A car on your Bulgarian company: is it worth it, and how to do it right

Is it really worth it? How much cheaper than in Romania?

On running costs, the difference is real and large. A few reference points for 2026:

• Roadworthiness test in Bulgaria: ~€40/year — versus the hassle in Romania.
• Local tax is calculated by the car's year of manufacture and power (roughly ~€130–225/year), and is generally below Romania's. (It's the same for an individual and for a company.)
• Third-party insurance (RCA equivalent) is usually considerably cheaper (roughly ~€140–180/year) — especially for young drivers, where in Romania the premium can sting.

Overall, there are cases where car expenses end up several times lower. That's why the topic is so heavily searched.

What does it cost me, concretely? (legal taxes vs market price)

Let's clearly separate two things many people mix up: the legal taxes (what the state and insurer charge) and the service price (what a firm that does the whole job charges). We show you each separately, so you know exactly what you're paying for.

Legal taxes, annual (rough, by power and age):

• roadworthiness test: ~€40/year;
• local car tax (at the municipality): ~€130–225/year;
• third-party insurance (compulsory): ~€140–180/year;
• plus a small state fee at the actual registration.

These are the "state" numbers — and you can already see why many say it's cheaper: the tax and insurance are noticeably below Romania's.

The market price for "do it all for me" (a car already registered in RO/EU, moved onto Bulgarian plates) sits around €700, one-off — but that isn't a state fee, it's the service price: it includes transport on a flatbed, preparing and translating documents, the trips to the authorities and insurance for the first year. The margin covers exactly the work you don't do. The procedure itself usually takes 1–2 days.

What obligations do I have, in Bulgaria, for a company car?

If the car is on your Bulgarian company, you have towards the Bulgarian state the same obligations as any car owner there — and it's good to know them from the start, so you're in order there too, not just on paper:

• annual car tax (данък върху превозните средства), paid at the municipality — the legal basis is the Local Taxes and Fees Act (ЗМДТ); if you pay it in full by 30 April you get a 5% discount, and paying it is a condition for being able to take the roadworthiness test;
• annual roadworthiness test (Годишен технически преглед — ГТП), mandatory once a year;
• compulsory third-party liability insurance (Гражданска отговорност, the RCA equivalent) — the legal basis is the Insurance Code (Кодекс за застраховането); comprehensive cover (Casco) stays optional;
• the electronic vignette (е-винетка) for road use — under the Road Traffic Act (Закон за движението по пътищата).

In addition, being a company asset, the car enters the Bulgarian company's accounting, by the rules there — not by Romania's tax obligations. Nothing complicated, but they are real obligations, yours as the owner; these we keep up to date for you, so you're clean in Bulgaria too.

On the company or in my own name? What's the difference?

There are two routes, and it's worth choosing the one that fits you:

• On your Bulgarian company — the car belongs to your company (your name appears in the car's documents). It's the clean option if you have, or are setting up, a company in Bulgaria anyway.
• In your own name, with Bulgarian residency — for this you need a Bulgarian residence certificate/permit (obtained in a few days; the official state fee is small, ~€7–36, depending on type).

Both are legitimate. Which suits you depends on what you already have and what you want to do — and this is exactly where we can help you choose, rather than guess.

I've seen firms that put my car on THEIR company. Is that ok?

Here's the trap, and I'll tell you straight: it's not ok. There are "registration firms" that put your car on their company, not yours. The problem? On paper, you're no longer the car's owner — it belongs to that firm. And many such firms have trouble with the tax authority, because many "clients" don't pay their taxes, and the firm is left with the debts.

The difference with us: the car goes on your company or in your own name — you stay the owner, in control, without depending on someone else's goodwill. Less "fast and cheap today", but no surprises tomorrow.

Can I drive a car with Bulgarian plates in Romania?

This is the most important question — and it deserves a straight, serious answer, not a leaflet one.

The rule, in short: if you're a resident in Romania, a car with foreign plates can drive here for a maximum of 90 consecutive days from the date it entered the country. After this term, the law requires the car to be registered in Romania; non-compliance is fined (over 4,000 lei) and can lead to the vehicle being impounded. This is set out in the Road Code (OUG 195/2002).

And here's the part few tell you honestly: neither the Road Code nor its implementing rules (HG 1391/2006) establish a clear mechanism for proving the date of entry into the country and on what basis the 90-day overrun is established — all the more so since Romania and Bulgaria are in Schengen and border crossings are no longer stamped. The finding falls under the general regime of contraventions (a report drawn up by the police), where the burden of proving the act lies with the authority, and you benefit from the presumption of innocence.

That's precisely why I won't give you a "works" or "doesn't work" valid for everyone: the correct answer depends on your concrete situation — where your domicile/residence is and where, how much and how you actually use the car. This we settle together, so you're both in order and at ease — not on guesswork and not on interpretations heard on forums.

There's one more aspect that changes the maths — and here's the difference between "in your name" and "on your company": the 90-day rule targets the owner of the vehicle who has domicile/residence in Romania. If the car's owner is your company in Bulgaria (a foreign legal entity), you're no longer the resident-owner — you use it as a user, on the basis of a document of use from the company. At the border crossing, the Romanian Border Police only asks for the licence and the registration certificate, not the document showing the relationship with the owner (confirmed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs).

And to be clear: using the company's car with documents in order is NOT a trick — it's exactly following the law. Use comes with its obligations (at least a document of use), and how the car's records are kept is a matter of Bulgarian law — your company is Bulgarian, so the car's accounting and use rules are Bulgaria's, not Romania's tax obligations. What matters is having a real arrangement and documents in order — that's all. That's why, for someone who genuinely has a company in Bulgaria, the "on the company" option is usually cleaner than "in your name", and we set it up properly, for your case.

What documents do I need?

In short (to be re-confirmed up to date):

• the company's status certificate (in original, translated into Bulgarian), if you go the company route;
• if you're not the director/shareholder — also a notarised power of attorney, translated, not older than a certain term;
• the car's documents + your ID.

Nothing exotic, but they must be done properly and translated — exactly the part we take over, so you don't make trips for nothing.