Bulgarien: company formation for location-independent founders. Bulgarien is an EU/Schengen member with a 10% corporate tax rate, rated medium as an incorporation base for nomads and online businesses.
Limited Liability Company (OOD / single-member EOOD) (OOD / EOOD). Limited liability. Minimum capital €1 / none. Bookkeeping required. No audit. Beneficial owner is public. No local substance required.
Substance & taxation. A company on paper here does not move your tax home: if you run it from another country, controlled-foreign-company and place-of-effective-management rules can tax the profits where the business is really managed. Bulgarien works best when its structure matches where you actually live and work.
What applicants report. Members have shared 1 first-hand report. reported timelines include Incorporation takes about 3-5 business days. Corporate bank account opening with traditional Bulgarian banks takes 2-4 weeks due to compliance for non-residents.. common friction points: Traditional Bulgarian banks are increasingly reluctant to open bank accounts for single-owner EOODs registered by non-residents, often requiring multiple in-person visits, high compliance check fees (BGN 500+), or refusing online applicants outright unless an EU residency card or local substance is proven. Using local fintechs (like iCard or Paysera) acts as a standard temporary workaround.. practical tips: Hire a local registration agency to deposit the capital and handle the Commercial Register (EPZEU) filing; Use Paysera or another local electronic money institution if local brick-and-mortar banks delay the account approval. Treat this as community orientation, not a guarantee.
Bottom line. For most location-independent founders the Limited Liability Company (OOD / single-member EOOD) (OOD / EOOD) is the natural starting point. Bulgarien works best when the structure matches where you actually live and manage the business — get substance and place-of-effective-management right before you incorporate, not after.
One card per case and applicant type. Colour shows the reported outcome.
Setting up a Bulgarian EOOD is incredibly cheap and fast. However, non-resident banking compliance is a massive bottleneck. Traditional banks charge heavy fees for non-resident background checks and often reject digital-only remote businesses without local substance.
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