Public services and online portals

Key authorities

• Residence: МВР – дирекция „Миграция“ (Migration directorate) and its regional branches: extended residence certificate and ЛНЧ (see BG-SEJOUR-TOUS-001 and BG-NIF-TOUS-001).
• Taxes and contributions: Национална агенция за приходите (НАП): income tax return, registration of the self-employed, VAT, social and health contributions (see BG-IMPOTS-TOUS-001 and BG-ENTREPRISE-TOUS-001). Information centre: 0700 18 700, infocenter@nra.bg.
• Health: Национална здравноосигурителна каса (НЗОК) and regional funds (РЗОК): S1 registration, general practitioner (see BG-SANTE-TOUS-001).
• Social security: Национален осигурителен институт (НОИ, National Social Security Institute): pensions, sickness and maternity benefits, unemployment benefits (you first register with the Employment Agency, then submit your application to the НОИ regional directorate). Social and family assistance come under another authority, the Social Assistance Agency (European Commission guide, 2026).
• Businesses: Агенция по вписванията (Registry Agency): commercial register and BULSTAT.
• Municipality: община: local taxes on property and vehicles, registration at day care and nursery school. Each municipality has its own procedure (often online in the big cities): check the website of yours.

Online services

• НАП portal (portal.nra.bg): returns, payments, certificates. Access with:
  • a qualified electronic signature (квалифициран електронен подпис, КЕП), bought from an approved provider;
  • a ПИК (персонален идентификационен код): you request it at any НАП office, by email, by phone or through the secure messaging system edelivery.egov.bg, and you collect it in person (or through an agent with a notarised power of attorney), in a sealed envelope. The НАП page describes logging in with the ЕГН (number of Bulgarian citizens) and the ПИК; use with an ЛНЧ is to be confirmed at the counter.
• egov.bg: catalogue of the State's electronic services, with a personal space and a section for foreigners living in Bulgaria (identification arrangements to be confirmed).
• Registry Agency portal (portal.registryagency.bg): submission of company registration applications.

Steps

Recommended order for an EU citizen:

1. МВР – Migration: within 3 months of your entry, apply for your extended residence certificate (МВР instruction, art. 6); ask the officer what your ЛНЧ is and on which document it appears: the instruction does not list it among the contents of the paper certificate (art. 8, see BG-NIF-TOUS-001).
2. Address: your address in Bulgaria is proved in your residence certificate application (title deed, or lease with the landlord's notarised declaration, see BG-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). Keep these supporting documents.
3. НАП: request your ПИК at the НАП office (or equip yourself with a КЕП); if you have no ЛНЧ, the НАП can assign you a service number.
4. Health: have your S1 registered at the РЗОК or start contributing, then choose a general practitioner.
5. Depending on your situation: if you become self-employed in a liberal profession, BULSTAT then НАП within 7 days of the start of the activity; enrolment of the children (see BG-ECOLE-TOUS-001); local taxes at the municipality if you buy.

Common pitfalls

• Counting on 100% online access. The ПИК is collected in person, and many procedures remain at the counter.
• Ignoring the alphabet. Forms and websites are mostly in Bulgarian, in Cyrillic; keep the official transliteration of your name identical on all documents.
• Paying according to a page in leva. Since 01/01/2026, the euro is the currency; some official scales have not yet been converted.

What changes by country of origin

• EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: extended residence certificate at the МВР.
• British citizens (Scots included): residence permit under the withdrawal agreement or the general regime for foreigners, at the МВР (see BG-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).