International convention and customs procedures of Bulgaria

International Conventions

Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Party to the Kyoto Protocol
Party to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Party to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
Party to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
Party to the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls For Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies
Party to the International Coffee Agreement

International Economic Cooperation

Bulgaria is member of : the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, etc.

For further information, please consult the website of the Ministry of Economy of Bulgaria.

Non Tariff Barriers

Bulgaria's trade policy is the same as those of other members of the European Union. Non-tariff barriers include agricultural and manufacturing subsidies, import restrictions for some goods and services, market access restrictions in some service sectors, non-transparent and restrictive regulations and standards, and inconsistent customs administration across EU members.
For further information, consult the Country Commercial guide "Doing Business in Bulgaria" by Buyusa.

Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports

20% for non-European countries.

Customs Classification: Bulgaria joined the EU on January 1, 2007 and became part of the EU customs union. Bulgaria applies the Harmonised Customs system on the basis of the TARIC classification.
Import Procedures: Importation processes require:
- A customs declaration document
- A post-clearance examination of relevant documents or data
- Submission of an invoice or Pro-Forma invoice, a certificate of origin or a certificate of the movement of the goods in order to take advantage of preferential customs treatment, transport documents, an insurance policy, a specification, an Economic Operators Registration and Identification number (EORI) and a packing list
- A veterinary or physio-sanitary certificate for goods of animal or plant origin
- Other documents or laboratory analyses
- An EC Safety & Security regulation and the Advance Cargo Declaration are mandatory for all goods leaving, arriving or moving through the EC

A Bulgarian decree is required for the non-automatic licenses of nuclear materials, explosives, arms, dual-use commodities, plant protection products, and pharmaceuticals for human medicine. Bulgarian Customs exercises control over the export, import, re-export and transit of arms and dual-use goods and technologies. Bulgarian regulations follow the EU list of dual-use goods.

For more information, please visit the website of Bulgarian Customs.
Importing Samples: Samples are subject to the same procedures. The customs officials are authorized to seize a sample of merchandise in order to analyze it.