Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Bulgaria Property Pack
Everything you need to know before buying real estate is included in our Bulgaria Property Pack
Whether you can legally own land in Bulgaria depends almost entirely on where your passport comes from, and this single detail can change your entire buying strategy.
We constantly update this blog post to reflect the latest legal changes and market developments in Bulgaria's property sector.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Bulgaria.
Insights
- EU citizens buying residential property in Bulgaria pay approximately 5% to 10% in total closing costs, including transfer tax, notary fees, and legal expenses, which is lower than most Western European countries.
- Non-EU foreigners cannot directly own land in Bulgaria, but setting up a Bulgarian limited liability company costs as little as 2 Bulgarian leva (about 1 euro) in minimum capital, making the workaround surprisingly affordable.
- Bulgaria's planned eurozone entry in 2026 has already pushed property prices up by as much as 30% in certain areas, particularly in Sofia and along the Black Sea coast.
- The January 2024 EU court ruling struck down Bulgaria's 5-year residency requirement for agricultural land purchases by EU citizens, meaning older online guides about farmland are now outdated.
- Property fraud targeting foreign buyers in Bulgaria has become more sophisticated, with recent police operations in Varna uncovering organized schemes involving fake documents and money laundering.
- Sofia property prices now average between 1,500 and 2,300 euros per square meter, while rural areas can still offer properties at 500 to 800 euros per square meter.
- Foreigners who buy property worth at least 300,000 euros (approximately 600,000 Bulgarian leva) may qualify for an extended residence permit in Bulgaria.
- The transfer tax in Bulgaria varies significantly by municipality, ranging from 0.5% in some rural areas to 3% in major cities like Sofia, Plovdiv, and coastal resorts.
Fact-checked and reviewed by our local expert
Yeheli Samuels 🇧🇬🇮🇱
CEO and Founder, Dira Bulgarit - Israeli real estate in Bulgaria
Can a foreigner legally own land in Bulgaria right now?
Can foreigners own land in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of early 2026, EU and EEA citizens can buy most types of land in Bulgaria directly in their own name, just like Bulgarian nationals, while non-EU foreigners face significant constitutional restrictions that prevent them from owning land as private individuals.
The Bulgarian Constitution allows foreign land ownership only under specific conditions: EU accession rules, an international treaty, or inheritance, which effectively creates a near-total ban on direct land purchases for most non-EU citizens.
If you are from outside the EU and want to control Bulgarian land, the most common legal alternative is to register a Bulgarian limited liability company (known locally as an OOD) that will hold the property in its name, while you own 100% of the company shares.
Nationality absolutely matters here because EU/EEA passport holders enjoy property rights nearly identical to Bulgarians, while everyone else must work around the constitutional restrictions through company structures or limit themselves to apartments only.
Can I own a house but not the land in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of early 2026, Bulgaria's legal system allows foreigners, including non-EU citizens, to own buildings, houses, and apartments separately from the underlying land, which is a common arrangement that many international buyers use to work around land restrictions.
When you own a structure but not the land beneath it, you receive a notarial deed that specifically covers the building or apartment unit, while any rights to the land are handled separately through the company structure or through shared building rights in the case of apartment buildings.
If you own a house on leased land, what happens at lease expiration depends entirely on your contract terms, so this is a critical clause to negotiate upfront because Bulgarian law does not automatically protect your building rights once a land lease ends.
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Bulgaria. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
Do rules differ by region or city for land ownership in Bulgaria right now?
The fundamental rules about who can own land in Bulgaria are set at the national level by the Constitution and apply uniformly across all regions, so your eligibility does not change whether you are buying in Sofia, Burgas, or a small village.
However, what does change dramatically between regions is the municipal transfer tax rate, which ranges from as low as 0.5% in some rural districts to 3% in major cities like Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and popular resort areas like Bansko.
These regional differences exist because Bulgarian municipalities have legal authority to set their own transfer tax rates within the national range, using local revenue needs and property market activity to determine their specific percentage.
We cover a lot of different regions and cities in our pack about the property market in Bulgaria.
Can I buy land in Bulgaria through marriage to a local in 2026?
As of early 2026, marrying a Bulgarian citizen does not automatically grant you the constitutional right to own land in Bulgaria if you are a non-EU foreigner, so marriage alone is not a legal workaround for the ownership restrictions.
If your Bulgarian spouse purchases land in their name, you should establish clear legal documentation such as a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement that addresses your financial contribution and rights to the property, particularly since Bulgarian marital property rules may differ from what you expect.
In the event of divorce, your interest in property held in your spouse's name will depend on your marital property regime and whatever agreements you have in writing, which makes upfront legal planning essential before any deposit is paid.
