Cross-border payments and remote closing in Bulgaria

Most cross-border buyers never see the property on the day they sign. They view it online or on a short trip, then rely on you, a lawyer and a notary to complete the purchase. That works well when the money and the paperwork are planned from the start. This briefing walks through how a remote closing in Bulgaria is usually organised and where it goes wrong.

The currency has changed

Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, at the fixed rate of 1.95583 leva to the euro. References to leva in existing contracts are converted by law at that rate, and new prices are in euro. A period of mandatory dual price display in leva and euro began on 8 August 2025; press reports say it ended on 8 August 2026, after which prices are shown in euro. One law-firm page gives a later date, so check the current rule for your own listings and ads. See Sofia Globe on dual pricing and BNT's note on the end of dual display.

For a buyer who lives in the euro area this removes a conversion step. For a buyer paying from a non-euro account it does not, and the buyer should ask the sending bank about conversion costs and cut-off times. Whether a euro transfer from another euro-area bank is now simpler in practice is our reading rather than a rule we have seen written down, so suggest the buyer confirms it with their own bank.

The usual sequence

The path advisers describe is short:

• A reservation or preliminary contract, usually with a deposit of about ten percent.
• Checks by a lawyer: ownership, encumbrances, the property's legal status and the seller's authority.
• The notarial deed at a notary in the district of the property, followed by registration in the property register, which advisers say can happen the same day.
• Payment by bank transfer. Cash payments for property are strongly discouraged and are a red flag for AML purposes.

What the closing costs

Advisers give a typical total of roughly five to six percent of the price, made up of the municipal transfer tax, notary fees, the registry fee and legal costs. The municipal transfer tax is set locally within a range of about 0.1 to 3 percent; the larger cities are described as at the top of it. Notary fees follow a progressive tariff and carry VAT, and the registry fee is about 0.1 percent. Taxes and fees are described as calculated on the higher of the price and the municipal tax assessment, which is why a low price on paper does not lower them. These are summaries from law firms such as Innovires, not the tariffs themselves, so quote them to a client only as an estimate.

Remote closing with a power of attorney

If the buyer cannot attend, a power of attorney lets a lawyer or another trusted person sign. The points that cause delay:

• The power must be notarised. If it is signed outside Bulgaria it is normally apostilled under the Hague Convention and translated into Bulgarian by a translator the notary accepts.
• It must describe the property, the price and the terms with precision. A vague or incomplete authority is a common reason for a notary to refuse.
• Some people sign at a Bulgarian embassy or consulate where one is available, which can avoid the apostille; confirm with the notary which route they will accept.
• The agent of the buyer should not be the seller or someone connected with the seller.

See a practitioner's note on powers of attorney signed abroad. It is an older note, so check the present requirements with the notary before you tell a client what to do.

Money from abroad

Ask the buyer to send the deposit and the balance from an account in their own name, and to keep the transfer record. Payments from third parties, or from accounts that do not match the buyer, are what slows a file down, and under AML rules they have to be explained. Warn the buyer that their bank may query a large international transfer and plan for it: a deposit that arrives a week late can cost the reservation.

A question worth asking each notary you work with is whether and how they can hold the payment until registration is complete. We did not find a standard rule on this, so do not promise a client an escrow service until the notary confirms what they offer.

What to tell a remote buyer, in plain words

• You will not need to be in Bulgaria on the day if the power of attorney is correct, but the paperwork takes weeks, not days.
• The seller's documents will be checked before you pay anything beyond the deposit.
• The price on the deed, the taxes and the date the property is registered in your name are what protect you; ask for the registry extract afterwards.
• Do not send money to anyone you have not been introduced to in writing.
• Keep every receipt and every message about money.

Typical delays to plan for

• A power of attorney returned for corrections after the buyer has already left the notary's office abroad.
• An apostille or translation that is missing a page.
• A bank that holds a first international transfer for questions.
• A marital-status or heirship question on the seller's side that the lawyer finds late.

Working with D.H. Realting

D.H. Realting is a trilingual (Russian, English, Polish) overseas-property platform. We introduce buyers, including expats who live in one country and look at property in another, and we support the process around the deal. Agencies that handle the transaction locally and would like to be introduced to such buyers can contact us through our partners page.

This briefing is informational only and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Figures and rules are indicative, come from the sources named, and change over time; confirm them with a local lawyer or notary before you rely on them.