Common Ways to Create and Register a Company in Bulgaria

If you wish to create a company in Bulgaria, you are required to apply at the Bulgarian District Court for registration at the special Commercial Register kept by the Court. It is from the date of entry that you are authorized to conduct whichever economic activity you wish to commence. The best part is that the Bulgarian government gives the allowance to foreign investors to operate through joint ventures, wholly owned subsidiaries as well as branches in Bulgaria. The business owners/merchants have the following options to create a company in Bulgaria:

• Sole proprietorship: An individual who has a permanent residence in Bulgaria and conducts trading regularly can be a sole proprietor.
• Limited partnership: In this, one or two partners have limited liability.
• Unlimited partnership: All partners are equally liable for the debts of the company.
• Stock Corporation: Atleast two persons are needed to create this legal entity. The capital of the company is divided into shares.
• Public company: A company that makes primary offering of shares or has its shares registered for trading may register as a public company.
• Joint venture: It is jointly formed by a Bulgarian and a foreign partner, and is one of the most common forms of investing in Bulgaria.
• Public limited partnership: In this, the limited partners own stock equivalent to their participation in the company.

Besides the above mentioned ways of getting a company registered, there are a few more, although not very common;

• Branch
• Representative Office
• Limited liability company
• Cooperative
• Holding

For foreign investors, direct ownership of land is prohibited; however, they are permitted to own buildings and have limited rights over immovable property.