There is a lot of mistakes you can make, we cover 99% of them in our list of risks and pitfalls people face when buying property in Bulgaria.
We have made this infographic to give you a quick and clear snapshot of the property market in Bulgaria. It highlights key facts like rental prices, yields, and property costs both in city centers and outside, so you can easily compare opportunities. We’ve done some research and also included useful insights about the country’s economy, like GDP, population, and interest rates, to help you understand the bigger picture.
What eligibility and status do I need to buy land in Bulgaria?
Do I need residency to buy land in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of early 2026, EU and EEA citizens do not need Bulgarian residency to purchase residential land in Bulgaria, and you can buy property while living anywhere in the world as long as you meet the nationality requirement.
There is no specific visa or permit required to complete a land transaction in Bulgaria for most residential purchases, though you will need valid identification documents and may need to obtain a Bulgarian tax identification number for the paperwork.
Buying property remotely without being physically present is legally possible in Bulgaria through a properly drafted power of attorney, but this approach carries higher fraud risk and requires extra verification steps to protect yourself from scams involving fake documents.
Please note that we give you all the details you need about the different pathways to get residency and citizenship in Bulgaria here.
Do I need a local tax number to buy lands in Bulgaria?
Foreigners buying property in Bulgaria are required to register with the BULSTAT registry system within seven days of acquiring the property, which provides an identification number used for tax and administrative purposes.
The registration process is relatively straightforward and can typically be completed within a few days through the Registry Agency, though your lawyer will usually handle this as part of the closing paperwork.
Opening a Bulgarian bank account is not strictly mandatory for completing a land purchase, but it makes paying notary fees, taxes, and future utility bills significantly easier, and some sellers or notaries prefer receiving payment from a local account.
Is there a minimum investment to buy land in Bulgaria as of 2026?
As of early 2026, there is no government-mandated minimum investment amount for foreigners to purchase residential land in Bulgaria, meaning you can legally buy property at any price point that the market offers.
The only investment threshold that matters is if you want to qualify for a residence permit through property ownership, which requires purchasing real estate worth at least 300,000 euros (approximately 600,000 Bulgarian leva), but this is a visa program requirement, not a land ownership requirement.
Are there restricted zones foreigners can't buy in Bulgaria?
The main "restricted zones" for foreign buyers in Bulgaria relate to land type rather than geographic areas, with the biggest distinction being between regulated urban land (which eligible foreigners can buy) and agricultural or forest land (which has additional restrictions).
Specific types of land that may be off-limits or require special procedures include agricultural land, forest land, certain coastal protection zones, and potentially areas near military installations or national security infrastructure.
To verify whether a specific plot falls within a restricted category, you or your lawyer should request the cadastral sketch from the Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency (AGKK) and confirm the land's classification and any applicable restrictions before signing anything.
Can foreigners buy agricultural, coastal or border land in Bulgaria right now?
The legal status for foreigners buying agricultural, coastal, or border land in Bulgaria is complex and depends heavily on nationality, with EU citizens having broader rights than non-EU citizens, though restrictions still apply to certain land types for everyone.
For agricultural land, a major development came in January 2024 when the EU Court of Justice ruled that Bulgaria's 5-year residency requirement for EU citizens to buy farmland was incompatible with EU law, so older guides mentioning this requirement are now outdated.
Coastal land is not automatically banned for foreigners, but coastal plots often intersect with environmental protection zones, strict development regulations, and higher scam risk due to aggressive marketing in resort areas.
Land near national borders does not have a blanket prohibition for foreign buyers, but certain strategically sensitive areas may require additional scrutiny, and your lawyer should verify any location-specific restrictions as part of standard due diligence.
Get fresh and reliable information about the market in Bulgaria
Don't base significant investment decisions on outdated data. Get updated and accurate information with our guide.
What are the safest legal structures to control land in Bulgaria?
Is a long-term lease equivalent to ownership in Bulgaria right now?
A long-term lease in Bulgaria is not legally equivalent to freehold ownership, though it can provide meaningful control over property when direct ownership is blocked, with the key difference being that a lease is a contractual right rather than a property right.
Long-term leases in Bulgaria can extend for multiple decades, and whether they can be renewed depends entirely on the specific terms negotiated in your contract, so you must insist on clear renewal clauses if long-term security matters to you.
Selling, transferring, or bequeathing lease rights to another party is sometimes possible in Bulgaria, but only if your lease agreement explicitly permits this and if the arrangement is structured as a registerable right that binds third parties.
Can I buy land in Bulgaria via a local company?
