Driving in Bulgaria with a foreign licence

Recognised licences

The Road Traffic Act recognises a licence issued by another State, for the category shown on it, including in the following cases:

• a licence issued by a State of the European Union or the European Economic Area, or by Switzerland;
• a licence issued by a State party to the Convention on Road Traffic and compliant with its Annex 6;
• a licence accompanied by a legalised translation into Bulgarian;
• an international driving permit compliant with Annex 7 of the same Convention.

If your licence was not issued in the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, check before you travel which case it falls under: the international driving permit and the legalised translation into Bulgarian are two of the cases provided for in the text.

If you settle in Bulgaria

A foreign national holding a long-term residence permit may drive with a licence issued outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland for one year from the date that permit is issued. Holders of a European Union licence who live in Bulgaria may, if they wish, exchange it for a Bulgarian licence, without an examination.

Documents to carry

The driver must carry their driving licence, the vehicle registration certificate and the certificate of compulsory third-party liability insurance. In Bulgaria, paying a fine in cash on the spot is prohibited: payment is made to the account indicated or by card, at police payment terminals.

Renting a car from us

The legal age for driving a car is 18, but our rental conditions are stricter: 21 with 3 years of licence for the MINI, 23 with 3 years of licence for the Porsche Macan GTS, 25 with 3 years of licence for the Audi RS6 and the Mercedes-AMG. The driver presents their original driving licence and an ID document at handover.