Business Permits & Incorporation for Foreigners in Plovdiv

Good to Know

• You do not need a Bulgarian partner, sponsor, or resident director to incorporate — 100% foreign ownership is standard and legally unrestricted for EOOD/OOD companies.
• Incorporating a company in Bulgaria does not automatically give you the right to live or work there — that requires a separate residence permit application.
• The registry itself can approve a clean filing in as little as 3-5 business days, but budget 2-4 weeks overall if you're doing this remotely, since notarization, apostilles, translations, and bank processing (especially opening the mandatory capital deposit account as a non-resident) usually take longer than the registration step itself.
• Bulgaria switched its official currency from the lev (BGN) to the euro (EUR) on 1 January 2026 — all fees, capital minimums, and tax thresholds are now quoted in euros.
• Even though minimum share capital is symbolically low (as little as €1), you still must open a Bulgarian bank capital account to deposit it before you can file — and some banks are reluctant to onboard non-resident founders remotely, so this step is often the real bottleneck.
• Bulgaria's flat 10% corporate tax is one of the lowest in the EU, and for most nomad-scale foreign-owned businesses stays a simple flat rate regardless of profit size — but pairing it with the 5% dividend tax gives a more realistic ~15% combined burden once you actually take money out of the company.
• For solo income under roughly EUR 50,000/year, operating as a self-employed 'liberal profession' freelancer is often more tax-efficient and administratively lighter than forming a company; a full EOOD/OOD tends to make more sense above roughly EUR 100,000/year or once you want limited liability.
• Newly incorporated companies are exempt from advance CIT payments during their first year, which simplifies cash-flow planning for a first-year startup.
• The exact annual corporate tax filing deadline is in flux in official/professional guidance (cited as either 31 March or 30 June depending on the source) amid Bulgaria's 2026 accounting/euro transition — confirm the current deadline directly with a local accountant or the National Revenue Agency (NRA) before your filing date.
• The VAT registration turnover threshold has been revised in recent years and one source's figure (BGN 50,000) may well be outdated — verify the current threshold with the NRA rather than relying on older guides.
• If you're a foreign-owned EOOD/OOD owner, remember there are two separate filing tracks — the company's own corporate return and your personal return for any salary/dividends received — and they can carry different deadlines.