Driving in Bulgaria: an overview of the rules, speed limits and dangers

First of all, let's start with the traffic rules in Bulgaria. This is because some rules are different from what you are used to.
For instance, you have to drive with lights during the day. It is compulsory everywhere in Bulgaria to drive with dipped headlights on during the day. This is for the safety of all road users.

Secondly, it is compulsory to have a vignette on all first and second class roads. This is an electronic vignette registered to the vehicle registration number.
You can easily buy these via BGToll.bg or Vinetki.bg.

Finally, speed limits are different. Take a look at the table below.

A Bulgarian road

Unfortunately, there are also dangers of driving in Bulgaria. For instance, Bulgarians are known for their aggressive driving style and constantly overtake, even when it is not actually possible. Bear this in mind and keep your distance from your predecessor.

There are also many roads with potholes or cracks in the asphalt or stones on the road. Drive carefully on such roads.

Finally, there are harsh winters in Bulgaria. In winter, the road may be mirror-smooth due to ice and/or snow. Winters can be a very cold in Bulgaria with lots of snow, so take this into account and drive carefully.

Getting your Bulgarian driving licence as a beginner: everything you need to know

Going up for your driving licence is an exciting process, especially if you do it in another country. Yet this is also great fun and a very different experience than if you were to get your driving licence in the UK.

For instance, some traffic rules are different from those in the UK. The speed limits, for example.

Also, it is important to know that you need to complete your theory first before you can start your driving lessons.

But you also need many different documents to apply for your driving licence. You can read all this below.

A Bulgarian driver’s licence

Order for obtaining your Bulgarian driving licence

1. Obtain a Bulgarian residence permit.
2. Legalise your British high school diploma for use in Bulgaria.
3. Receive a certificate validating your high school diploma from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education.
4. Enrol in a driving course: you need to register with a recognised driving school, take at least 40 hours of theory lessons and 31 sessions of 50-minute practical training (driving).
5. Take the theory exam.
6. Obtain a medical certificate.
7. Pass the driving test.
8. Take a road accident first aid course and get a certificate.
9. Pay the fee and apply for your Bulgarian driving licence at the Traffic Police (KAT) in Blagoevgrad.

Required documents

There are quite a few documents you need to apply for your driving licence from the Traffic Police. Here we list them and explain how to get them.

1. Bulgarian residence permit and bank card

The most important document is, of course, a Bulgarian ID. Don't have this? Then you can't even start classes. In addition, a Bulgarian bank card is important for both booking the first aid course (read more about it later) and applying for proof of education and applying for your driving licence. Everything must be paid with a bank card issued by a Bulgarian bank.
And to apply for this bank card, you also need a Bulgarian identity card. So arrange this first.

Applying for a Bulgarian ID is usually a long and difficult process. Birth certificates, signatures, a photo: it's all a hassle. It is therefore advisable to hire a lawyer for this who understands Bulgarian laws and regulations. This is what we did and it saved us a lot of work and effort.

If you live in (the vicinity of) Bansko or plan to go here, you will have to go to the migration office in Blagoevgrad for this. This is located near the centre at the address: ulitsa Vanyusha Valchuk 6, Blagoevgrad.

After applying, it will take a few weeks before your ID card is ready. Then you collect it again at the same place and can then go to the bank to open your Bulgarian bank account!
Some well-known Bulgarian banks are UBB, DSK and the FiBank.

2. School certificate (Уверение)

This is the most important document which will also cost the most. If you want to get your driving licence in Bulgaria you will have to prove that you have completed secundary school.you
For this, you need an Apostille from the country of origin. Arrange this before you leave the UK, otherwise it's a lot of hassle via post.
Being from the Netherlands, we do not know how this process works in the UK. You would have to check this with the authorities there.

But this is not all. Once you have received your legalised school certificate, you need to have it translated into Bulgarian in Bulgaria. This translation must be done by an official translator and notarised. So you cannot do this yourself!

Finally, with an application form (you will get this from your driving school), your original diploma, the translated documents, the Apostille and a few copies of all the documents, you will go to the office where you will receive an official certificate (Уверение) that will serve as proof that you have followed education in the UK. You also pay BGN 35 on the spot with a Bulgarian bank card.
You can collect this document from the same office after about a month.

