Distributing a product

Market shares

Market leaders are Metro, Billa and Fantastico.

Organizations in the retail sector

Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce
Franchising in Bulgaria

We can identify professional tradeshows on your sector.

Market access procedures

International Conventions

Member of World Trade Organisation
Party to the Kyoto protocol
Party to the Washington convention on International trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora
Party to the Basel convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal
Party to the Montreal protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer
Wassenaar arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies
Party of the International coffee agreement 2001

Main International economic cooperation

Bulgaria is member of : the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, etc.

For further information, please consult the website of the Ministry of Economy of Bulgaria.

Non tariff barriers

Bulgaria's trade policy is the same as those of other members of the European Union. Non-tariff barriers include agricultural and manufacturing subsidies, import restrictions for some goods and services, market access restrictions in some service sectors, non-transparent and restrictive regulations and standards, and inconsistent customs administration across EU members.
For further information, consult the Country Commercial guide "Doing Business in Bulgaria" by Buyusa.

Customs duties and taxes on imports

20% for non european countries.

Customs classification

Bulgaria joined the EU on January 1, 2007 and became part of the EU customs union. Bulgaria applies the Harmonised Customs system on the basis of the TARIC classification.

Import procedures

Goods are declared by a customs declaration. Besides the customs declaration, the other required documents by the customs authorities are an invoice, certificate of origin, transport documents, etc. A veterinary or phyto-sanitary certificate is necessary for goods of animal or plant origin.
For further information visit the website of Bulgaria customs.

You can also consult the Country Commercial guide "Doing Business in Bulgaria" by Buyusa.


As part of the "SAFE" standards advocated by the World Customs Organization (WCO), the European Union has set up a new system of import controls, the "Import Control System" (ICS), which aims to secure the flow of goods at the time of their entry into the customs territory of the EU. This control system, part of the Community Program eCustomer, has been in effect since January 1, 2011. Since then, operators are required to pass an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) to the customs of the country of entry, prior to the introduction of goods into the customs territory of the European Union.

Importing samples

Samples are subject to the same procedures.  The customs officials are authorised to seize a sample of merchandise in order to analyze it.

For further information

Customs office

We can indicate you which are the customs duties applied to your product.

Find out the local taxes that apply to your product.

Organizing goods transport

Main useful means of transport

Bulgaria is well-situated, between Western europe and Turkey however the roads and railways are badly maintained. The train remains the best way to transport goods in the country.
A bilateral agreement on transport of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport between Bulgaria and the European Community was signed in July 2000. With regard to goods transport, the bilateral agreement establishing certain conditions for the carriage of goods by road and the promotion of combined transport entered into force in 2001.
However, the capacity of the Ministry of Transport to prepare, manage and monitor trans-European network projects is still inadequate.

Ports

The site of Burgas's port
The site of Varna's port

Airports

Sofia Airport

Sea transport organizations

"Executive agency" Port administration (in Bulgarian)
Ministry of Transport Bulgaria

Air transport organizations

Bulgarian Air traffic Authority

Road transport organizations

Ministry of transport

Rail transport organizations

Bulgarian State Railways

Get a ballpark figure for transportation costs for your product in this country through a shipping estimate.

Identifying a supplier

Type of production

The industrial sector represents 30% of economic activity in Bulgaria and employs 30% of the active population.  Principal industrial activities are centred on electrity, gas, chemical products, nuclear energy and the petroleum industry.

Business directories

Yellow Pages

Manufacturers associations of the main industries

Bulgarian association of software companies
Association of car manufacturers
Association of Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

Trade Agencies and their representations abroad

Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Enterprises federation

Bulgarian Industrial Association
Confederation of the industrialists and employers in Bulgaria

Standards

National standards organizations

Bulgarian Standards Institute

Integration in the international standards network

The State Agency for Standardisation and Metrology (BDS) is the organisation in charge of the standardisation and ratification of laws in Bulgaria. Its purpose is to harmonise these standards with the European ones.
The standard ISO 9000, though optional is a factor of competitiveness. The BDS is a full member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), The European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC).

Classification of standards

Bulgaria upholds international standards and European Union Standards.

Online consultation of standards

Visit the Bulgarian Standards Institute online.

Certification organizations

Bulgarian Standards Institute

Find out the standards and labelling requirements that apply to your products.

Intellectual Property

National organizations

The organization for the protection of trademarks and patents is the Bulgarian Patent Office.
Since 1993, there is a law on copyrights and intellectual property. There is also a law on patents but it is not very reliable.
Bulgaria signed the Paris Convention concerning the protection of industrial property and the agreement which establishes the World Organization of Intellectual property (WIPO). Concerning patents, Bulgaria ratified the treaty of co-operation on patents.

Regional organizations

The European Patent Office

International membership

Member of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
Signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property