Buying land in Bulgaria through a locally registered company is a well-established and common practice, particularly for non-EU citizens who cannot own land directly, and the process involves forming a Bulgarian limited liability company (OOD) that holds the property while you own the company shares.
There is no requirement for Bulgarian shareholders or minimum local ownership percentage when a foreigner sets up a company to buy property, meaning you can own 100% of the company shares yourself, though you must maintain proper corporate governance and annual filings.
What "grey-area" ownership setups get foreigners in trouble in Bulgaria?
Grey-area and legally questionable land ownership arrangements are surprisingly common among foreign buyers in Bulgaria, particularly those who try to avoid the cost or complexity of proper company structures or who trust informal agreements with local contacts.
The most dangerous grey-area structures include nominee ownership arrangements where a Bulgarian "friend" or contact holds land in their name on your behalf, fake or improperly drafted powers of attorney, buying agricultural land with promises of easy rezoning that never materializes, and purchasing from developers without proper completion documents (Act 15 or Act 16).
If Bulgarian authorities discover you are using an illegal ownership structure, consequences can range from having the transaction nullified and losing your investment, to legal disputes that drag on for years, to being unable to sell or develop the property because the documentation is fundamentally flawed.
By the way, you can avoid most of these bad surprises if you go through our pack covering the property buying process in Bulgaria.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Bulgaria versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
How does the land purchase process work in Bulgaria, step-by-step?
What are the exact steps to buy land in Bulgaria right now?
The step-by-step process for a foreigner to legally purchase land in Bulgaria typically follows this sequence: confirm your eligibility and decide whether to buy personally or through a company, find a property and pay a reservation deposit, have your lawyer conduct due diligence using the Property Register and Cadastre, sign a preliminary contract with a larger deposit, complete the transaction at a notary public, register the deed with the Registry Agency, and pay all applicable taxes and fees.
From initial offer to final registration, a clean land purchase in Bulgaria typically takes between 4 and 8 weeks, though complicated title histories, inheritance chains, or missing documents can extend this timeline significantly.
The key documents you will sign during a Bulgarian land purchase include a preliminary contract (which sets terms and deposit amounts), the notarial deed (which is the official transfer document), various declarations required for registration, and potentially a power of attorney if you cannot attend in person.
What scams are common when it comes to buying land in Bulgaria right now?
What scams target foreign land buyers in Bulgaria right now?
Property scams targeting foreign buyers remain a real concern in Bulgaria, with recent police operations uncovering organized fraud schemes in regions like Varna, and reports suggesting over 70 similar cases may have occurred involving victims from Greece, Belgium, England, Germany, and Russia.
The most common scam types in Bulgaria include properties sold without proper completion permits (missing Act 15 or Act 16), fake or forged powers of attorney, hidden encumbrances like undisclosed mortgages or tax debts, fraudulent seller identities, and "too good to be true" resort plots with unclear zoning or access rights.
Top warning signs that a Bulgarian land deal may be fraudulent include extreme pressure to sign quickly, prices significantly below market rates, sellers who resist providing full documentation, reluctance to use a notary or lawyer of your choosing, and any request to pay deposits before you have verified title.
If you fall victim to a land scam in Bulgaria, legal recourse exists through the Bulgarian court system, and in some cases involving notary negligence the burden may shift to the notary to prove they were not complicit, but proceedings can be lengthy and expensive.
We cover all these things in length in our pack about the property market in Bulgaria.
How do I verify the seller is legit in Bulgaria right now?
The best method for verifying a land seller in Bulgaria is to have your lawyer request an official extract from the Property Register that shows the current registered owner and confirms they have the legal authority to sell the property.
To confirm the title is clean and free of disputes, your lawyer should obtain a Certificate of Encumbrances (known locally as "udostoverenie za tezhesti") covering at least the past 10 years of the property's history, which will reveal any mortgages, liens, court claims, or annotations.
Checking for existing liens, mortgages, or debts attached to the land is done through the same Property Register search, and your lawyer should verify that no encumbrances exist that would legally transfer to you as the new owner upon purchase.
While notaries handle the formal registration in Bulgaria, hiring an independent lawyer who works for you (not the seller or agent) is the most essential step for protecting yourself, as the lawyer will conduct due diligence, verify documents, and ensure your interests are represented throughout the transaction.
How do I confirm land boundaries in Bulgaria right now?
The standard procedure for confirming land boundaries in Bulgaria before purchase is to obtain the official cadastral sketch (known as "skitsa") from the Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency (AGKK), which shows the property's unique identifier and legal boundaries.
The official documents to review for boundary verification include the cadastral sketch, the cadastral map excerpt, and any surveyor reports that match the physical markers on the ground with the officially registered boundary lines.