Unfortunately, there is only one place where you can apply for this document and that is in the centre of Sofia.

The school certificate

Want more information on how to do all this and where? Feel free to contact us. We will be happy to help you further.

3. First aid certificate

Yes, you read it right; you need a first aid certificate to apply for your driving licence. It is compulsory to take a first aid course for road accidents. This course takes one day, from 9 to 6 approximately, and can be held any day from Monday to Saturday at a location of your choice.

Courses are held at Bulgarian Red Cross (Български червен кръст) locations that can be found throughout the country. The closest one to Bansko is in Blagoevgrad.
I took this course myself in Sofia at Knyaz Alexander Dondukov Boulevard 61 on the recommendation of the driving school. At this location, the instructor speaks good English, so he can get you off to a good start.
In fact, the entire course is in Bulgarian. Only the test at the end is in English. However, you can get learning materials in English from the driving school and, depending on the location, from the Red Cross.

Once you have successfully completed the test, you will receive the certificate below. Keep this well and take it with you when you go to apply for your driving licence!

The first aid diploma for traffic accidents

You can take the course at any time. Before you start your driving lessons, during or after: it's up to you. As long as you have it arranged before you want to apply for your driving licence!

At the time of writing, this course costs BGN 90. However, this keeps getting increased, so my advice is to do it as soon as possible. To book this course, do so via the FirstAid.RedCross.bg website. On this page, choose the traffic accident course, choose a convenient location, date and fill in your details. Good luck!

4. Medical certificate

Document number four is the medical certificate confirming that you are physically fit to drive a motor vehicle. You can get this document from any hospital or medical centre in Bulgaria, but it is best to arrange this with your driving school. After all, they have their contacts.

This medical certificate costs BGN 40 cash which can vary by region and hospital.

When you go to apply for your driving licence, it is not necessary to make a copy of this. Only the original document is enough.

Searching for a driving school

Looking for a driving school can be quite a challenge in Bulgaria. Few driving schools have a website and not all of them are on Google Maps. Contacting them is also a challenge, as many driving schools do not have a locatable e-mail address, so you have to call them. And then they just have to speak English, which is not always the case either.

There are plenty of driving schools in Bansko and in Razlog. However, you never know where you will end up. Not everyone speaks English and, of course, not all of them are equally reliable.

That's why I started searching on Facebook and came across the First Driving School for Foreigners. This driving school is in Sofia near metro station Beli Dunav and offers everything in English. It also has a very nice instructor (Rosi) and has a fixed price with no hidden costs.

You can read more about this driving school later in this article.

The theory exam

The theory exam goes slightly differently than in the UK. Fortunately, it is possible to take the exam in English. Discuss this with your driving school, as this needs to be booked in advance.

Firstly, there is a difference in the number of questions. In Bulgaria there are 45 questions. In total, you can get 97 points, of which you need a minimum of 87 to pass. There is a time limit of 40 minutes and the exam costs BGN 70.

Before you can take the exam, you need to take 40 hours of theory lessons at your driving school. At my driving school, this was every Saturday from 09:00 to 18:00, so I finished after 5 Saturdays.

After completing these lessons, you schedule a date and time for the exam with your instructor and your instructor will give you a blue card to show at the exam location in Sofia.

You can practise for the exam online via Avtoizpit.com. This is the official website where the real exam will also take place. So you can practice excellently on this website with questions that you might just come across in the real exam.

Don't panic if you don't pass in one go, you might as well try again the very next day!

The driving lessons

Once you have passed the theory part, you can start the real thing: driving lessons. You can choose whether you want to drive in a manual or an automatic car.

You have to complete a minimum of 31 hours of driving lessons before you can take your exam. However, many Bulgarians are not so keen on these rules, so sometimes it can be faster. This was also the case with me.
A driving lesson legally lasts 45 minutes.

