Your path to a company in Bulgaria
The Founder Roadmap
Not a pile of topics, but a clear path: five stages from first idea to a growing business. Jump in wherever you are today – each step shows you the right articles and the concrete next actions.
1
Step 1 · Explore & decide
Is Bulgaria right for me?
Get an honest picture: why Bulgaria, how the economy is doing, what other founders experienced – and whether the country fits your project.
Recommended reading
- Buzludzha – the monument that sits like a UFO on Bulgaria's mountainsA concrete saucer at 1,400 metres in the Stara Planina: the history behind Bulgaria's most photographed ruin, its decay, and the effort to save it.
- Bulgaria's economy is growing – strong numbers next to Germany'sBulgaria posted the EU's second-highest annual growth in Q2 2025 while Germany's economy shrank. What is behind the gap, and what it does and does not tell you.
- Bansko Nomad Fest – Digital Nomads Meet Bulgarian LifestyleEvery year, the small town of Bansko at the foot of the Pirin Mountains turns into one of the most exciting meeting points for digital nomads in Europe: the …
- Bulgaria's Economy Keeps Momentum in Q2 2025Bulgaria's economy maintained solid growth in the second quarter of 2025. GDP rose by 3.1% year-on-year, mirroring the gains seen in Q1, and increased 0.7% …
- Francesco’s Encore: Building a Creative Business in BulgariaIn recent years, Bulgaria has become an exciting destination for entrepreneurs. Especially for people in the creative industries, the country offers …
- Crossing Borders: Nadya & Alek’s Journey Through Bulgaria’s Bureaucratic MazeStarting a business in Bulgaria can be both an exciting adventure and a real test of patience. Nadya and Aleks took that leap with Imagine Travel (nowadays …
- From Russia to Bulgaria – Mikhail’s Journey to Starting a Business in BulgariaSometimes life forces us to make decisions we never imagined – and that’s exactly how Mikhail’s journey to Bulgaria began.The experienced copywriter from …
- Starting a language school in Bulgaria: Amy's courageous path to independenceStarting a language school in Bulgaria might sound like a distant dream for many expats. But for Amy Sabella, it became reality. Originally from New York …
- A journey on two wheels: cycling tours in Bulgaria as a business ideaSome business ideas are born at the drawing board – others right in the saddle. That was the case for Frank Op Den Kamp, a Dutchman who moved to Bulgaria and …
- Entrepreneurs in Bulgaria: Success storiesBack then, I first approached the idea of starting a business in Bulgaria from a purely theoretical perspective. It quickly becomes clear that there are …
- Monika's path to becoming an entrepreneur: Passion, perseverance, and strategy lead to successMonika Marinova is a prime example of how personal drive and strategic thinking can lead to entrepreneurial success – especially in Bulgaria. Those looking …
- From Las Vegas to Sofia: The Sweet Success Story of Hristo MirchevIn the dynamic world of culinary arts, there are few stories as shaped by determination and passion as that of Hristo Mirchev, founder and CEO of HM …
- Taking taxis in Bulgaria: what to watch for, and the alternativesAirport taxi scams are the most common complaint newcomers to Sofia have. Here is what the local expat community actually recommends — apps, the metro and car sharing.
- Founding a Bulgarian company: my route, my mistakes, and why Start in BG existsContradictory search results, dubious Facebook groups and outdated blog posts. How a personal research project turned into an independent information site.
- Developing business ideas: The first step toward successfully starting a companyYou want to start your own business – maybe even in Bulgaria? Then the first thing you need is a solid business idea. But what actually makes a good idea? …
- Discover Bulgaria: Europe's underrated gemBulgaria – a country that many people only know for its Black Sea coast or affordable vacations. But this country, located in the heart of Southern Europe …
2
Step 2 · Legal form & costs
Planning
Now it gets concrete: pick the right legal form, understand the real costs, and compare business address options and packages.
Concrete next steps
Recommended reading
- What a Bulgarian Company Really Costs: Hidden Costs and How to Spot ThemFormation offers range from €89 to €1,700 – and neither number tells you what you will actually pay. Every one-off and recurring cost of a Bulgarian EOOD, the six places hidden costs hide, and how to compare offers properly. Part 3 of our formation series.
- Bulgarian company types at a glance: Which legal form is right for your project?Anyone wishing to start a business in Bulgaria faces an important decision: which legal form is the right one? Bulgarian business forms offer a wide range of …
3
Step 3 · Registration & documents
Formation
The actual formation process – from name check through the commercial register and documents to registration, fully remote if you want.
Concrete next steps
Recommended reading
- Choosing a Formation Provider in Bulgaria: Red Flags and the Right QuestionsDozens of providers, prices from €89 to well over €1,700, and marketing that promises guarantees no one can give. The four provider types, the red flags to watch for, and ten questions to ask before you sign. Final part of our formation series.
