign company

Registration of a foreign company presence.

For whom
An existing group entering the EU market.
Advantage
No new legal entity is required.
Limit
The parent company carries the liability.

A company needs a registered address and a Bulgarian accountant. Accounting and tax filings are made in Bulgarian.

Comparison

Bulgaria or Romania

Two low-cost European jurisdictions on the Black Sea.

BulgariaRomania
Corporate tax10% flat16% or a turnover-based micro-company rate
Dividend taxa low rate on distributiona low rate on distribution
VAT20%19%
Micro-company regimenoneavailable with conditions
Incorporation time1-2 weeks1-2 weeks
Upkeep costthe lowest in the EUlow
Who it suits bettera predictable flat ratesmall companies with modest turnover

Bulgaria gives a simple flat rate; Romania can be cheaper for very small companies through the micro-company regime.

Where to register

What shapes the structure in Bulgaria

The set-up is simple, so the questions are practical ones.

What we check

  • Whether a VAT number is needed from day one
  • Whether staff will be employed and at what salary level
  • Where the customers are located
  • Whether goods will be stored in the country
  • Who will act as managing director
  • Which bank is prepared to work with the profile
  • Whether the business is regulated
  • Whether dividends will be distributed regularly
  • How the source of capital is evidenced
  • The upkeep budget for the next three years

The 10% rate applies to the company. Dividends are taxed again on distribution, so the total cost of taking money out belongs in the model.

Licensing

Activities and licences

Most business needs no licence; regulated sectors do.

IT and services

No licence required.

Trade and distribution

No licence; VAT registration is standard.

Financial services

Authorised by the financial supervision commission.

Payments and e-money

Licensed by the central bank.

Transport

Requires operator licences and permits.

Tourism and hospitality

Requires sector registrations.

What sets the licence

  • Whether a licence is required
  • Whether a VAT number is needed
  • Whether staff will be employed
  • Planned turnover
  • Whether goods cross the border
  • Which bank will serve the company

Prices

Three ways to launch

The scope is built from real scenarios. The amount depends on VAT and on the level of accounting support.

Company

from $1 400

An EU entity for contracts and invoicing

1-2 weeks

Included

  • Name check and preparation of the articles
  • Capital deposit and filing with the registry agency
  • Registered address for the first year
  • Full set of corporate documents
  • Tax registration and a Bulgarian accountant
  • A calendar of obligations for the year ahead

Government fees, paid separately

  • Registry fees

Not included

  • EU VAT number
  • The bank account — handled as a separate stage
Turnkey with staff

by project

A company with employees and real operations

from 4 weeks

Included

  • Everything in the Company, VAT and account package
  • Employer registration and payroll administration
  • Office search and lease support
  • Work permit support for foreign employees
  • Monthly bookkeeping, annual accounts and returns
  • Annual support of the structure

Government fees, paid separately

  • Employer contributions
  • Rent

Registry fees, social contributions and rent appear as separate lines in the quote.

Estimate

Preliminary quote

Seven questions about the activity, VAT, staff and banking. A preliminary budget in return.

The range is indicative: projects with payroll are priced individually.

Add-ons

Add-ons for any package

Switched on as the task requires.

EU VAT registration

Application and periodic returns.

Registered address

A legal address with mail handling.

Accounting

A Bulgarian accountant, monthly filings and annual accounts.

Payroll

Employer registration and monthly administration.

Work permits

Support for hiring foreign employees.

Account for the company

Selection of a bank or a payment institution.

Changes to the company

Managing director, member and capital changes.

Liquidation

Proper closure of the company.

Banking

The bank account after incorporation

Bulgarian banks work with foreign owners but usually want to meet the managing director.

01
What the bank looks at

The activity, the customers, expected turnover, the local presence and the source of funds.

02
Which documents are needed

The corporate set, managing director identification, contracts and a description of the business.

03
Where the account is opened

With Bulgarian banks, and with European payment institutions for cross-border flows.

04
What we do

We prepare the file, arrange the meeting and run the submission through to the result.

The capital deposit account is straightforward; the operating account usually requires a personal visit. We plan the trip or find remote alternatives.

Tax

Taxes in Bulgaria

A simple flat system with a low rate on distribution.

01
Corporate income tax

A flat rate of 10% on taxable profit.

02
Dividend tax

A low rate is charged when profit is distributed to individuals.

03
VAT

The standard rate is 20%, with reduced rates for certain supplies.

04
Payroll charges

Employer and employee contributions apply within statutory bands.

05
Personal income tax

A flat rate applies to individuals, which matters when planning salaries.

06
Obligations at home

Owning a foreign company creates obligations in the beneficiary country of residence.

Verified on 13 August 2026. This is not tax advice: the total cost of extracting profit is modelled for a specific case.

