News from Bulgaria

Anyone keeping a car on the southern coast should keep two covers clearly apart. The Green Card belongs to compulsory third-party liability and covers only damage caused to others abroad – within the system’s zone, which includes Turkey and North Macedonia among others; theft or own damage are not covered by it. Theft and own damage fall solely under voluntary comprehensive (Kasko) cover, whose territorial scope should be checked in the contract before signing and extended by rider if needed. Important for travel: Kosovo is not part of the Green Card system – here a separate liability policy must be taken out at the border crossing.

In the nightlife zones around Sunny Beach, Nessebar and Sozopol, annoyances can be avoided with a few simple steps. For taxis: use only cars with a roof sign, company name and the tariff stuck to the window – the display is mandatory under Ordinance No. 34 on taxi passenger transport – and insist on a running meter. In restaurants, check the menu for price and unit, as fish and seafood are often priced per 100 grams rather than per portion; have the final price confirmed before ordering. When withdrawing cash, decline the offered instant conversion into your home currency and pay in euro, the sole national currency since 2026.

The volume of home loans to private households in Bulgaria reached around 19.022 billion euro at the end of July 2026, up 25.7 per cent year on year from 15.133 billion euro. Consumer loans rose 15.4 per cent to 12.089 billion euro and loans to non-financial companies 13.0 per cent to 29.150 billion euro. The figures come from the credit statistics of the Bulgarian National Bank. The continued double-digit growth in home loans points to strong financing demand in the property market.

The public supplier Bulgargaz has requested a natural gas price of 41.60 euro per megawatt-hour for September 2026, up 5.5 per cent on August; the figure is exclusive of access, transmission, excise duty and VAT. The final price will be decided by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) at its session on 31 August 2026. During the procedure the request was adjusted from an initial 41.31 to 41.60 euro per megawatt-hour. The gas price feeds indirectly into many households’ running costs via district heating and hot water.

Assessment: Energy prices are a running cost for owners that must not be overlooked when calculating service charges and yield. On the southern coast, where many properties heat with electricity or air-conditioning rather than district heating, the gas price acts more indirectly but remains a signal for the general energy-cost situation. I keep an eye on such regulatory decisions because they shape operating costs over time.

Bulgaria expects a noticeable return of German holidaymakers: two major airlines have together announced around 100,000 flight seats, with the first flights due to start on 15 May 2027. The tourism ministry said so on 27 August 2026 on the sidelines of the opening of the Apollonia Festival in Sozopol, adding that the ministry is also in talks with further airlines about additional capacity. The German market has traditionally been an important source of demand for the Black Sea coast. Specific airlines and individual destination airports have not yet been named.

There is a new development vision for the island of St. Kirik and Julita off Sozopol: it is to become an international hub for culture and science. The concept rests on three pillars – the history and cultures of the Black Sea region, underwater cultural heritage and archaeology including a possible UNESCO centre for the Institute of Underwater Heritage, and marine sciences from marine biology to climate research. The plan was presented on 27 August 2026 by the Culture Ministry together with the Sozopol municipality and the Burgas regional administration. Concrete investment sums and a timetable have not yet been named.

Private household deposits in Bulgaria stood at around 56.859 billion euro at the end of July 2026, up 17.8 per cent year on year after 18.6 per cent in June. Deposits of non-financial companies rose 10.8 per cent to 27.207 billion euro. The data come from the statistics of the Bulgarian National Bank. The high level of savings shows how much capital in private hands is waiting for investment opportunities.

The average interest rate on home loans in Bulgaria was 2.43 per cent in July 2026, only 0.02 percentage points higher than in June. Consumer loans became notably more expensive: their average rate rose by 0.36 percentage points to 9.12 per cent. The figures come from the interest-rate statistics of the Bulgarian National Bank. While financing consumption becomes markedly dearer, property loans remain at a low level.

Assessment: For property buyers the low mortgage rate is the real message – it keeps financing home ownership affordable while consumer loans tighten. I see a favourable environment for soundly financed purchases but caution against basing one’s own calculation solely on permanently low rates. Those who plan for equity and a buffer stay calm even if rates turn.

According to preliminary figures from the statistics institute, Bulgaria completed 1,269 residential buildings with 5,932 dwellings in the second quarter of 2026. Burgas district accounted for 145 buildings with 1,369 dwellings. That puts Burgas third by buildings, behind Sofia city (176) and Plovdiv (150), but second by dwellings, behind Sofia city (2,046) and far ahead of Plovdiv (375). Nationwide, 76.0 percent of new buildings are houses and 14.3 percent blocks of flats; the average living floor space per new dwelling is 64.2 square metres, and 42.8 percent have two rooms.

