How does buying property in Bulgaria work?

The purchase follows clear steps. First a written preliminary contract (предварителен договор) setting out the property, price and deadlines, usually with a freely negotiated deposit; it creates a claim but does not yet transfer ownership. Before signing come the title and encumbrance checks: the key document is the encumbrance certificate (удостоверение за тежести) from the property register, dated to the day, together with the cadastral sketch (скица) and the tax-valuation certificate (данъчна оценка). Note: the notary checks the seller's ownership (Art. 586(1) of the Civil Procedure Code, GPK), but mortgages and seizures only on the parties' instruction (Art. 22 of the Notaries Act, ZNND), so the certificate must be obtained actively. Ownership passes only with the notarial deed (нотариален акт); the notary where the property is located executes the deed, carries out anti-money-laundering checks and arranges entry in the property register (Имотен регистър). If a party does not speak Bulgarian, an interpreter is mandatory (Art. 582 GPK), otherwise the deed is void. EU and non-EU citizens may buy apartments and houses directly (Art. 29 of the Property Act); non-EU buyers usually hold building land through a Bulgarian company (OOD). Incidental costs: municipal transfer tax 0.1–3% by municipality (on the higher of price and tax value), the statutory notary fee and the 0.1% registration fee; around 3–6% in total.