Notary fees for a car transfer in Bulgaria: calculator 2026
Calculate the notary fees and local tax when transferring a car in Bulgaria. Calculator by municipality, required documents and steps for 2026.
Are you buying or selling a car and do not know how much the transfer at the notary will cost? Besides the price of the car, three more costs are waiting for you: a local tax on acquisition, a notary fee for certifying the contract, and a fee for registration with the Traffic Police (Пътна полиция, КАТ).
Here is an exact bill for 2026: a calculator, the value each cost is based on, and the steps and documents you need.
❓How much are the notary fees for transferring a car in 2026?
Source: ЗМДТ, Art. 44-47, Notary Fees Tariff, Tariff No. 4 to the ЗДвП
Notary fee calculator for transferring a car
Enter the value of the car, choose the municipality and the type of registration. The calculator works out the notary fee on the official scale and shows it in euro.
Calculator: transferring a car
* The bill is an estimate. The notary fee is calculated under item 8 of the Notary Fees Tariff (material interest), with a cap of BGN 6,000 (€3,067.75 excluding VAT). The material interest is the insured value, or the contract price if it is higher (ЗННД, Art. 97(3)). The local tax is calculated on the insured value and the rate is set by the municipal council within the range 0.1-3.0%. For an exact amount, consult a notary.
Ask Pravko and get an answer with citations from the law.
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What the bill consists of
Transferring a car is not one cost but three. Each is calculated on a different basis, so it is important not to mix them up.
| Cost | Basis | Who pays | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local tax on acquisition | Insured value (застрахователна стойност) | The buyer | ЗМДТ, Art. 44-47 |
| Notary fee (certification) | The higher of: insured value or contract price | By agreement, often the buyer | Tariff item 11 → item 8, plus VAT |
| Registration at КАТ | Fixed fee | The buyer | Tariff No. 4, within 1 month |
The three costs of transferring a car in 2026
Note: the bases are different
The local tax is calculated on the insured value of the car (ЗМДТ, Art. 46(2) refers to Art. 33). The notary fee, however, is calculated on the material interest, that is, the higher of the insured value and the contract price (ЗННД, Art. 97(3)). If you sell the car above its insured value, the notary fee will be slightly higher, but the tax stays on the insured value.
Local tax on acquisition by municipality
The acquisition tax is paid to the municipality where you register the car. By law the rate is between 0.1% and 3.0%, and the exact amount is set by the municipal council. For acquiring a car the rates are usually at the upper end of the range.
| Municipality | Example rate | Tax on €10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Sofia | 3.00% | €300 |
| Blagoevgrad | 2.90% | €290 |
| Statutory range (ЗМДТ) | 0.1-3.0% | varies by municipality |
The rates are examples. Check the local taxes ordinance of your municipality for the exact amount.
Local Taxes and Fees Act (ЗМДТ)
Art. 47(2)
The rate of the acquisition tax is set by each municipality within this range.
Official Bulgarian text
„данъкът се определя от общинския съвет в размер от 0,1 до 3 на сто“
Note that this acquisition tax is a one-off and differs from the annual vehicle tax, which you pay to the municipality every year.
Example: transferring a car worth €10,000
Here is the full bill for a car with an insured value of €10,000 in Sofia (local tax rate 3%), with a change of registration certificate and no new plates:
Costs of transferring a €10,000 car
Local tax on acquisition (Sofia, 3%)
On the insured value
€300.00
Notary fee (certification of the contract)
Under item 8 of the Tariff, material interest
€121.16
VAT on the notary fee (20%)
€24.23
Registration at КАТ (no new plates)
Tariff No. 4 to the ЗДвП
€10.23
Total
€455.62
Estimated bill for 2026. The exact amounts depend on the municipality and the notary. With new registration plates the КАТ fee is €17.90 instead of €10.23.
Steps to transfer a car
The transfer goes through a notary and ends at the Traffic Police. Here is the order:
Prepare the documents and the contract
ID cards, the large and small registration certificates (голям и малък талон), paid vehicle tax, valid third-party liability insurance (Гражданска отговорност). The sale contract is drawn up in writing.
Notarial certification of the contract
The notary certifies the signatures and the content of the contract. Certification is mandatory (ЗДвП, Art. 144(2)). The notary fee is paid here.
Pay the local acquisition tax
The tax is paid to the municipality. Without it the transaction and the registration are not finalised.
Register the car with the Traffic Police (КАТ)
Up to 1 monthChange of the owner on the registration certificate within 1 month of the acquisition. If you are late, the fine is BGN 200 (€102.26).
Road Traffic Act (ЗДвП)
Art. 144(2)
Notarial certification when transferring a car is mandatory as of 2026.
Official Bulgarian text
„подписите на страните трябва да бъдат нотариално заверени“
Required documents and conditions
Before you go to the notary, check that you have everything. A missing document, even a single one, stops the transaction.
What you need for the transfer
You bring all of this to the notary
ID cards of the seller and the buyer
Large and small registration certificates (голям и малък талон, parts I and II)
Paid vehicle tax (данък МПС)
The transaction will not go through without the annual tax paid
Valid third-party liability insurance (Гражданска отговорност)
Valid annual technical inspection (ГТП)
Check the expiry date in advance
Notarised power of attorney
Only if one of the parties acts through a representative
If you are not sure how long the car’s technical inspection is valid, see how to check the validity of the annual technical inspection (ГТП). It is also useful to know which documents are needed to replace a driving licence, if you have recently changed your details.
Hidden costs and common mistakes
Costs that few people think of
- Additional notarial services: drawing up the contract by the notary, checks and declarations under the Anti-Money Laundering Measures Act (ЗМИП) and the ЗННД are charged separately.
- New registration plates: in certain cases the КАТ fee is €17.90 instead of €10.23.
- Late registration: a fine of BGN 200 (€102.26), and after 2 months the registration may be terminated by the authorities.
Is the notarial certification being abolished?
A reform is being discussed under which the mandatory notarial certification on the sale of a car would be abolished. At the moment it is only a bill and is NOT in force. Transfers still go through a notary under the existing procedure, so do not rely on the change until it is officially adopted.
If you are buying a property rather than a car, the costs are calculated on a different scale. For them see our notary fee calculator for buying a property. The official scale of notary fees is available in the Notary Fees Tariff (Тарифата за нотариалните такси).
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⚠️ Important
Pravko provides legal information, but it does not replace advice from a lawyer. For important legal matters, consult a licensed lawyer.