You first learn the basics of the car. What all the buttons and lights are for and how to adjust the seat and mirrors. You'll also be taught how to operate the pedals and gearshift lever.
Then you can start driving. You start in a quiet place, such as a large car park or a quiet street. Later, you start driving on busier roads, roundabouts, intersections, etc.
After a few lessons, you start learning various special operations. Reverse parking, forward parking, driving backwards in a straight line, parking in an inclined space, jam parking, reversing by crossing, reversing by half-turn and the incline test.
The last three lessons usually focus on a mountain pass and the motorway.

In this way, you will learn all aspects of becoming a good driver.

When you are in control of the car, have mastered the special operations well enough and can deal with different traffic situations, your driving instructor will schedule the practical exam for you.

The practical exam

The practical exam is always the most exciting part of the whole process. That's why my instructor wrote on the board: A ship doesn't sink when it's in the water, it sinks when the water is in it. In this, you are the ship and the water is the tension. If you are too nervous, you will make mistakes, while if you stay calm and do what you always do, everything will be fine!

The practical exam is in Bulgarian. This sounds exciting, but it's not that bad. Your instructor will be in the car with you as an interpreter to translate everything.
And if you don't know, you can always ask. You can also make mistakes, as long as you solve them in a good and safe way.

The exam lasts 25 minutes in which you will be confronted with various traffic situations. Roundabouts, traffic lights, small streets and a large boulevard, for example. You will also be asked to perform two special maneuvers, such as reversing into a parking space, parallel parking, reversing straight or the slope test.

You will also have to answer some theoretical questions. How to open the bonnet, how to turn on the hazard lights and which objects are mandatory in the car, for example. The question of which liquids are in a car is also often asked, of which you have to name three.
Don't worry if you don't know this; you won't fail. However, it can damage your self-confidence, causing you to make more accidents that can be fatal.
So it is better to just answer these questions correctly.

And very important: keep to the speed limits! Preferably stay slightly below them, because from my own experience I can say that most examiners prefer this. My examiner kept slowing me down when I was driving 45 on a 50 road!
But if you drive too fast, you run the risk of failing immediately.

A tip: look around you carefully! If you know what is happening around you, you can react more quickly and accurately, so that you are not surprised. This of course gives the examiner the feeling that you have everything under control.
If you hit the pavement while parking, for example, you immediately fail. This is seen as an accident and that is out of the question on the exam.

Applying for your driving licence at the Traffic Police (KAT)

Passed your practical exam? Then it's time to apply for your driving licence. You do this at the Traffic Police of the province where you live. For Bansko this is Blagoevgrad, so you have to go to Blagoevgrad, which is about a 45-minute drive. The Traffic Police is located at the beginning of the city at the following address: Sveti Dimitar Solunski Boulevard 83.
Here you can just walk in and hand in the necessary documents at the right counter. The employee will check everything, give some papers back and ask if you want normal or fast service. For the standard service (one month) you pay 27 BGN and for 57 BGN you will have your driving license in a week.
You pay with a Bulgarian bank card that is registered on your name, otherwise the payment and therefore the application is not valid!

You will have to sign some documents and then you are free to go. After a week or a month, your driver's licence will be ready in the same building at the left counter. Just sign and you're done!

What may seem strange is that they don't take a picture of you. They use the picture of your ID that is in the system.

What do the driving lessons cost? All costs at a glance

It is difficult to give the exact costs, because not everyone needs the same number of lessons. The exams also cost money and this will have to be paid again if you retake the exam.
Here you can find the average costs.

• The driving course (theory and practice + exams) costs around 1,600 BGN. This is an all-inclusive package that many driving schools offer. You can then retake both exams endlessly and the number of lessons does not matter. If you pay for it separately, the theory exam costs 70 BGN per time and the practical exam 80 BGN per time.
• But there are even more costs involved. For example, you will have to have your school diploma legalized and provided with an Apostille. Depending on the number of pages and the type of diploma, this will cost some money.
• You then have to have all of this translated by a recognized translator. This usually costs no more than 100 BGN, depending on the number of pages and the language from which it needs to be translated.
• Then you apply for the school diploma certificate. This can be done in Sofia and takes a month. For this you pay 35 BGN with a Bulgarian bank card.
• To apply for your driver's licence you pay 27 BGN for a month and 57 BGN for a week.
• In addition to the costs for the driver's license process, there are also costs for applying for the Bulgarian residence permit and bank account.

