Bulgaria Property Market for Overseas Buyers

Yes. EU and EEA citizens buy any property in their own name. Non-EU citizens can buy apartments directly but cannot own land, so houses, villas and plots go through a Bulgarian single-shareholder company (EOOD) that you own 100%. Setting one up costs about €500 to €1,000, plus €300 to €600 a year for accounting.

A municipal transfer tax of 2% to 3% (3% in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas), notary fees of 0.4% to 1.2% plus 20% VAT on the fee, and a 0.1% registry fee. Rental income is taxed at a flat 10%, with a 10% allowance for costs. The buying guide lists the rest.

Apartments are the simple route for non-EU buyers: you own the unit and a share of the building, with no separate land title. Houses, villas and plots need an EOOD, which means running a company with annual accounts. For this reason many overseas buyers choose apartments in Sofia, on the Black Sea coast or in Bansko.

Yes, but it is slow. Several banks lend to non-residents with heavier paperwork and a lower loan-to-value than for residents, and many want you to visit in person. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, so rates are moving towards eurozone levels. Many buyers pay cash, release equity at home, or use a developer plan, often 10% to 30% on reservation.

Analysts forecast 5% to 10% price growth nationally in 2026 and 10% to 12% for Varna, Burgas and Plovdiv. Gross yields run 4% to 5.5% in Sofia and 5% to 7% on seasonal resort lets. Population decline limits long-run growth, so five-year gains are unlikely to exceed 25% to 30%. Capital at risk.

No. The investor permanent residency route, reintroduced in 2023, takes government bonds, licensed funds or a job-creating company from about €512,000, but not property. Non-EU buyers otherwise apply for a long-stay D visa. The citizenship by investment programme ended in 2022.