News from Bulgaria

The Ministry of Regional Development publishes a weekly account of which settlements are under restricted water supply. The report of 8 September, covering 31 August to 7 September, lists 45 municipalities nationwide, three towns with 20,054 and 109 villages with 44,199 inhabitants, a total of 64,253 people affected. In the Burgas service area two villages with 368 inhabitants are recorded, and none of the coastal towns between Rezovo and Sveti Vlas appears on the list. The heaviest burden falls on the Kyustendil area with 17,712, Gabrovo with 10,297 and Veliko Tarnovo with 7,677 inhabitants.

On 7 September the National Statistical Institute published preliminary national accounts for the second quarter of 2026. Output reached 30,292.5 million euros at current prices, or 4,729.3 euros per head of population. That is 2.8 per cent above the same quarter of 2025 and 0.7 per cent above the previous quarter after seasonal adjustment; the flash estimate in mid-August had shown 2.7 per cent. Final consumption accounts for 79.0 per cent and gross fixed capital formation for 23.0 per cent, while the external balance stays negative at minus 3.5 per cent (exports 51.8, imports 55.3 per cent of output).

Assessment: For owners on the coast the telling figure is not the growth rate but the 23.0 per cent investment share: as long as close to a quarter of output goes into plant and buildings, cost pressure on new build and refurbishment stays high. The negative trade balance points the same way, because building materials and fittings are largely imported. Sellers sit more comfortably in this setting; anyone planning to build or refurbish should ask for quotations with a short validity and read the price adjustment clauses before signing.

Work has started on the underpass beneath “Prof. Yakim Yakimov“Boulevard, which links the Slaveykov housing complex with the fast-growing Madika district. The scope covers a new switch cabinet, complete rewiring, energy-saving LED lighting, video surveillance, replacement of the stone cladding and the flooring, and new metal railings. This underpass has 153,387.56 euros earmarked, and the municipality's two structures together 383,468.91 euros; the funds were approved in December 2025. The second underpass at Nikola Petkov Boulevard is to follow next.

The central bank reports housing loans of 19.022 billion euros at end-July 2026, 25.7 per cent above the same month a year earlier; in June the annual increase still stood at 26.4 per cent. Total lending to households reached 32.129 billion euros, up 20.8 per cent, consumer loans 12.089 billion (up 15.4 per cent) and loans to non-financial corporations 29.150 billion (up 13.0 per cent). Deposits of the non-government sector add up to 86.305 billion euros, of which 56.859 billion are held by households. The statistics were released on 27 August 2026.

The Foreign Ministry lists two options as proof of accommodation for the long-stay D visa: a notarised rental contract or a notarial title deed. With a rental contract the document list also asks for a notarised declaration by the owner that he provides the registration address. That declaration depends on the landlord being willing and reachable, and it is needed again at every renewal; with your own deed it falls away entirely. The same list requires a passport with at least 18 months of remaining validity, medical insurance of at least 30,000 euros and, for a first application, a certificate of good conduct. Checklist: anyone buying on the southern coast anyway should place the notary appointment before the visa application, have the deed entered in the property register, check that the address of the property and the address in the application match character for character, and file two certified copies for later renewals.

Earth masses have slipped on the road to Brodilovo in Tsarevo municipality. On 8 September 2026 the municipality introduced temporary traffic management on the affected section so that the material can be removed, the carriageway cleaned and the section secured. The arrangement applies until the works are finished and traffic flows normally and safely again. Drivers are asked to observe the signs and follow instructions on site; the municipality answers questions on 0590 55010.

From 8 to 10 September 2026 the National Social Security Institute, together with Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund and Deutsche Rentenversicherung Mitteldeutschland, advises on insurance periods completed in both countries. Sessions run daily from 9:00 to 16:30 at the territorial office in Pleven, Ivan Mindilikov Square 8. The advice is free and given in Bulgarian or German; an appointment must be booked beforehand on 02/926 16 80 or 0882 187 680, or by message to ConsultDay@nssi.bg. Applicants should bring insurance records, certificates and diplomas, an identity document and birth certificates where periods of raising children are to be counted.