On 3 September 2026 the exhibition “Warsaw Poster” opens at the Morsko Kasino cultural centre in Burgas, with 40 works by contemporary Polish artists from the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. Three representatives of the renowned Polish poster school come as guests and give master classes for students. The show is held in the Georgi Baev hall and turns attention to one of the most influential poster schools in Europe.

Investment by Bulgarian companies in long-term tangible assets reached around 4.37 billion euro in the second quarter of 2026, up 10.9 per cent on the same quarter a year earlier. The largest share came from industry excluding construction at about 1.46 billion euro, followed by services with roughly 848 million euro. The figures at current prices come from the preliminary data of the statistics institute.

The average spending of Bulgarian travellers on a private domestic trip rose to 190.30 euro per person in the second quarter of 2026, after 157.51 euro in the first quarter, an increase of 20.8 per cent. Accommodation costs alone climbed by a good 35 per cent. Around 1.3 million Bulgarians travelled in the period, more than two thirds of them within the country only. The data come from the statistics institute.

Assessment: When residents spend more on travel at home, it strengthens the domestic season and occupancy beyond foreign guests. For landlords on the southern coast, growing internal demand is a second pillar alongside international tourism. I see this as a reason to gear properties to the Bulgarian guest as well, not only to the summer flight arrival.

Through the Bulgarian Stock Exchange growth market BEAM, companies will be able to raise up to 12 million euro, instead of the previous 8 million euro, a rise of one half. The change rests on amendments published in the State Gazette on 7 August 2026. So far the segment has seen 20 listings that together raised more than 52 million euro. It is aimed above all at smaller and medium-sized firms.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development invested over 5 billion euro in more than 320 projects in Bulgaria between 1991 and June 2026, from sustainable infrastructure and the financial sector to industry and agriculture. In 2025 alone around 300 million euro flowed in, with a further 200 million euro added by 18 June 2026. The engagement is aimed at modernising the economy.

The municipality of Nessebar is continuing its programme for cleaner air, replacing old solid-fuel heaters, stoves and fireplaces in 1,320 households free of charge with energy-efficient appliances. The scheme runs until 2029. So far around 900 applications have been received, about 400 contracts signed, roughly 350 new appliances installed and 451 old units removed. Residents bear no cost.

According to the National Bank lending survey, Bulgarian banks expect unchanged demand for home loans in the third quarter of 2026. In the second quarter demand had still been rising, supported by improved consumer confidence. Lending standards for mortgages were tightened slightly of late and are expected to stay stable in the third quarter. This points to a calm, orderly credit market.

Assessment: Steady credit demand with slightly stricter standards is exactly the mix that avoids overheated swings. For buyers with sound creditworthiness, financing conditions remain predictable, and for the market as a whole the risk of a credit-driven bubble falls. I take this as a sign of discipline that serves everyone involved in the long run.

Bulgaria's goods exports reached around 22.97 billion euro from January to June 2026, 8.5 per cent above the same period a year earlier. In June alone exports rose by 13.7 per cent to about 4.16 billion euro. The figures come from the statistics institute and show robust foreign-trade momentum. They underline the economy's integration into European supply chains.

From 3 to 7 September 2026 the Fish and Wine Festival returns to the Sea Garden of Burgas next to the Flora Expo Centre, daily from 4 pm to 11 pm. Over five days more than 100 artists perform, alongside cooking shows and workshops around fish and wine. Highlights include Kerana & the Cosmonauts on 4 September, Silvia Katsarova on 5 September and the Boney M. Experience on 7 September. Admission is free.

The historic Turkish city of Edirne is easy to reach from the southern coast. By bus the operator Arda Tur runs the Burgas–Kırklareli leg in about three hours, with the onward stretch to Edirne taking around one hour, roughly five hours in total for about 17 to 26 euro. By car the road distance is around 167 kilometres and the driving time about two hours 40 minutes, via a Turkish-Bulgarian border crossing. For entering by car, a valid passport and Green Card insurance belong in the glove box.

Anyone settling on the southern coast who holds a foreign driving licence should clarify early what is required. A licence from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland stays valid in Bulgaria and need not be exchanged. A third-country licence, including a Russian one, can be exchanged without a new driving test only if the issuing state is a party to the Convention on Road Traffic and the licence meets its Appendix 6. The application goes through the Traffic Police (KAT); you need a Bulgarian identity document, a copy of the licence, a medical fitness-to-drive certificate, a residence declaration signed before the officer and proof of the state fee.

Assessment: With driving licences it soon becomes clear who has it easy and who has to plan: EU clients need do nothing, while buyers from third countries should watch the deadline after their first residence permit. I advise assembling the papers early and not leaving the medical certificate to the last minute. Svetlana clarifies the exact procedure case by case with the local authorities.