- Forming a Bulgarian Company Remotely: What "Fully Remote" Really MeansAlmost every provider advertises remote formation – and for the registration it is largely true. But power of attorney, apostille, capital account and above all the bank draw the real line. What works from abroad, what doesn't, and when one flight beats it all. Part 4 of our formation series.
- Forming a Company in Bulgaria Step by Step: From Name Check to Tax NumberName check, notarized signatures, capital account, Commercial Register, EIK, bank and VAT: the complete formation process for a Bulgarian EOOD in the right order – with realistic timelines, including an overview of the Registry Agency's portal. Part 2 of our formation series.
- Company Formation in Bulgaria: What Really Awaits You – An Honest Overview10% corporate tax, euro, EU membership – Bulgaria sounds tempting. But what is actually different from home, where do the real costs and risks hide, and who is the move right for? Part 1 of our five-part formation series.
- Moving to Bulgaria as a sole trader – what to get rightDeregistering at home, where you are actually tax resident, and why most sole traders are better off closing the old business and starting fresh in Bulgaria.
4
Step 4 · Taxes, accounting & VAT
After incorporation
Company’s live – now you run it: set up accounting, handle VAT, master the euro changeover and keep an eye on the deadlines.
Concrete next steps
Recommended reading
- Bulgaria's Euro Changeover: What Changes for Founders and Company Owners in 2026Since 1 January 2026 the euro is Bulgaria's official currency. What that means for your share capital, accounting and VAT – and the deadline existing companies must meet by the end of 2026.
- Bulgarian government rules out tax increasesIn September 2025 the prime minister stated that the government plans neither tax rises nor higher social-security contributions. What that means — and what it does not.
- VAT on Amazon sales with a Bulgarian companySelling from a German warehouse through a Bulgarian company: where VAT is due, why the double-tax treaty is not the answer, and when a permanent establishment arises.
- Bulgarian taxes: overview of the tax system, rates, and special featuresBulgaria is not only known for its low cost of living and beautiful nature – the tax system in Bulgaria is also considered one of the most attractive in the …
- Company in Bulgaria, residence in Germany: tax and place of managementLiving in Germany and founding in Bulgaria? Why the company's seat, its management, your own work, salary and dividends all have to be assessed separately.
5
Step 5 · Everyday life, language & scaling
Living & growing
From relocating and learning Bulgarian to your next growth step – turning your new company into a home and a business that scales.
Concrete next steps
Recommended reading
- Moving Within Bulgaria: The 30-Day Deadline and Who You Must TellMoved from Bansko to Sofia? Depending on your residence status there are one or two authorities to notify – and the order is not arbitrary. Which deadline runs, why the municipality comes before Migration, and what this typically fails on.
- The Landlord Declaration in Bulgaria: What the Owner Actually SignsOnly the owner signs – the tenants do not, and they do not have to go to the notary either. What belongs in the declaration, which notarisation type matches which status, and why a married couple needs two originals.
- Does the Rental Contract Have to Be Notarised? The Bulgarian Address QuestionAsk this in any expat group and you get three contradictory answers – and all three can be right. Why that happens, which three procedures keep getting confused, and which type of notarisation actually belongs to your residence status.
- The Bulgaria Guide: Moving in Six StepsThe roadmap for moving to Bulgaria in the order the questions actually come up: decision, residency, housing, healthcare, taxes, settling in – with links to the full guide for each step.
- Moving to Bulgaria, part 3: the everyday logistics you only understand once you are thereLife without a car, parcels, banking, doctors' appointments and a side business in Sofia — the practical details that decide whether daily life here feels light or heavy.
- Emigrating to Bulgaria, part 2: the interviewCyprus to Sofia, bureaucracy, tax, housing and community — Tatjana and Jérôme on what they learned, plus a long FAQ on the practical questions newcomers ask.
- Emigrating to Bulgaria, part 1: who is behind the platform?Tatjana and Jérôme Helmke left Augsburg for Cyprus, then Sofia. A portrait of the couple behind auswanderung-bulgarien.de and what they actually do.
- Settling In: Your First Weeks in BulgariaThe last step of our moving series: registering your address, getting an ID number, health insurance, re-registering a car – and what else shapes the first weeks. What newcomers deal with first, and what founders need on top.
- undweg2016 – how a German family started over in a Bulgarian villageBen and Lena Jung left Germany in 2016 for a village in northern Bulgaria. Their blog is one of the most honest long-running records of what that is actually like.
- Learning Bulgarian: The Complete Guide for Founders, Expats and TravellersDo you actually need to learn Bulgarian to form a company, live, or travel in Bulgaria? An honest assessment, the words worth knowing from day one, and how to start without an expensive course.
- Should I move to Bulgaria? A look at different ways of livingWhether a move to Bulgaria pays off depends entirely on your situation. Student, employee, founder or retiree — the same country looks very different from each.
Where are you today?
Pick your point on the journey – we’ll show you exactly what comes next.