In the end, you pay an average of 2,000 BGN in total, which is about 1,000 euros.

How long does this process take in total?

The driving course will take you an average of one or two months. But this can also be faster or slower, depending on your available time and motivation.

Preparing all the necessary documents takes an average of two months.

In total it takes an average of about half a year, but it can also be much faster. For example, I did it in 3 months and many others did it even faster.
So it is certainly not impossible to go through the entire process in a few months and get your driver's licence!

My personal experiences with driving lessons in Bulgaria: First Driving School For Foreigners

My name is Milo and I experienced this myself when I was eighteen. In September 2023, the six of us moved to Bulgaria. In March 2024, I started my theory lessons, which ultimately took me five days. These theory lessons were every Saturday from 9 to 6 in Sofia.
A month later, I was able to take the theory exam. What do you think? It is really possible: passing in one go without any wrong answers!

After that, I took driving lessons. In the end, I only had 14 lessons of one hour, but I still passed in one go in mid-June, a month before I turned 19.
In the end, the whole process took me more than three months, but this could also be a bit faster. This depends entirely on how much time you have and how driven you are to pass.

After I passed, I could apply for my driver's licence at the Traffic Police in Blagoevgrad. I had to wait a week for this before I finally had it in my hands!

Since we live in Dobrinishte (Bansko), I had to travel back and forth by train for hours. But this can be done differently, because of course there are driving schools in Bansko and Razlog, but I wanted to go to the First Driving School for Foreigners in Sofia. The name says it all: this driving school is specifically aimed at foreigners who have come to live in Bulgaria. This was the first in the country fifteen years ago.

Both the theory and driving lessons were in English. Since I didn't speak a word of Bulgarian yet, this was of course very easy. The driving instructor Rozalina is also a very nice instructor. She remains calm in all situations and explains everything in a nice and calm way. She also usually responds quickly to text messages and emails.

Another big advantage of this driving school: they help you arrange all the documents. Except for the Bulgarian residence permit, which they cannot help you with, they help you in this process and share the locations where you can apply for these documents.

Want to know more about this driving school or if it is something for you? Feel free to contact us.

Exchange your British driving licence: this is how you do it

Have you already obtained your driving licence in the UK? Then you only need to exchange it for a Bulgarian one. This is not difficult at all and fortunately takes little time and effort.

In the past, you also needed proof of school diploma for this. However, this was abolished a few years ago for EU residents and most European countries. If you have a driving licence from, for example, Nigeria or India, you must go through all the above steps!
Now you only need a Bulgarian residence permit. You must also have lived in Bulgaria for at least six months.
If you have this, you can exchange your driving licence without any problems as an EU resident.

To do this, you must go to the Traffic Police of your province. For Bansko, this is Blagoevgrad. So you will have to go to the Traffic Police in Blagoevgrad. This is located at Sveti Dimitar Solunski Boulevard 83. You can simply walk in and apply for your driving licence at the counter.

Please note that the staff behind the counter will probably only speak Bulgarian. If you have any questions, you can use Google Translate. And you might be lucky to find an English speaker!

Renewing your Bulgarian driving licence

Renewing your driving licence is actually the same. The driving license is valid for 10 years, and if it expires, you can simply apply for a new one at the Traffic Police with a valid Bulgarian ID. It is important to do this at least a month before your driving licence expires and to bring a medical certificate. A recent photo is also important, but they usually use the photo of your ID.
You pay again for a week or a month and you can pick it up later.

Conclusion: getting a Bulgarian driving licence is a lot of hassle, but cheap

You have been able to read that many different documents are required for your Bulgarian driving licence as a beginner. A legalized school diploma with Apostille translated into Bulgarian, a first aid certificate and more.
But the costs of getting your driving licence are up to a third lower than in the UK. It is also generally easier.

Do you already have your driving licence and do you want to exchange it for a Bulgarian one? You do not need any additional documents for this. You just need to go to the Traffic Police with your Bulgarian residence permit and Bulgarian bank card and you're done!

Would you like more information about the Bulgarian driving licence? Feel free to contact us.