The municipality of Burgas has launched the tender for the Aquae Calidae thermal park and archaeology campus. On a roughly 25,224-square-metre site that has been derelict until now, 19 year-round bungalows for about 60 guests, a thermal spa with two indoor pools and an archaeology campus of around 700 square metres will be built. The estimated engineering cost is about 6.49 million euro excluding VAT, with the bid deadline running until 28 September 2026. Completion is set at 620 to 960 calendar days.

The Burgas airport development fund is launching an international advertising campaign to boost the low season from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. The estimated contract value is about 660,000 euro excluding VAT for six months. It targets foreign markets with proven travel intent via airline databases, booking platforms and tour operators; plain mass advertising on social media is excluded. The fund, set up by coastal municipalities in 2024, aims to establish year-round air connections.

The Grand Hotel Sveti Vlas on the northern part of the southern coast has opened two new wellness areas: a fitness centre with strength, cardio and functional zones plus group classes, and a Reformer Pilates studio, both with a panoramic view of the Black Sea. The property has more than 2,000 square metres of spa space and five all-inclusive programmes. The expansion signals year-round, upper-tier facilities in the resort. Sveti Vlas adjoins the Marina Dinevi yacht harbour.

Bulgaria's first Ronald McDonald House is being built in Burgas, right next to the Sveta Anastasia children's hospital in the Zornitsa district. It is to have 18 family rooms with shared kitchens, a laundry and quiet zones for relatives of children in longer inpatient care, whose stays average around 20 days. Construction, fit-out and operation are financed entirely by the Ronald McDonald Bulgaria foundation. The project signals the city's maturing health infrastructure.

At a working meeting in the Black Sea resort of Golden Sands, the tourism ministry presented reform plans for the coastal towns. The aim is to double the number of foreign visitors from 4 to 8 million within four years. Planned amendments to the Tourism Act would require municipalities to spend at least 50 per cent of the tourist tax they collect on visitor-attracting events and better transport links. The drafts are to be tabled in the coming legislative period.

Assessment: If municipalities put a fixed share of the tourist tax into events and transport, that indirectly affects the appeal of a location beyond the peak season. For owners on the coast it is an opportunity, provided the funds visibly flow into infrastructure and connectivity. I stay sober here: the benefit is decided by delivery, not by the target figure.

On 17 August 2026 the municipality of Pomorie began site preparation and fencing for a new wing of the Ivan Vazov school in the town centre. The new building for the primary section is financed through the EU programme for construction, extension and reconstruction of nurseries, kindergartens and schools, Module 2. The project expands the education infrastructure in the centre of Pomorie. Construction start and further steps follow once the preparation is complete.

On 13 August 2026 the European Broadcasting Union and Bulgarian National Television announced that the 71st Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Burgas. The venue is Arena Burgas, opened in 2023: the two semi-finals on Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 May 2027, the grand final on Saturday 15 May, plus six preview shows between 10 and 15 May. Four cities applied; Plovdiv and Varna went out first, Sofia last. According to the EBU the decision rested on venue capacity, accommodation, transport and international connectivity, and the city's commitment. The 2026 contest reached 132 million people across 35 measured television markets.

The Energy and Water Regulatory Commission raised household electricity prices by an average of 3.05 per cent as of 1 July 2026; the tariff applies until 30 June 2027. The increase varies by regional supplier: EVN in southern Bulgaria up 3.28 per cent, Elektrohold in western Bulgaria up 3.14 per cent and Energo-Pro in northern Bulgaria up 2.53 per cent. The average household bill rises by less than one euro, according to the regulator. Electricity prices in Bulgaria remain among the lowest in the EU.

The ninth edition of the international historical documentary film festival DOCK takes place in Burgas from 17 to 22 September 2026. It opens on 17 September at 7.30 pm at the «Neftochimik» cultural centre; all screenings are free of charge. For the first time there is a dedicated competition for short historical documentaries as well as an audience award. The opening film is «Sylvie Vartan. Out of Love» by director Emma Konstantinova.

New owners on the southern coast who register a vehicle in Bulgaria should complete three obligations. First, the periodic roadworthiness test (GTP) at an authorised station, whose validity can be checked online with the Executive Agency «Automobile Administration» at rta.government.bg. Second, the compulsory motor third-party liability cover «Grazhdanska otgovornost», whose claims the state Guarantee Fund (guaranteefund.bg) backs even for uninsured vehicles. Third, the e-vignette for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes to use the national road network via the official bgtoll.bg system, all records kept digitally and without a windscreen sticker.

Assessment: These three records are the unspectacular framework for getting around on the coast. Setting them right after registration avoids fines at roadside checks and keeps you covered on trips between your property, Burgas airport and the border. I mainly see a time saving here: owner-occupiers and landlords who keep an eye on the expiry dates spare themselves the chasing.