Can I get a QES without travelling to Bulgaria?

Some qualified providers verify identity remotely and issue a cloud QES. Check the provider on the trusted list and its conditions for remote identification.

Is a QES issued in my country of residence valid in Bulgaria?

Under the eIDAS Regulation a qualified signature from a provider in an EU country is recognised in all member states. Whether a particular Bulgarian portal accepts it technically, check in the service description.

What is the difference between a QES and an electronic identity?

A QES signs documents and is equivalent to a handwritten signature. An electronic identity only confirms who you are when you log in to an e-service.

Can I already use the chip in my new ID card?

As of October 2026 the e-identity certificates on the chip have not been activated. No date has been announced.

Can I authorise someone online?

The adopted amendments to the Electronic Identification Act introduce free, fully electronic empowerment. Until they take effect, use a notarised power of attorney.

Electronic signature and e-identity from abroad

To use a Bulgarian e-service from abroad you need a legally recognised means of electronic identification. The most widely accepted is the qualified electronic signature (QES, КЕП). Others are the personal identification codes (PIC) of the National Revenue Agency and the National Social Security Institute, the health insurance fund’s access code, means under the Electronic Identification Act and eIDs from other EU countries under the eIDAS Regulation. Which one works depends on the service — every service provider publishes which means it accepts.

The main options

	QES	Revenue or social security PIC	e-identity under the e-ID Act
What it is	A signature equivalent to a handwritten one	An access code for that agency’s portals	A state means of identification
Issued by	A qualified provider on the trusted list	The Revenue Agency or the Social Security Institute	The Ministry of Interior
Signs documents	Yes	No	No — identification only
Where it works	Most e-services in Bulgaria and the EU	Mainly that agency’s services	Services that accept it
From abroad	Some providers issue it remotely	Check with the agency	Not yet issued in practice

As of October 2026 the e-identity certificates on the chip of the new ID cards have not been activated.

Qualified electronic signature

A QES has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature (Art. 25 of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014). A QES based on a qualified certificate from one EU country is recognised as qualified in all the others. So a signature from a qualified provider in your country of residence is legally equivalent to a Bulgarian one — but whether a particular Bulgarian portal accepts it technically, check in the service description.

A provider is qualified only if it appears on a trusted list. Bulgaria’s list is kept by the Communications Regulation Commission, and all national lists are collected in the European Commission’s Trusted List Browser. We do not recommend any particular provider.

Cloud QES. Some qualified providers keep your certificate on their server and you sign with a mobile app. Some of them verify your identity remotely — with an identity document and a video or photo in the app — so you do not need to travel to Bulgaria.

Check the provider
Find it on the trusted list and check that the service it offers is marked as qualified.
Check how they identify you
See whether the provider issues certificates remotely and with which document — a Bulgarian passport, ID card or a document from your country of residence.
Check the service you need
See whether the portal (for example of the Revenue Agency or the Ministry of Interior) accepts a cloud signature or only a smart-card signature.
Compare prices
The price and validity of the certificate are set by the provider. It usually runs for one or more years and is renewed.

State electronic identity

The Electronic Identification Act provides for an electronic identity certificate issued by the Ministry of Interior and stored on the chip of the ID card. New ID cards with a chip have been issued since June 2024, but as of October 2026 the certificates have not been activated.

e-ID from another EU country

EU countries must recognise eIDs issued under the notified schemes of other member states. Bulgaria’s eIDAS node lets EU citizens log in to Bulgarian e-services with their national eID. If you are also a citizen of another EU country, this may be a convenient option. Whether a specific service accepts it, check in its description.

What you can do online

Identity documents. Through e-uslugi.mvr.bg with a QES, if your biometric data were taken within the last 59 months. Through the Foreign Ministry’s e-services system you can apply for a replacement without a QES by attaching a copy of the document you are replacing; the new one is collected in person at the consular section.
Taxes. The Revenue Agency portal accepts a QES and its own PIC — for example for the annual tax return.
Social security and pensions. On the Social Security Institute’s portal you can check your insurance record and pension with a QES or its PIC.
Single portal. egov.bg brings together state and municipal services, payments and the secure electronic delivery system, where you receive documents from the administration.
Municipal services. Some municipalities accept applications — for example for address registration — electronically.

Costs

The price of a QES is set by the provider. The state e-identity certificate becomes free once the amendments take effect. Revenue Agency and Social Security PICs are issued under each agency’s own procedure. Electronic applications are often cheaper: in Stara Zagora municipality, for example, a fully electronic service costs half the usual fee.