Buying Property in Bulgaria: Costs and Who Can Own What

The land-versus-buildings rule

Bulgarian law draws a sharp line between buildings and land. Buildings and self-contained apartments can be bought by foreigners of any nationality; the purchase is executed before a notary and registered in the property registry.

Land is different. The Bulgarian Constitution restricts ownership of land - including plots, agricultural land and forestry - to Bulgarian citizens and, following EU accession, EU and EEA nationals. EU and EEA citizens can generally register land in their own names on the same footing as Bulgarians, although agricultural and forestry land can involve additional conditions, so take legal advice before committing.

Non-EU citizens cannot own land directly. Since Brexit, that includes British nationals - a UK buyer can freely purchase a city apartment or a ski flat, but not the plot under a village house.

• Apartments and buildings: open to all nationalities
• Land, gardens and plots: Bulgarian, EU and EEA citizens only (direct ownership)
• UK nationals count as non-EU buyers post-Brexit

How non-EU buyers purchase houses with land

The standard route is to set up a Bulgarian limited company (an EOOD or OOD), which can own land as a Bulgarian legal entity. It works, but it brings ongoing obligations - annual accounts, corporate tax filings and potentially withholding tax on dividends - so factor in the running costs.

Alternatives include a right to build (superficies), where you own the building on someone else's land; a long-term lease, which can run beyond ten years when notarised; or a usufruct, a lifetime right of use that cannot be inherited. Each has trade-offs, and an independent Bulgarian property lawyer should structure the purchase - not the seller's agent.

• Bulgarian company (EOOD/OOD): full land ownership via the entity, with annual compliance costs
• Right to build: own the house, not the plot
• Long lease or usufruct: use rights rather than ownership

The costs on top of the purchase price

Buying costs in Bulgaria are modest by European standards. According to a 2026 legal guide published via Global Law Experts, the municipal transfer tax typically runs at 2.5-3% of the assessed value, notary fees follow a degressive scale of roughly 0.1-1.5%, and registration in the property registry costs about 0.1%.

On a EUR 100,000 property, that puts total acquisition costs at roughly EUR 4,000-7,000, excluding any estate agency commission. Rates are set locally and can change, so confirm the current transfer tax with the municipality where the property sits.

• Municipal transfer tax: typically 2.5-3% of assessed value
• Notary fee: about 0.1-1.5%, on a sliding scale
• Registry fee: around 0.1%
• Budget roughly 4-7% extra, excluding agency commission

A market moving quickly

Do not assume prices will wait for you. According to Bulgaria's National Statistical Institute, housing prices rose 15.4% year on year in the third quarter of 2025, with Sofia up 5.3% on the previous quarter alone.

Since 1 January 2026 Bulgaria is the 21st member of the euro area, with the lev converted at a fixed rate of 1.95583 to the euro - so contracts, deposits and mortgages are now all in the same currency most international buyers already use.

• Housing prices: +15.4% year on year in Q3 2025 (NSI)
• Euro adopted 1 January 2026 at 1.95583 lev per euro

Practical steps before you commit

Always verify title, encumbrances and the seller's ownership through the property registry checks your lawyer will run, and never sign a preliminary contract or pay a deposit without independent advice. Where rules or tax rates matter to your decision, check the current position with official Bulgarian sources, as they can change.

If you are still narrowing down where to buy, Habio has Bulgarian listings, area guides and buyer guides you can explore alongside this explainer.