FAQ

Question: How do we travel to Bulgaria?

Answer: Direct international flights are available to the capital, Sofia and to Varna, all year round. Direct charter flights to the Black Sea (Varna/Burgas) are available during the spring/summer months and can be booked through local UK travel agents.

Question: How long is the flight to Bulgaria?

Answer: The flight normally takes about 3 hours.

Question: How much is a return flight ticket to Bulgaria?

Answer: You can buy a return flight ticket to Bulgaria for about €220.00.

Question: Do we need a visa to travel to Bulgaria and how long can we stay?

Answer: UK passport holders do not require a visa in order to visit Bulgaria for a period of 30 days. Long-term visa (D) can be obtained from the Bulgarian Consular service in London. Visa control has been considerably relaxed between the UK and Bulgaria. For further information please contact the Bulgarian Embassy in London on 0207 584 9400 or check www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk. The British Embassy in Bulgaria also provides information at www.british-embassy.bg.

Question: What is the Bulgarian currency?

Answer: The currancy is Bulgarian lev (BGN).

Question: What are the living costs in Bulgaria?

Answer: It's not possible to compare living costs in Bulgaria and Western Europe. Living costs in Bulgaria are extremely low! For example the food is generally twice cheaper than UK. House insurance: around 100-200 EURO per year depending on the type of house, together with the belongings and furniture inside. For a property of price 30000 EURO insurance against theft, flood and fire costs about 125 EURO per year with a decent insurance company like Allianz.
Gas: the gas system network is not developed in Bulgaria yet. People here mostly use electricity to cook. For heating: there are central heating systems in the big cities: monthly costs for a 2-bedroom apartment around 120 EURO. In the small places people use charcoal and wood, which is even cheaper way to heat a house. For electricity, when used for cooking, light or hot water one pays about 30 EURO monthly. Local and national taxes for owning a property: depending on the place where the property is located, the most expensive area is the capital Sofia, where the annual taxes of 2 bedroom apartment are around 150 EURO per year, but the rest of the country is around 80 EURO per year.
To employ a gardener or maintenance man or builder you will not pay much. The average salary in Bulgaria is 200 EURO per month.

Question: What religions are there?

Answer: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 3.4%.

Question: Do I have to register a limited company if I want to buy an apartment?

Answer: The answer is "NO". Foreign individuals can buy the buildings, but not the land. Company is needed when you want to buy the freehold.