Guide · Bulgaria

Driving a UK-registered car in Bulgaria: how long you can keep UK plates, what registering it costs, and what to do instead

Bulgarians returning from Britain and British residents on the coast both ask the same question: can I keep the car on UK plates, and what does registering it cost? This guide answers both and sets out the alternative.

Last reviewed September 2026

How long can I keep it on UK plates?

Non-residents may drive a foreign-registered car while its home registration, roadworthiness test and insurance remain valid. A Bulgarian resident is expected to register the car in Bulgaria, and the UK registration cannot be kept going from abroad: the V5C needs a UK address, and the MOT and UK insurance lapse once you have left.

Can a right-hand-drive car be registered?

Right-hand-drive cars can be registered in Bulgaria. The ГТП inspection will require headlamps set for driving on the right and adequate mirrors, and Bulgarian buyers pay noticeably less for right-hand drive.

What registering it involves

Customs clearance as a non-EU import (through a customs agent), paying duty and VAT.
Eco fee and technical inspection (ГТП).
Registration with the traffic police (KAT): Bulgarian plates and registration document.
Compulsory Гражданска отговорност insurance.

What it costs

Customs duty: 10% of the customs value unless UK origin is documented under the EU–UK agreement.
VAT: 20% on the value plus duty.
Eco fee, inspection, translations, plates and registration fees.

Moving home? Transfer-of-residence relief

If you lived in the UK for at least 12 months and owned and used the car for 6 months or more, you can usually bring it in free of customs duty and VAT as personal property on transfer of residence. Proof of your UK residence is needed, registration and inspection still cost money, and the car cannot be sold for 12 months.

The alternative: sell it back to the UK

Selling back to the UK trade avoids all of it. We buy UK-registered cars in Bulgaria as they stand, collect free from any address, handle the export paperwork, and pay in pounds sterling on the day — into your UK bank account if you still have one.

Get a free valuation for your car in Bulgaria

Free collection anywhere in Bulgaria, all export paperwork handled, paid in pounds sterling (£) on the day.

Value my UK car

Common questions

The car has been standing on UK plates for years. Can you still buy it?

Yes. Expired MOT, SORN or an old V5C address are all fine; we collect by transporter and sort the DVLA notification.

Do you collect from the Black Sea coast?

Yes — Varna, Burgas and the resorts are on our route as well as Sofia and Plovdiv.

Will I get more than from a local dealer?

Usually. Local buyers price a right-hand-drive car for the Bulgarian market; we price it for the UK market, where it is a normal car.

Rules, rates and thresholds change. This guide is a general summary as of September 2026, not legal or tax advice — check the current position with the registration authority or a customs agent before relying on it.

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