The association of fuel traders, producers, importers and transporters expects diesel to rise above 1.90 euros per litre next week. Its representative Dimitar Hadzhidimitrov puts the increase of recent weeks at roughly 6 to 7 cents for both petrol and diesel. He cites tight refining capacity, low stocks and plants running below full utilisation. On top of that comes the lag in purchasing: about three months pass between buying the crude and taking delivery, which is why traders do not build stocks at elevated prices. For comparison, on 1 August diesel averaged 1.76 euros per litre across the country.

Assessment: Fuel is no minor item on the southern coast, because almost every trip to the property, the bank and the notary runs by road. For landlords the price bites twice: in their own journeys and in the travel costs of tradespeople, which experience shows are passed on in service contracts. So I budget the winter running costs with a mark-up and insist that new contracts state the travel flat rate in figures.

According to Eurostat figures published on 7 September, services production in Bulgaria fell by 1.1 per cent in June 2026 against May. That is the third largest monthly decline in the European Union; only Latvia at 3.7 per cent and Germany at 2.1 per cent saw sharper drops. Year on year Bulgaria remains well above the Union average, at 5.9 per cent against 1.5 per cent. Across the Union the index fell by 0.2 per cent on the month in June, and by 0.3 per cent in the euro area. The strongest monthly gains were reported by Luxembourg at 7.8 per cent and Portugal at 3.1 per cent.

The Registry Agency has converted the capital shown in the commercial register for all limited liability companies, joint stock companies and cooperatives into euro, ex officio and free of charge. Owners need file nothing and pay nothing for it. The founding documents themselves, that is the articles and the partnership agreement, are only adapted with the next filing that is due anyway. Publication of the annual accounts is expressly unaffected: it must be filed by 30 September, regardless of whether the capital conversion paperwork has been brought up to date.

The Registry Agency reports that processing in the commercial register and in the register of non-profit legal entities is currently taking longer than usual. The reason is the increased volume of filings arising from the duties of merchants under the Law on the Introduction of the Euro in the Republic of Bulgaria. The agency advises all merchants and non-profit legal entities planning a general meeting to submit their filings as early as possible. The notice gives no figure for the actual duration.

On 26 August the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission set the compensation amounts for July 2026 that cover part of household electricity costs. Elektrohold Sales receives 25.75 euros per megawatt hour excluding VAT, EVN Bulgaria Electricity Supply 22.40 euros, Energo-Pro Sales 25.18 euros and ESP Zlatni Pyasatsi 29.17 euros. What is compensated is the gap between the fixed household price of 74.54 euros per megawatt hour and the higher procurement prices of that month. The funds come from the Electricity System Security Fund; the legal basis lies in the amendments to the Energy Act.

Assessment: The figure an owner should keep in mind is not the compensation but the fixed price of 74.54 euros per megawatt hour. It shows where the bill would stand without support, and it explains why the service charge forecast for a holiday property should not simply be rolled forward from the last annual statement. For a buyer that means heating load and insulation belong in the viewing, not in the first winter bill.

The National Social Security Institute reports revenue of the consolidated state social insurance budget of 4,806.2 million euros for the period to July 2026, 56.4 per cent of the annual plan and 439.4 million euros or 10.1 per cent more than a year earlier. Spending stood at 8,596.9 million euros, 56.3 per cent of plan and 744.1 million euros or 9.5 per cent above the same period of 2025. Of that, 7,655.0 million euros went on pensions, an increase of 694.7 million euros or 10 per cent. The number of pensioners rose by 11,784 to 2,069,181, and the average monthly pension by 7.9 per cent from 519.07 to 560.13 euros. Cash benefits and allowances absorbed 883.9 million euros.