Documents

What we need from you

The set is collected remotely; documents are translated into Bulgarian.

  1. 01Passport with a certified copy
  2. 02Proof of residential address
  3. 03Specimen signature
  4. 04Description of the planned activity
  5. 05Evidence of the source of funds

Specimen signatures are certified by a notary; where the founder is abroad this is done at a consulate or with apostille.

Annual administration

What we handle every year

The lowest upkeep in the European Union, with monthly reporting.

Registered address

Renewed annually.

Monthly accounting

Maintained by a Bulgarian accountant.

VAT returns

Filed monthly where the company is registered.

Annual accounts

Prepared and filed with the register.

Corporate tax return

Filed after the financial year ends.

Payroll and contributions

Filed and paid monthly where staff are employed.

Statistical reporting

Submitted together with the annual accounts.

Bank compliance

Periodic requests from the bank.

Cost of ownership

The cost of the company over three years

A company is not a one-off payment for incorporation: the annual items below repeat every year. We count ownership, not entry.

Year 1
  • Registration and corporate documents
  • Registered address
  • Monthly accounting
  • VAT returns
  • Annual accounts
  • Corporate tax return
  • Payroll and contributions
  • Statistical reporting
  • Bank compliance
Year 2
  • Registered address
  • Monthly accounting
  • VAT returns
  • Annual accounts
  • Corporate tax return
  • Payroll and contributions
  • Statistical reporting
  • Bank compliance
Year 3
  • Registered address
  • Monthly accounting
  • VAT returns
  • Annual accounts
  • Corporate tax return
  • Payroll and contributions
  • Statistical reporting
  • Bank compliance

What falls into each year depends on the corporate form, the activity and the requirements of the bank and the regulator. The three-year calculation comes together with the incorporation quote — before the engagement.

Process

How the work runs

Timelines are split by who is responsible.

01
Consultation and structure

Activity, VAT, staff, banking, dividends.

One meeting
02
Quote and contract

We fix the scope of work and the amount.

1 day
03
Documents and translations

Collection of the set, notarisation and translation.

3-7 days
04
Capital deposit

Opening the accumulation account and depositing the capital.

2-5 days
05
Incorporation

Filing with the registry agency and entry in the register.

3-7 days
06
VAT and account

VAT registration and opening the operating account.

The agency and the bank set the timing

The outcome is the cheapest working EU company: full documents, a VAT number, an account and a Bulgarian accountant in place.

Scenarios

A company for a specific task

The structure follows the client task and the banking model, not the name of the jurisdiction.

Clients in the EU

BusinessThe customers are EU companies; an EU counterparty and VAT are required.

DirectionAn operating company in the EU with a VAT number and reporting.

BankingAn EU bank looks at contracts, turnover and presence.

IT and services

BusinessDevelopment, consulting and digital work for European clients.

DirectionA company with the relevant activity and local accounting.

BankingCustomer contracts and payment providers are required.

Trade within the EU

BusinessSupplies of goods between EU countries.

DirectionA company with VAT and VIES registration.

BankingThe bank checks the supply chain and the counterparties.

Holding EU assets

BusinessHolding shares in EU companies and distributing profit.

DirectionA holding structure set up with the directives and tax treaties in mind.

BankingAn account for dividends and intra-group settlements.

A scenario does not assign a corporate form automatically: the actual form, licence and bank are checked against the current requirements for your activity.

Why BRIDGES

Who runs the incorporation and what we answer for

The difference shows in how the work is run, not in the promises.

We model the full extraction cost

10% is the company rate; dividends are taxed again. We show the combined figure.

We arrange the accountant

Filings are in Bulgarian and monthly; the accountant is part of the package.

Banking planned in advance

We schedule the capital deposit and the operating account together.

A full budget before the contract

Address, accounting, VAT and payroll — three years ahead.

We run the annual cycle

Accounts, returns and changes stay with us.

We are honest about reputation

For premium counterparties another EU jurisdiction may serve you better.

FAQ

Questions and answers

A flat 10% on taxable profit — one of the lowest in the European Union.

A low rate is charged when profit is distributed to individuals. We model the combined cost of extraction.

One to two weeks including the capital deposit and registration.

No, but a registered address and a Bulgarian accountant are required.

The capital account is easy; the operating account usually requires a personal visit by the managing director.

Yes, usually within a few weeks of incorporation.

Only above the statutory size thresholds.

Yes, which is why a local accountant is part of the service.

Calculation

Get the structure and a full quote before incorporation

Tell us what the company will do and how you plan to take profit out. We will model the total tax cost, arrange the address and the accountant and prepare the launch and upkeep budget.

The structure, budget and scope are fixed after the business and the owners are reviewed. Account opening and registration decisions are taken by banks and state authorities.

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