Debt collection · Bulgaria

🇧🇬 Your customer in Bulgaria is not paying?

Goods delivered, invoice overdue, the customer in Bulgaria silent. This page explains how a B2B claim is collected in Bulgaria, how long it takes, and which interest and costs can be charged to the debtor. Bulgaria has been part of the euro area since 1 January 2026; amounts are in euro. Incasso Mentor sets up and runs this process on your behalf: we choose the right route, bring in the local specialist, follow every step and report to you in Turkish. You only take the decisions. Information as of September 2026.

Bulgaria at a glance

The four figures that matter most to a Turkish exporter. Fees and rates change; before any legal step we confirm the current figures with our partner.

€12,782
Up to this amount (the former BGN 25,000 limit) an order for payment without a hearing, zapoved za izpalnenie (CPC art. 410). One month from service to object; no objection: directly enforceable title.
10.40%
Statutory default interest (from 1 July 2026): ECB main refinancing rate + 8 points, reset on 1 January and 1 July (Council of Ministers Decree 347/2025). Plus a flat BGN 80 (about €41) recovery fee (Commerce Act art. 309a).
2%
State fee for an order-for-payment application: 2% of the claim (minimum €12.78). Ordinary action 4% (minimum €25.57); 15% discount for electronic filing.
5 years
General limitation period (Obligations and Contracts Act art. 110); 3 years for interest and periodic payments (art. 111). Note: a demand does not interrupt it, only an acknowledgment, a court action or enforcement (art. 116).
Process

How collection in Bulgaria proceeds

Amicable phase

Bulgarian-language demand; statutory interest and the flat BGN 80 (about €41) fee (Commerce Act art. 309a) are claimed. The debtor's registration and accounts are checked in the Commercial Register (Targovski registar); an independent credit report is obtained.

Order for payment (zapoved za izpalnenie)

Up to €12,782 an order for payment without a hearing at the Rayonen sad (district court) (CPC art. 410); fee 2%. With a promissory note, a notarised contract or similar documents an order for immediate enforcement without any amount limit (art. 417). The debtor may object within one month.

Court action if objected

On objection the creditor files a declaratory action (ustanovitelen isk) within one month; fee 4%. Ordinary proceedings: Rayonen sad up to €12,782, Okrazhen sad (regional court) above; appeal and cassation are available. A lawyer is not mandatory.

Enforcement and insolvency

Private enforcement agent, chasten sadeben izpalnitel (ChSI): bank account attachment, garnishment of receivables, sale of movable and immovable assets. Insolvency (nesastoyatelnost) under Part IV of the Commerce Act at the Okrazhen sad; a creditor may also file.

Our role

We organise your collection in Bulgaria

Collecting a debt in a foreign country on your own is exhausting: language, law, finding the right firm, negotiating fees, not missing deadlines. This is exactly where Incasso Mentor comes in. We review your file, obtain an independent credit report on the debtor and determine the most suitable route for Bulgaria.

Then we set up the process: we select the lawyer or private enforcement agent (ChSI) in Bulgaria, hand over a complete and well-prepared file, fix the fee on your behalf in advance and follow every step. You work with one contact, in your own language. Every decision is yours; no step is taken without your approval.

What you do, what we do
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You: send us the invoice, contract and delivery documents.

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We: assess the file, obtain the credit report and report the route and cost to you in writing.

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We: select and brief the local specialist in Bulgaria, fix the fee and watch the deadlines.

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We: report every development in Turkish and answer your questions.

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You: take the decision at every stage. Legal steps only with your approval.

Three points that matter for a Turkish exporter

A demand does not interrupt the limitation period

In Bulgaria only an acknowledgment, a court action or enforcement stops the clock (Obligations and Contracts Act art. 116). The general period is 5 years, but interest lapses after 3; if the deadline is close, we do not lose time with demands: straight to the order for payment.

The documents decide the route

With an invoice only: order for payment up to €12,782, ordinary action above. With a promissory note, a notarised contract or a bank record: immediate enforcement without any amount limit (CPC art. 417). For files of €20,000 and more we therefore review the documents first, then report the route and cost in writing.

EU procedures closed, euro open

The European order for payment and small claims are closed to Turkish companies; the national order for payment is fast and cheap anyway. Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026 (€1 = BGN 1.95583); the judgment is enforced in the EU under Brussels I-bis.

Frequently asked questions

How long does collection in Bulgaria take?

Unopposed order for payment: the court usually decides within a few days to two weeks; with the one-month objection period and service, an enforceable title in about 2–3 months. A bank account attachment usually produces a result within 1–3 months. A defended case takes longer.

Do I need a lawyer?

No; representation by a lawyer is not mandatory at any stage in Bulgaria. With your approval we work with an authorised lawyer or private enforcement agent (ChSI) in Bulgaria and fix the fee in advance.

What is the judgment worth in Turkey?

A Bulgarian judgment is enforced in the EU without extra formalities; in Turkey recognition (tenfiz) is needed, rarely relevant since the debtor's assets are usually in Bulgaria.

Incasso Mentor is not a law firm. We coordinate the amicable phase; where a legal step is needed, an authorised lawyer or private enforcement agent (ChSI) in Bulgaria acts with your approval. This page is general information, not legal advice. Source legislation: Obligations and Contracts Act ZZD (arts. 110, 111, 116), Commerce Act (arts. 303a, 309a; Part IV insolvency), Civil Procedure Code CPC (arts. 104, 410–417), Council of Ministers Decree 347/2025 (statutory interest), Tariff of state fees under the CPC, Private Enforcement Agents Act. Information as of September 2026.

Submit your Bulgaria claim today

Share your invoice and the basic documents. We review the file and report the route in Bulgaria and the expected cost to you in writing, in Turkish; the rest we plan together. B2B, from €20,000 per debtor.

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