On 21 August the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission adopted the final ordinance on regulatory incentives for mergers of water and sewerage operators. Economically justified costs directly connected with a merger are recognised and may be spread over up to three years. Business plans involving a merger receive priority review, and amendments to already approved plans are processed within 60 days. Also recognised are investments in integrating systems, in connecting pipelines, in modernising facilities and in shared information systems. The basis is the amendment to the Water Act in force since 8 June 2026 and a commitment under the national recovery and resilience plan; the stated aim is socially bearable prices.

Burgas State Opera opens October on the 6th with Georges Bizet's Carmen in the opera hall at 19:00, conducted by Ivan Kozhuharov and directed by Darina Glavanakova-Bakardjieva. My Fair Lady by Frederick Loewe follows on 13 October, the symphonic programme Musical Ikebana on 16 October under Deyan Pavlov with guests from the Musashino Academy in Tokyo, Imre Kalman's The Queen of the Czardas on 20 October and Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata on 23 October. On 26 October the ballet Don Quixote to music by Ludwig Minkus is on the bill, choreographed by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky. All of these performances begin at 19:00 in the opera hall.

Around 400 performers from some 20 groups and eight European countries will appear in Burgas from 18 to 20 September 2026. The organiser is the Association of Bulgarian Folklore Ensembles Abroad, together with the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad and CIOFF Bulgaria. Friday and Saturday are given over to the individual groups with ten minutes each, while Sunday brings a joint parade and a gala concert with all participants. The first edition took place in Veliko Tarnovo from 23 to 26 July 2025 with nine groups; the association turns ten in 2026 and intends to hold the meeting annually.

The statistics institute reports gross domestic product of 8,272.60 euros per person employed and 21.20 euros per hour worked for the second quarter of 2026. In real terms output per person employed stands 3.1 per cent above the same quarter of 2025, while gross value added rose by only 0.3 per cent per person employed and 0.5 per cent per hour worked. A total of 3,661,800 people worked 1,428.3 million hours. By sector, industry leads with 7,898.20 euros of value added per person employed, ahead of services with 7,298.40 euros and agriculture with 1,305.80 euros; the employment share of services grew while industry and agriculture lost ground.

Assessment: For landlords and developers on the coast this is the wage side of the arithmetic. With value added per hour worked up by only 0.5 per cent in real terms, the pay steps announced for 2027 are not carried by productivity. So I keep budgeting rising rates for management, cleaning and maintenance, and I advise putting a price clause into any service contract that runs beyond twelve months.

The Local Taxes and Fees Act exempts the surviving spouse and the heirs in the direct line from inheritance tax without limit (Art. 31 para 2). Siblings and their children pay 0.4 to 0.8 per cent, all other heirs 3.3 to 6.6 per cent, and only on the part of the share above 127,822.97 euros; the council sets the exact rate within that band (Art. 36). The declaration goes within six months to the municipality of the deceased person's last residence, or, where that residence was abroad, to the municipality holding the larger part of the estate (Art. 32). Since 1 January 2026 the estate is valued in euros, property according to the tax valuation under Annex 2, and funeral costs of 511.29 euros are deductible (Art. 33, Art. 34). Balances on accounts of a deceased person and payments under a life policy are released by the bank only against a municipal certificate; where the tax is unpaid, the bank withholds it and transfers it to the municipality within one month (Art. 41). The thresholds still appear in the statute in the former currency and are converted here at the official rate 1 EUR = 1,95583 BGN.

