Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Bulgaria has adopted amendments to its Property Registration Rules, marking one of the most significant recent legislative changes affecting real estate transactions. The rules govern the procedures and requirements for registering transfers, encumbrances, claims and other legally relevant circumstances in the Real Estate Register, as well as the provision of information, references and certificates issued by the register. The amendments entered into force on 15 January 2026.
The stated purpose of the amendments is to address property fraud in real estate transactions, strengthen the protection of property rights and reduce interference in citizens’ private lives. The changes primarily concern access to information and documentation held in the register.
Until mid-January 2026, any person could obtain information regarding entries, notes and deletions related to real estate, certificates confirming the existence or absence of entries, and uncertified copies of registered acts. Under the amended rules, this open access has been significantly restricted. Uncertified copies and extracts from registered deeds, notes and deletions may now be issued only to interested private parties such as the parties to the registered act and their successors or authorised representatives, to legal, enforcement and judicial authorities including notaries, lawyers, private enforcement agents and courts, and to other persons who can demonstrate a legal interest. In cases where a legal interest is claimed, the registration judge assesses each request individually and the applicant must provide supporting documentation. The updated rules also provide examples of what may constitute a legal interest, such as individuals negotiating the acquisition of property or providing intermediary real estate services.
In parallel, the Registry Agency has introduced specialised automated services for individuals and entities holding rights over real estate. These services allow users to receive information regarding inquiries made through their personal account in the Property Register and details of issued copies and extracts from deeds, notes and deletions recorded in the registration books. Access to these services is subject to fees determined by the Tariff for State Fees collected by the Registry Agency.
From a practical perspective, the amended framework means that individuals and legal entities can generally obtain only references concerning the status of titles and encumbrances and certificates confirming the existence or absence of registrations. Such references confirm that a deed exists and provide identification details, such as volume number, act number and year, but they do not provide access to the full content of the document. This reflects the structure of the Bulgarian registration system, which focuses on the registration of deeds rather than maintaining comprehensive property-based files. In practice, a dedicated property file may not exist, and the content of a deed is often of greater importance than its registration details. An additional concern that predates the amendments is that references are not formally verified by Registry Agency staff, meaning there is no guarantee that the information contained in a reference fully corresponds to the registered deed, which may result in errors or omissions.
Similar issues arise in relation to certificates of encumbrances, which are widely used in real estate transactions. To obtain such a certificate, applicants must submit supporting documents, including a title deed. However, individuals who are neither the owner nor a lawyer may be unable to obtain a copy of the title deed, creating a practical barrier despite the formal availability of the certificate.
The introduction of automated monitoring services has also prompted concerns among creditors. When assessing a debtor’s financial position, creditors commonly review real estate ownership and recent property transactions. Automated alerts may allow debtors to become aware that a creditor or their legal representative is conducting checks, potentially giving them time to dispose of assets before protective measures can be implemented.
Source: CMS
