Getting There
Direct flights to the capital Sofia operate throughout the year from the UK, but direct flights to Varna and Burgas on the Black Sea coast only operate during the tourist season.

UK passport holders do not need a visa to visit to Bulgaria for a period of up to 30 days within a six month period. A visa is required if you intend to stay longer or visit more frequently. Property ownership does not entitle you to live permanently in Bulgaria.

Living There
Bulgaria was a communist country until 1990, and the move to a fully fledged democracy has not been without its problems. Today Bulgaria remains a poor country by Western European standards with high levels of poverty, unemployment and inflation and poor standards in health and education. Rural areas are often worse affected.

Property and land prices in Bulgaria are low compared to the rest of Europe - hence the stories of people buying a house for the price of a car in the UK. Older properties often require a lot of work to bring them up to UK standards however. Renovation and even structural repairs may be required.

Mortgages were until very recently unheard of in Bulgaria - under communism, every family was given a home.

Just as taxi drivers often charge foreigners more than they would Bulgarian passengers, property sellers often expect to get more from a UK buyer than they would ask of a Bulgarian.

Under Bulgarian law, foreigners cannot own land in the country, but may own property. Amendments to the law are curently being passed by the Bulgarian Parliament and it is likely that EU citizens will be able to own land from 2014.

When buying an apartment the current law presents no problems because you won't own the land, but when buying a house or a villa it is common practice to first form a Limited Liability Company (OOD) and then buy the property through the company.

Estate agents charge buyers a commission of anything from 3% to 10% of the purchase price and because prices can be low a minimum commission level is often set. Some agents charge for arranging viewings (refundable if you actually purchase). Don't be too polite to ask commission rates before arranging viewings and if they seem high for the service provided, negotiate or go elsewhere.

Standards of service from estate agents before and after purchase vary from excellent to appalling. As always it is essential that you seek independent legal advise before committing to buy property.


Above: Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

Embassies
Embassies:
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria, 186-188 Queens Gate, London SW7 5HL (020 7584 9400/9433).
British Embassy, 9 Moskovska Street, Sofia 1000 (359 2 980 1220).