Address registration in Bulgaria, step by step
Address registration is the entrance to administrative life in Bulgaria: the ID card, school enrolment, a bank account and vehicle registration all hang off it. This article describes not the concept but the procedure at the counter — which form is filled in, which documents are asked for, what the deadlines are and which omission collapses the file. For the permanent-versus-present concepts see [address registration and personal number](/bilgi/bulgaristan-adres-kaydi), and for its place in a residence file see [address registration for a residence permit](/bilgi/bulgaristan-adres-kaydi-oturum).
Official documents and institutions · Last reviewed: 2026-08-23
Where it is done
Address registration happens at the MUNICIPALITY — more precisely at the administrative service desks of the municipality or the town hall. The national registers are kept by the Directorate General for Civil Registration and Administrative Services: what you declare locally is written into the unified population database it operates. The application is local; the result is national.
In the electronic services catalogue this appears as two separate services: an application for a permanent address (service 2079) and an address card for a present address (service 2107). Their forms, documents and logic differ, and the commonest mistake is to treat them as one act.
Permanent or present
The law recognises two addresses. The permanent address is the address in the settlement a person CHOOSES to be entered in the population registers; identity documents and official correspondence attach to it. The present address is where the person actually resides AT THE MOMENT. The two may coincide; when they do not, each is declared separately. Every person subject to civil registration is obliged to declare their permanent and present address in writing.
| Permanent address | Present address | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | The address chosen for the population registers | Where the person actually lives |
| Form | Application (service 2079) | Address card (service 2107) |
| Where it is filed | Municipality of the chosen settlement | Municipality or town hall where you live |
| What it serves | ID documents, service of notices, electoral roll, vehicle registration | Access to services, school, healthcare |
| On change | A new application is filed | Declared within 30 days of the change |
The thirty days are not a courtesy
What to bring to the counter
The list depends on your situation but the spine is constant. First, identification: an ID card for a Bulgarian citizen, a residence document for a foreigner. Second, a document showing your right to use the dwelling: a title deed, a lease or an equivalent. Third, if the dwelling is not yours, the CONSENT of the owner or the person entitled to it.
That consent exists in the catalogue as a form of its own: a declaration under Article 92(3) of the Civil Registration Act. In other words, my landlord said it was fine carries no weight at the counter; consent is given on a prescribed form. If you are renting, raising this while signing the lease saves troubling the owner a second time.
- Identity document — ID card, or residence document for a foreigner.
- Proof of the right to use the dwelling — title deed, lease or equivalent.
- Owner's or entitled person's declaration — on the form prescribed by law.
- Completed application or address card — different forms for the two addresses.
- Power of attorney where someone files on your behalf.
- Parent or guardian documents for minors.
What happens after you file
The address card for a change of present address is forwarded within 5 days for updating in the national Population database. That is when your record becomes visible nationally, and it is that database a bank, a school or a traffic police unit queries. Do not expect the registration to show everywhere on the day you file; but if it is still absent two weeks later, something in the file is missing.
The output of the registration is the certificates you draw when you need them: a permanent address certificate and a present address certificate. They are issued on the basis of the population register and are required for replacing an ID card, enrolling at a school, establishing the competent authority and assigning a polling station. The rules for issuing them are set in a separate ordinance whose text is published on the civil registration directorate's site.
Decide which address you are declaring
Present only, permanent only, or both. Two declarations where they differ.Prepare the dwelling document
Title deed or lease in your own name.Obtain the owner's declaration where needed
On the statutory form, signed.Fill in the correct form
Application for permanent, address card for present. They are not interchangeable.File with the competent municipality or town hall
The present address is declared where you actually live.Verify after two weeks
Has the record reached the national database? Draw a certificate if in doubt.Update the linked records
ID card, bank, vehicle registration unit, school.
This is not legal or financial advice
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have after moving?
Every person living in Bulgaria must declare a change of present address within 30 days of the change of residence. The declaration is made on an address card at the municipality or town hall where you live (last checked 23 August 2026).
Does my landlord have to consent?
If the dwelling is not yours, registering at that address requires a declaration from the owner or entitled person on the form prescribed by the Civil Registration Act. Verbal consent is not enough, which is why the topic is best raised when the lease is signed.
When does the record become visible nationally?
The address card for a change of present address is forwarded within 5 days for updating in the national Population database. So do not expect visibility on the day of filing; if it is still missing weeks later, return to the municipality.
Sources
The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.
- ГД „Гражданска регистрация и административно обслужване“ (ГРАО) — ЕСГРАОН — https://www.grao.bg/esgraon.html · 2026-08-23
- ГРАО — Наредба № РД-02-20-6 за издаване на удостоверения въз основа на регистъра на населението — https://www.grao.bg/normact/Naredba-RD-02-20-6.doc · 2026-08-23
- eGov.bg — услуга 2079: Заявление за постоянен адрес (общинска услуга) — https://egov.bg/wps/portal/egov/dostavchitsi+na+uslugi/obshtinski+administratsii/unificirani+uslugi/2079 · 2026-08-23
- eGov.bg — услуга 2107: Заявление за настоящ адрес (адресна карта) — https://egov.bg/wps/portal/egov/dostavchitsi+na+uslugi/obshtinski+administratsii/unificirani+uslugi/2107 · 2026-08-23
- eGov.bg — Декларация по чл. 92, ал. 3 от Закона за гражданската регистрация — https://egov.bg/wps/wcm/connect/90c1a1eb-e160-4a3c-9cb1-05360392ee67/207902DKRLv01.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=nG0O9s3 · 2026-08-23
- eGov.bg — „Преместване“ (жизнена ситуация, Вашата Европа) — https://egov.bg/wps/portal/egov/vashata+evropa/epizodi+ot+zhivota/premestvane/premestvane · 2026-08-23
Related topics
Address registration and personal number in Bulgaria
Why address registration comes before everything else: the municipality's role, permanent versus current address, and the difference between ЕГН and ЛНЧ.
Address registration for a residence permit
Where address registration sits in a residence file: the accommodation document, the accommodating party's three-day notification, permanent versus present address, and what to do after moving.
Bulgarian ID card (лична карта): how to apply
Who is entitled to a лична карта, where the application is filed, which documents are requested, and why a foreigner's card is a different document.
Opening a personal bank account in Bulgaria
The right to a basic payment account, the narrow grounds on which a bank may refuse, the documents asked for, and the limit up to which deposits are protected.
Buying a car in Bulgaria
What to verify before you pay, why notarised signatures are a validity requirement, and which deadlines start running the moment ownership changes hands.