Building Permits & Planning Permission in Bulgaria

A building permit in Bulgaria, also called planning permission or a building licence, is the разрешение за строеж (razreshenie za stroezh) needed before most new construction, extensions and structural alterations. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Urban Planning Law”. People also search for building regulations in Bulgaria, for legalising a building (узаконяване) and for акт 16 (Act 16), the record that a finished building is ready for use. English-speaking lawyers in Bulgaria help foreign owners and buyers with all three.

Who needs it

• Owners who want to build a house, add a floor or a terrace, or turn a holiday home into a year-round one.
• Buyers of a house or a plot who want to know whether what stands there is legal and what may be built (see property purchase).
• Sellers asked by a buyer, a notary or a bank for the permit and the use documents (see property sale).
• Owners who received a letter from the municipality or the national building control directorate about works done without a permit.

How it works in Bulgaria

Building is governed by the Spatial Development Act (Закон за устройство на територията, ZUT) and by the detailed development plan of the area. The usual path runs from a sketch of the plot with its planning conditions, through an investment project prepared by licensed designers and approved by the municipality, to the permit signed by the chief architect (главен архитект). Statutory records are signed on site as the works go on; at the end, Act 16 confirms that the building is fit for use, followed by a use permit (разрешение за ползване) or a certificate of commissioning, depending on the category of the building. Larger projects fall under the national building control directorate (DNSK). A building put up without a permit can sometimes be legalised if it meets the rules, and some older buildings hold a certificate of tolerance (удостоверение за търпимост) instead of a permit.

What to look out for

Agricultural land usually cannot be built on until its designation is changed, which is a separate procedure. The right of foreigners to own land differs for EU and non-EU citizens, and these rules have changed more than once; a lawyer confirms the current ones. An unpermitted extension can hold up a sale, a mortgage or a tourist rental registration. This page is general information, not legal advice.

What a lawyer does

Reads the title deed, the plan and the permits on file at the municipality, explains in English what they show, works with the architect and engineers on the application or the legalisation file, and answers letters from the municipality or DNSK on your behalf. Disputes with neighbours over a building belong to property rights and disputes.

Questions and answers

Do I need a permit to renovate a flat or a house?

Interior repairs that do not touch the structure usually need no permit, though some works call for a simpler approval. Anything that changes the load-bearing structure, the façade or the size of the building generally needs one.

What is Act 16?

The record signed by the parties to the construction when the building is finished, confirming that it can be put into use. Buyers of new homes often ask whether it exists before paying the last instalment.

Can a building without a permit be legalised?

Sometimes. It depends on whether it meets the planning rules and on when it was built. A lawyer checks the file before anyone speaks of a result.

Can the application be made while I live abroad?

Yes, through a representative with a power of attorney; the designers prepare the technical part.