Hiring a licensed surveyor is not strictly required by law but is strongly recommended in Bulgaria, especially for rural plots or properties where boundary markers are unclear, as the surveyor can physically verify that what you see matches what the cadastral records show.
Common boundary-related problems foreign buyers encounter in Bulgaria include discrepancies between cadastral maps and physical fencing, encroachment by neighbors discovered after purchase, incomplete cadastral digitization in rural areas, and disputes arising from old inheritance divisions that were never properly registered.
Buying real estate in Bulgaria can be risky
An increasing number of foreign investors are showing interest. However, 90% of them will make mistakes. Avoid the pitfalls with our comprehensive guide.
What will it cost me, all-in, to buy and hold land in Bulgaria?
What purchase taxes and fees apply in Bulgaria as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the total percentage of official purchase taxes and fees for land transactions in Bulgaria typically falls between 3% and 5% of the property value, covering the municipal transfer tax, registry fee, and notary costs.
When you include all closing costs such as lawyer fees, agent commissions, translations, and administrative expenses, the typical range for land purchases in Bulgaria is 5% to 10% of the purchase price, with the exact amount depending heavily on location and whether you use an agent.
The main individual taxes and fees include: municipal transfer tax at 0.5% to 3% depending on the municipality (often around 2.5% in major cities), registry fee at 0.1% of the higher value between purchase price and tax assessment, and notary fees ranging from 0.1% to 1.5% with a maximum cap of approximately 3,000 euros plus 20% VAT.
These taxes and fees apply equally to foreign and Bulgarian buyers, with no additional surcharges or different rates specifically for foreigners purchasing property in Bulgaria.
What hidden fees surprise foreigners in Bulgaria most often?
Hidden or unexpected fees that surprise foreign land buyers in Bulgaria typically add 1% to 3% beyond the "official" costs they initially budgeted, pushing total expenses into the 6% to 12% range for many transactions.
The top hidden fees foreigners overlook include: mandatory interpreter costs at the notary if you do not speak Bulgarian (around 15 euros per hour but can add up), extra certificates and document requests when title history is complicated, survey or specialist fees for boundary verification, company formation and annual maintenance costs if you must buy through a Bulgarian OOD, and international money transfer fees of 1% to 3%.
These hidden fees typically appear at different stages: interpreter and extra certificate costs emerge during the notary closing, surveyor fees come up during due diligence if problems are found, and company maintenance costs continue annually after purchase.
The best way to protect yourself from unexpected fees is to get a detailed written estimate from your lawyer before signing any preliminary contract, budget an extra 3% to 5% contingency above quoted costs, and clarify upfront who pays for what in your purchase agreement.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Bulgaria compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Bulgaria, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can, and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source Name | Why It's Authoritative | How We Used It |
|---|---|---|
| National Assembly of Bulgaria - Constitution | Official publication of Bulgaria's highest legal text. | We anchored all foreign land ownership rules to Article 22 of the Constitution. We used it to explain why non-EU citizens face restrictions. |
| EUR-Lex - CJEU Case C-562/22 | Official EU law database with binding court rulings. | We used it to explain the January 2024 ruling on agricultural land residency requirements. We referenced it to flag that older guides may be outdated. |
| Bulgaria Ministry of Finance | Government source for official tax framework. | We used it to verify the legal range for municipal transfer taxes. We calculated buyer cost estimates based on their published guidance. |
| Registry Agency - Property Register Portal | Official portal for Bulgaria's property registry services. | We used it to explain title verification and encumbrance checks. We referenced it for the due diligence process steps. |
| Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency (AGKK) | State agency responsible for cadastral maps and boundary data. | We used it to explain how boundary verification works. We referenced their services for obtaining official cadastral sketches. |
| Notary Chamber of Bulgaria | Official notary system guidance on fee calculations. | We used it to explain how notary fees are calculated in Bulgaria. We based our fee estimates on their published calculation methods. |
| European e-Justice Portal | EU official portal summarizing national land registries. | We used it to explain Bulgaria's land registry structure at a high level. We cross-checked local practices against their descriptions. |
| Multilaw - Real Estate Guide Bulgaria | International law network with practitioner contributions. | We used it to verify foreign ownership rules and company structures. We referenced their guidance on building versus land ownership. |
| Danailova, Todorov & Partners | Established Bulgarian law firm with real estate expertise. | We used their publications to validate company ownership strategies. We referenced their cost breakdowns for buyer budgeting. |
| Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) | Bulgaria's national news agency and primary newswire source. | We used their reporting to describe current fraud trends. We referenced their articles on evolving scam tactics targeting foreign buyers. |
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