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The Bulgarian Trade Register: how it works

In Bulgaria, companies are born, altered and wound up in one place: the Trade Register and Register of Non-Profit Legal Entities. It is maintained by the Registry Agency and its contents are open to anyone — that openness is not a side feature but the operating principle of the system.

Companies and taxes · Last reviewed: 2026-08-16

What the register does: publicity that binds

The register works on the principle of disclosure. From the moment an entry is made, third parties are treated as knowing who represents the company, what its capital is and how its constitutive act has been amended. The practical effect is that anyone contracting with a Bulgarian company can verify for themselves whether the person opposite actually holds signing authority — and the defence of ignorance becomes much weaker.

EIK: one code, many doors

Every registered trader receives an EIK (единен идентификационен код), a unified identification code. It is at once the company's identity in the register and the reference used by the revenue administration, the social security system and the public procurement process. There is no separate tax number and statistics number to collect; the system is consolidated around a single code.

Anyone may look — so look

Reading the register file of a supplier, landlord or prospective partner before signing is free and entirely legitimate: you see who represents the company, whether it is in liquidation, and whether its latest financial statement has been published.

How registration proceeds

  1. Documents are prepared

    Constitutive act, incorporation resolution, manager's declarations and bank evidence that capital has been paid in; some of these require notarised signatures.

  2. The application is filed online or in person

    With a qualified electronic signature the application can be submitted online, and the state fee is lower for electronic filing. The alternative is a Registry Agency counter.

  3. Review and entry

    A registration officer examines the file and issues instructions if something is missing. Once the entry is made, the company file becomes public immediately.

  4. Every later change is registered too

    A change of address, manager, partner, capital or scope of activity does not take effect against third parties until it has been entered.

The annual duty: publishing financial statements

Most registered companies carry a duty that repeats every year: publishing the annual financial statement in the register. This is a separate act from the annual tax return — one goes to the revenue agency, the other to the register, and doing one does not discharge the other. Dormant companies normally have a declaration duty of their own as well.

No deadlines or fees are quoted here

Publication deadlines, the administrative penalties for late filing and the state fees all change with legislative amendments, and they were restated with the euro changeover. Check the current timetable and amounts in the Registry Agency's official announcements and run the filing with an accountant.

This is not legal or financial advice

This page explains the process in general terms and points to the official sources of the competent authorities. For decisions specific to your own situation, consult a lawyer, an accountant or the relevant institution. Rules and amounts change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Can I inspect a Bulgarian company's file for free?

Yes. The register is public; searching by name or EIK shows representation, ownership structure and published documents. Some extended services may carry a fee.

What happens if I do not publish the financial statement?

Failing the publication duty attracts an administrative penalty and stays visible in the company's filing history. The amounts change, so confirm the current position from the agency's announcements.

I moved the company's address — must I register that?

Yes. Any change to registrable particulars must be filed; otherwise third parties keep relying on the old entry and service of documents becomes problematic.

Sources

The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.

  1. Агенция по вписванията (Registry Agency) — https://www.registryagency.bg/ · 2026-08-16
  2. Търговски регистър и регистър на ЮЛНЦ — публичен достъп — https://brra.bg/ · 2026-08-16
  3. Закон за търговския регистър — официален текст (lex.bg) — https://lex.bg/ · 2026-08-16
  4. Единен портал за електронни административни услуги — https://egov.bg/ · 2026-08-16

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The Bulgarian Trade Register: how it works | Bulgaristan.bg