Bringing a car and belongings when you move back

A car with foreign plates that you will use in Bulgaria is registered with the Traffic Police (Pătna politsia) of the regional Ministry of Interior directorate (in Sofia, the Sofia Directorate, SDVR) for your permanent address. If the car comes from an EU country, no customs duty is due. If it comes from outside the EU, it goes through customs first — and when you move your residence it may be exempt from duty and VAT.

deadline

14 days

from acquiring the car

fee

€17.90

registering a passenger car

registration

same day

with complete documents

Registering a car from another EU country

1. Take out third-party liability insurance

   With a Bulgarian insurer. You do not bring a document — the police check the insurance in the Guarantee Fund’s system.

2. Prepare the documents

   Both parts of the foreign registration certificate, the roadworthiness certificate from the same country and proof of ownership (contract or invoice). The list is below.

3. Go to the Traffic Police with the car

   For your permanent address. The car is checked for identification. The application is generated by the system — you only check and sign it.

4. Pay the fee and collect the plates

   By card at the desk, by bank transfer or online. You receive a Bulgarian registration certificate and number plates.

5. Pay the local vehicle tax

   The municipality of your permanent address calculates it from the Ministry of Interior register. For the year of registration it is paid within 2 months — 1/12 of the annual tax for each remaining month.

If the car has no roadworthiness certificate from the other country or it has expired, you take a periodic roadworthiness test in Bulgaria. A car that fails is registered but barred from the road until the faults are fixed. Paying the vehicle tax is also a condition for passing the test in later years.

A car from outside the EU

The car is first cleared through customs at a customs office: customs duty and import VAT are due. You can register it only with the customs document. Besides proof of ownership and the foreign registration, the Traffic Police require proof that the model had EU type approval at the date of manufacture, or an individual approval certificate. The car undergoes a roadworthiness test and an equipment check.

Relief on transfer of residence

If you are moving back to live in Bulgaria from a non-EU country, your car and personal belongings can be imported free of customs duty under Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009. Authorisation is given by the head of the customs office for your new normal place of residence. The conditions are:

• you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months (holidays do not break this);
• you are moving your normal residence to Bulgaria;
• you owned and used the car in your previous country for at least 6 months before leaving, and the registration certificate is in your name;
• the goods are for the same personal use and are not commercial.

Personal belongings

Household and personal effects from another EU country are moved without customs formalities. From outside the EU the same relief conditions apply as for the car. Goods may arrive in several consignments if all are listed at the first clearance. You can also bring them before the move if you undertake to settle in Bulgaria within 6 months and provide a guarantee.

Alcohol, tobacco and tobacco products, commercial vehicles and items used in a trade or profession are not exempt — except portable instruments of the applied or liberal arts.