If you are a foreign national with a legal matter in Bulgaria — a divorce, an inheritance, a dispute over an apartment — the first practical question is usually not “what does the law say?” but “which court deals with this, and how does the process actually run?”. This guide explains the structure of the Bulgarian court system in plain English, with the points that matter most to people who do not live in the country.

The legal framework in brief

Bulgaria is a civil-law country and a member of the European Union. Its legal system is built on written codes rather than on judicial precedent: the Civil Procedure Code governs civil and family litigation, the Criminal Procedure Code governs criminal cases and the Administrative Procedure Code governs disputes with public authorities. Under the Constitution of 1991 the judiciary is an independent branch of state power and consists of three parts — the courts, the prosecution service and the investigative bodies. The administration of the judiciary, including the appointment and promotion of judges, is entrusted to the Supreme Judicial Council.

The general courts

Most civil, family and criminal cases are heard by the general courts, which are organised in four levels.

Regional courts

The regional courts (rayonen sad) are the basic courts of first instance. There are more than a hundred of them across the country. They hear the great majority of everyday cases: divorce and other matrimonial matters, parental responsibility and child maintenance, partition of co-owned and inherited property, lower-value contractual and property claims, employment disputes and less serious criminal offences. For many foreign clients this is the only court they will ever deal with.

District courts

The district courts (okrazhen sad) sit in the regional centres; in the capital the equivalent court is the Sofia City Court. They have two roles. They act as courts of first instance for higher-value civil and commercial claims, for certain specific matters such as adoption and the recognition of some foreign judgments, and for serious criminal cases. They also act as courts of appeal against the judgments of the regional courts in their area.

Courts of appeal

There are five civilian courts of appeal — in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas and Veliko Tarnovo — which hear appeals against the first-instance judgments of the district courts.

The Supreme Court of Cassation

The Supreme Court of Cassation in Sofia is the highest court in civil, commercial and criminal matters. It does not re-hear the facts of a case. Its task is to ensure the uniform and correct application of the law, and in civil cases an appeal to it is admitted only where specific statutory grounds are present. It also issues interpretative decisions, which are binding on the lower courts and are an important source of guidance on how legislation is applied in practice.

The administrative courts

Disputes with the state and municipalities — tax assessments, building permits, residence permits, decisions of the land and cadastre authorities — are heard by a separate branch: the administrative courts in each regional centre and, at the top, the Supreme Administrative Court. If your matter concerns a decision of a public authority rather than a dispute with another private person, this is the route it will take.

The Constitutional Court

The Constitutional Court stands outside the judiciary. It rules on the constitutionality of legislation and gives binding interpretations of the Constitution. An individual cannot bring a case to it directly; it is seised by a limited circle of institutions, and courts may refer a question to it when the constitutionality of an applicable law is in doubt.

How a civil case moves through the system

Civil proceedings in Bulgaria are, as a rule, conducted in three instances.

• First instance. The case starts with a written statement of claim filed with the competent court, together with the documentary evidence and proof that the state fee has been paid. The defendant is given one month to file a written reply. The court then schedules open hearings, at which evidence is collected, witnesses are heard and experts report. The process is predominantly written and document-driven.
• Appeal. A first-instance judgment may be appealed within two weeks of its service. The appellate court reviews both the facts and the law, but new evidence is admitted only in limited circumstances — which is why the first instance must be prepared thoroughly.
• Cassation. A further appeal to the Supreme Court of Cassation is possible only for certain cases and only on points of law. Some categories, including lower-value claims and most divorce judgments, are excluded from cassation review.

A judgment becomes final and enforceable when it can no longer be appealed.

Which court is competent for my case?

Two questions decide this. Subject-matter jurisdiction determines the level: family matters go to the regional court regardless of the value involved, while money and property claims are allocated between the regional and the district court according to their value. Territorial jurisdiction determines the place: the general rule is the court of the defendant’s address, but there are important special rules — claims concerning real estate are heard where the property is located, and matters concerning children are generally heard where the child lives.

Where one of the parties lives abroad, a prior question arises: do the Bulgarian courts have international jurisdiction at all? Within the EU this is answered by European regulations, such as the Brussels IIb Regulation for divorce and parental responsibility and the Succession Regulation for inheritance. For non-EU situations the Bulgarian Private International Law Code applies.

Language, documents and translations

Proceedings are conducted in Bulgarian. A party who does not speak the language is entitled to an interpreter at hearings. All foreign documents submitted to the court must be accompanied by a certified Bulgarian translation, and public documents issued abroad — birth and marriage certificates, court judgments, notarised powers of attorney — normally need an apostille or, for countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention, consular legalisation. Within the EU, Regulation 2016/1191 removes the apostille requirement for a number of civil-status documents.

Do I need a lawyer, and must I attend in person?

Legal representation is not compulsory in most first-instance and appellate civil proceedings, but a cassation appeal must be signed by an attorney. In practice a foreign party is almost always represented, for a simple reason: with a properly drafted power of attorney your lawyer can file the case, attend the hearings and receive the documents on your behalf, so that you do not need to travel. Personal attendance is required only in specific situations — for example, at the first hearing in a contested divorce, the claimant is expected to appear in person.

Electronic justice

The Bulgarian courts operate a Unified e-Justice Portal through which parties and their lawyers can follow the progress of a case, read the court’s rulings and the filed documents and, increasingly, submit documents electronically. For a client abroad this means the case can be monitored in real time.

After the judgment: enforcement

A final judgment is not self-executing. If the losing party does not comply voluntarily, the successful party obtains a writ of execution and instructs an enforcement agent — either a state enforcement agent attached to the regional court or a private enforcement agent. The agent can attach bank accounts and wages and seize and sell property. Judgments from other EU member states in civil and commercial matters are enforced in Bulgaria under the Brussels Ia Regulation without a separate recognition procedure.

Key points for foreign clients

• Most family and inheritance cases start in the regional court and end at the appeal stage.
• The procedure is written and formal; deadlines are strict and missed deadlines are rarely restored.
• Almost everything can be handled through a lawyer acting under a power of attorney.
• Foreign documents need translation and, usually, an apostille — arrange these early.

Last reviewed: November 2026. This article provides general information about Bulgarian law and is not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts and documents.

Need advice on a specific situation? Contact Rositsa Astakova, Attorney-at-Law in Sofia — consultations are available in English, Spanish and Bulgarian, in person or remotely.