Bulgarian.LLC – Your trusted partner for company formation, business and legal services in Bulgaria. We build solid foundations for your success!
Bulgarian.LLC – Your trusted partner for company formation, business and legal services in Bulgaria. We build solid foundations for your success!
Bulgaria has no single “business licence”. Most activities trade freely the moment your company is registered; a defined set of regulated activities each need a specific authorisation from a specific regulator — the FSC, the BNB or the NRA. We confirm which regime applies, whether it is realistic, then run the file with bar-registered Bulgarian attorneys and sector specialists.
FSC · BNB · NRA regulators · MiCA-ready · Feasibility review before you commit
Business licensing in Bulgaria is activity-specific, so we handle each regime on its own terms. Every licence below links to our full guide. The figures are indicative from real cases; capital, fees and timelines depend on the specific licence, scope and your setup — your exact numbers come from the feasibility review.
Under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), a Bulgarian crypto licence is a full financial authorisation project — not the old “crypto registration”. The FSC expects a real business model, fit-and-proper management, authorised capital sized to the services you offer, AML/KYC procedures and ICT security. Bulgaria is lighter on cost than many Western-EU jurisdictions, but MiCA left no bargain-bin shortcut. A granted CASP authorisation can be passported across the EU.
Setting up and licensing a crypto exchange, custody or wallet business in Bulgaria. Historically these were registered with the National Revenue Agency with FSC oversight, and setup costs frequently sat around EUR 5,000–8,000; under MiCA the route now converges on CASP authorisation. We structure the company, the ownership and the compliance stack so it holds up under the current regime rather than the one that just expired.
Virtual-asset service providers — exchange, custody, transfer or wallet services — have required registration or authorisation under Bulgarian AML rules, supervised via the NRA, and are now transitioning into the full MiCA/CASP regime. We map where your activity sits today and prepare it for the transition, so you are not left holding a status the market is moving away from.
An EMI licence lets a properly capitalised company issue electronic money and provide payment services. The regulator is the Bulgarian National Bank — the prudential gatekeeper, and that detail is not cosmetic. A credible application requires capital thresholds, a safeguarding architecture for client funds, AML controls and governance the BNB can test. Approved scope can then be passported across EU markets through the usual notifications.
A forex or brokerage business is a MiFID II investment firm, authorised by the Financial Supervision Commission. The FSC reviews ownership, management, capital adequacy, AML controls, internal policies and genuine local substance, and publishes official lists of who it recognises as a licensed broker. This is a real prudential authorisation, not a label — and it is where most under-prepared applications stall.
Online and land-based gambling are licensed under the Bulgarian Gambling Act by the National Revenue Agency, which took over after the former State Commission on Gambling was closed. You need an EU/EEA entity, vetted key staff and the requisite share capital — the minimum paid-in capital varies by vertical (for online betting the floor is BGN 50,000, about EUR 25,600), and operators must commit a wider investment of no less than BGN 1,000,000 (about EUR 511,000). Expect strict controls on RNG/testing, hosting, KYC, self-exclusion and player limits.
A retail pharmacy is authorised under the Pharmaceutical Act, regulated by the Bulgarian Drug Agency and the regional health inspectorates. Beyond registering the company in the Commercial Register, the licence hinges on a qualified responsible pharmacist, compliant premises and the required documentation. It is more predictable than the financial licences, but the responsible-pharmacist and premises conditions are non-negotiable.
Running a recruitment or temporary-work agency requires registration with the Bulgarian Employment Agency, and the operator must observe GDPR and anti-discrimination rules. It is one of the lighter authorisations on this page, but the registration conditions and ongoing HR-compliance obligations still need to be met correctly from day one.
International road haulage and passenger transport need an operator licence and the EU Community Licence, applied for through the Executive Agency “Automobile Administration” after the company is in the Commercial Register. Every licensed operator must also appoint a certified transport manager holding a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) — the person who carries legal responsibility for the fleet. We handle both the operator licence and the transport-manager requirement together.
For regulated or high-risk activities, getting card acceptance and online payments right is its own project: choosing viable payment providers and gateways, preparing for a virtual-POS setup, and passing the provider's own onboarding and risk review. We line this up alongside the licence so your business can actually take money once it is authorised.
Need a building or construction permit rather than an activity licence? See our construction permit guide. Also relevant: online payment solutions and the transport manager (CPC) role.