The regulation implementing the Aliens Act requires two documents on top of the general list for residence on the pension ground: proof from the competent authority of the home state that a pension has been granted, and a document from a bank on Bulgarian territory confirming an existing account into which the pension transfers will be paid (Art. 23). The general list in Art. 14 para 1 covers the application lodged in person at the Migration Directorate or the regional interior directorate, the passport copy showing the visa and the last entry stamp together with the original for comparison, the receipt for the state fee under Art. 10 para 3 of Tariff No. 4, proof of secured accommodation, compulsory health insurance valid in Bulgaria for anyone not covered under the Health Insurance Act, proof of stable and regular means at least equal to the monthly minimum wage or the minimum pension, and a police clearance certificate on first application. The application must be lodged no later than 14 days before the permitted stay expires and is decided within 14 days (Art. 14 para 2). For the accommodation proof the regulation prescribes no particular type of document; ownership and tenancy both qualify.

The foreign ministry leaflet on visa D sets out two variants. The standard one is valid for up to six months and allows a stay of up to 180 days (Art. 15 para 1 of the Aliens Act). Validity of up to one year with a right of stay of up to 360 days may be granted to researchers, students on programmes of up to one academic year, specialising trainees and interns, and to people posted by a foreign employer to control and coordinate a contract for tourism services or to carry out investments certified under the Investment Promotion Act (Art. 15 para 2). The application must be lodged solely at the diplomatic or consular mission covering the applicant's permanent residence; in a third country only by way of exception, with reasons given and a guaranteed return. The interview with the applicant is mandatory, no exceptions are allowed, and the visa D lapses once a residence permit is issued.

The regional development ministry keeps a public register of professional managers of condominium property under Art. 47b of the Condominium Management Act. Each entry shows the running number, the company identification code EIK, the company name and legal form, the registered and correspondence address, the management, the owners of the capital, and the number and validity period of the certificate. Certificates are issued for five years; one entry in the register runs from 2 April 2026 to 2 April 2031. Three steps before the preliminary contract: note the name of the management company from the property particulars, match it in the register against the EIK and the certificate number, and check that the certificate runs beyond the planned completion date. If the company is not listed there, that proves no irregularity, but it is reason enough to read the wording of the complex's management contract before paying a deposit.

Assessment: In gated holiday complexes on the coast the management decides on costs and on the condition of the property, often for decades. The register check takes a few minutes and shows whether a vetted company with a valid certificate stands behind the management or a developer construction without authorisation. I see this above all as a price factor: a complex with cleanly run management resells more easily later than one with disputed fees.

For buildings of the fourth and fifth category the certificate of putting into operation is issued not by the national construction supervision but by the municipality. In Burgas this runs as service 2062 on the basis of Art. 177 para 3 of the Spatial Planning Act and Regulation No. 2 of 31 July 2003 on putting buildings into operation and on minimum warranty periods. The processing period is 30 days; the application with annexes, the title document and the final report of the construction supervisor have to be filed, and the certificate issued has no expiry. Payment is in cash at the counter, by card at the terminal, electronically or by bank transfer using payment code 448001. Filing is possible in person, by email or by post.

The Environment Programme 2021 to 2027 earmarks 362.52 million euros for improving air quality; 78.36 million euros, or 21.6 per cent, have been disbursed so far. Funding goes to 45 projects in 21 municipalities where exceedances of the daily or annual limit values for fine particulate matter were recorded between 2017 and 2021. So far 7,952 of 75,500 planned heating units have been replaced, mostly solid fuel stoves giving way to pellet burners, heat pumps and air conditioning units. An annual reduction of more than 2,100 tonnes of fine particulate matter is expected, alongside some 250 hectares of green infrastructure and low emission zones in Sofia and Plovdiv restricting high emission vehicles during the heating season. A Swiss-Bulgarian partnership with a budget of 15 million francs is renewing the national quality assurance system by the end of 2029, and a mobile application is to supply readings in real time.

On 2 and 3 September 2026 the municipality of Pomorie hosted a meeting of the Recircle Med project for the second time, a project supporting blue and circular economy in tourism. Partners from Italy, Greece, Malta, North Macedonia and Montenegro met at the Dechko Stoev Municipal Art Gallery, with the Greek University of Thessaly as lead partner. The topics were more efficient use of water and energy, waste reduction, sustainable mobility and turning natural and cultural assets into tourism experiences; the proposals will feed into a Blue Action Plan for the municipality.

