The legal system of Bulgaria
A civil-law system with an unusual feature: Bulgaria has no single civil code, and private law is spread across the Obligations and Contracts Act, the Property Act, the Persons and Family Act and the Commerce Act. The currency board has pegged the lev to the euro since 1997, and euro adoption is in preparation.
Legal tradition
Bulgaria belongs to the civil law tradition. A civil-law system with an unusual feature: Bulgaria has no single civil code, and private law is spread across the Obligations and Contracts Act, the Property Act, the Persons and Family Act and the Commerce Act. The currency board has pegged the lev to the euro since 1997, and euro adoption is in preparation.
How power is divided
Parliamentary government with a directly elected President whose veto Parliament overrides by absolute majority; the Constitutional Court sits apart from the two supreme courts.
Where law comes from
- Constitution
- Supreme law; only listed bodies may seek review.
- EU law
- Applicable since 2007; precedence within its field.
- International treaties
- Article 5(4) gives ratified treaties precedence over conflicting domestic law.
- Statutes
- Obligations and Contracts Act, Commerce Act, Criminal Code.
- Secondary legislation
- Council of Ministers decrees, ordinances and tariffs.
- Interpretive decisions
- Issued by the two supreme courts and binding on lower courts.
The legal profession
Attorneys (адвокати) are admitted through the regional bars under the Supreme Bar Council; notaries and private enforcement agents are organised in separate chambers.
Law by topic in Bulgaria
- Tax LawA 10% flat tax with a 15% domestic minimum top-upBulgaria charges a 10% flat rate on personal and corporate income, the lowest headline pair in the EU, with 20% standard VAT. Since 2024 large groups within scope of the EU minimum tax directive face a 15% qualified domestic top-up tax.
- Constitutional LawThe 1991 constitution with an individual complaint added in 2023The Constitution of 1991 created a unitary parliamentary republic. The 2023 amendment finally opened the Constitutional Court to individuals, who may now challenge a statute applied against them after final judicial proceedings, alongside referrals by the Ombudsman and the Supreme Bar Council.
- Family LawThe 2009 Family Code with three matrimonial property regimesThe Family Code of 2009 lets spouses choose between statutory community, statutory separation and a contractual regime registered in a public register. Divorce may be by mutual consent or on breakdown, with fault relevant to costs and some ancillary questions.
- Human RightsAn active ombudsman and persistent ECtHR structural findingsChapter Two of the Constitution guarantees rights, and the ECHR has applied since 1992. The Ombudsman can refer statutes to the Constitutional Court, while the Commission for Protection against Discrimination decides equality complaints with binding effect.
- Criminal LawA 1968 penal code with a 24-hour police detention limitThe Penal Code of 1968 remains in force with heavy amendment, and the 2006 Code of Criminal Procedure governs process. Police may detain for 24 hours, and any longer deprivation requires a court order on the prosecutor's request.
- Property & LandA deeds-based register with a notarial transfer requirementBulgaria keeps a personal-name deeds register rather than a full parcel-based title register, so searches run against owners and history. Transfers require a notarial deed executed before a notary in the district where the property lies.
- Business & CorporateA commercial act with a two-lev limited companyThe Commerce Act governs traders and companies, and the OOD limited liability company requires only BGN 2 of capital. Registration is with the Commercial Register at the Registry Agency, which publishes company files in full online at no charge.
- Immigration & NationalitySchengen since 2025 with a single-permit work routeBulgaria became a full Schengen member on 1 January 2025 after joining for air and sea travel in March 2024. Third-country nationals apply under the Foreigners Act, and employment now runs through a single permit combining work and residence authorisation.
- Employment & LabourA 1986 Labour Code with strong dismissal formalitiesThe Labour Code of 1986 governs employment and requires the contract to be registered with the revenue agency within days. Dismissal grounds are exhaustively listed, and protected categories require prior permission from the labour inspectorate.
- Civil ProcedureA 2007 code with private enforcement agentsThe Civil Procedure Code of 2007 modernised litigation and introduced a written preparatory exchange. Enforcement is carried out by both state and private enforcement agents, and the order-for-payment procedure handles undisputed claims quickly.
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