According to the health ministry, patients in Bulgaria pay more than 40 per cent of health expenditure out of their own pocket, against a European average of 17 to 18 per cent. A system for assessing treatment quality is to be adopted by the end of 2026; it is being agreed with the medical profession and is meant to make weak facilities visible. Greater transparency about payments outside compulsory insurance has also been announced, so that an insured person can see what they are entitled to, in cooperation with the National Health Insurance Fund. On the same account, the first hundred days advanced investments under the recovery and resilience plan, accelerated the emergency medicine project and produced draft legislation on full traceability of medicinal products and on central procurement.

Deputy Premier Atanas Pekanov said on 6 September that VAT for tourism will not be reduced. He argued that the sector had already received considerable concessions after the pandemic support and had incurred no additional costs that would justify higher prices. On his figures the services sector recorded the second largest price rise of all sectors in July and August; annual inflation stood at 5.1 per cent in August. Food prices, he said, have fallen since May following talks with the retail chains. For the coming season he called on restaurants to cut prices in nominal terms.

Assessment: For owners letting a flat on the coast this is news you can plan with: the reduced rate on accommodation stays where it is, and no further relief is to be expected for the 2027 season. Anyone doing the sums should read the expectation of nominally falling restaurant prices alongside it, because it shows where price pressure in coastal tourism is heading. I see in it an argument for properties with real quality rather than for premiums justified by location alone.

The tourism ministry expects the 2026 summer season to end within one to two per cent of the previous year. May and June were weaker because around 200,000 air seats from the German market were missing; the shortfall was made up later in the season. For the coming season some 150,000 additional air seats have been agreed, from which the ministry considers 25 to 30 per cent more German guests than in 2026 achievable. German holidaymakers book charter flights with a minimum duration of seven days and arrive earlier, which lengthens the operating season of the hotels. On price levels along the Black Sea coast, results were good where mark ups stayed moderate. To tackle informal letting, the ministry wants short term rentals to be registered in the unified tourism information system and the properties linked to the booking platforms so that the tax is captured.

The Labour and Social Policy Ministry regards a rise of 40 to 50 euros in the monthly minimum wage as the most realistic scenario for 2027. Starting from the current 620.20 euros that would give between 660.20 and 670.20 euros. The exact amount will be set with the 2027 budget legislation package; a higher upper limit was agreed between the cabinet, the trade unions and the employers' associations and complies with the requirements of EU law. Every three years the minimum wage will in future be measured against the cost of living, purchasing power, the development of the average wage and labour productivity. A final decision has not yet been taken.

Bulgaria has been on the list of jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in anti-money-laundering supervision kept by the Financial Action Task Force since October 2023. In June 2026 the task force recorded that the agreed action plan had been substantially completed; what remains is a final on-site assessment intended to show that the reforms hold. According to the Ministry of Justice the decision on removal falls in Paris in October 2026. The ministry states that the listing has significantly hindered foreign investment in Bulgaria.

North Macedonia and Serbia have joined the Vertical Gas Corridor; the memorandum of understanding was signed in Thessaloniki on 4 September 2026 at the tenth Energy Forum for South East Europe. The project now covers nine countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Moldova, North Macedonia and Serbia. Transmission operator Bulgartransgaz expects the facilities on Bulgarian territory to be completed on 1 October 2026. The operators involved intend to make joint use of existing infrastructure, identify additional capacity needs and improve cross-border transmission at regulatory, technical and commercial level.

Assessment: If you heat electrically on the southern coast, gas reaches you only through the electricity price, and that is where the lever sits. More supply routes mean more competition for the same customer; whether that shows up in the monthly price decision will only become clear over the winter. For properties with their own gas connection it is worth checking the contract now rather than looking for it in December.