Paid parking is available in many cities in Bulgaria, including tourist destinations such as Sofia, Burgas and Varna. Each community (the government of each city) sets its own rules that you need to know about in order not to receive a fine. We tell you how to find and pay for a parking space for a car in Bulgaria and what punishment awaits violators.
Paid parking zones
Paid parking in Bulgaria is marked with blue or green markings. There will definitely be a sign hanging nearby with information about the rules and cost of parking in each specific zone.
Blue zone – usually located in the city center. With the exception of Sofia, parking fees apply only on weekdays.
The green zone is a more vague concept. For example, in Burgas it is valid from 11:00 to 20:00 during the tourist season, and in Sofia – from 8:30 to 19:30 on weekdays.
Parking rules in Bulgarian cities are set by local authorities, so prices and conditions may vary.
Current data on parking zones is published on the official websites of major cities:
How to pay for parking in the city
Owners of Bulgarian phone numbers can pay via SMS. The message indicates only the car number. One SMS is an hour of paid parking. If you need more, you can send several messages in a row. Many cities have mobile applications, but the point of their work ultimately comes down to sending SMS.
Important: Do not exceed the maximum parking time indicated on the information plate.
If there is no Bulgarian phone, you can use other options. The simplest one is to pay through parking meters with coins or a card. The device issues a receipt that must be placed under glass.
Another way is to purchase a parking ticket from an employee at the parking lot or at a retail outlet. The validity period of the document is indicated on the front side. The driver needs to note the time from which the parking clock starts counting and place the ticket under the glass.
Long-term parking passes (vignettes) are available for residents of surrounding houses and employees of enterprises. To obtain a document, you need to contact the transport authority of your local community.
Electric cars can be parked for free in any paid zones, but only after obtaining the appropriate document.
Fines for illegal parking in Bulgaria
The mildest punishment is a fine of 20 BGN. The receipt is placed under the wiper, and a copy remains with the control service employee. Penalties for certain types of violations are listed in the table.
Type of illegal parking |
Fine, BGN |
Checkpoints (for residents of Bulgaria) |
At the bus stop transport |
20 – 150 |
3 points |
Second row |
50 |
4 points |
At a pedestrian crossing |
50 |
3 points |
In parks, pedestrian areas, sidewalks and playgrounds |
50 – 200 |
|
In a place for disabled people (if there is no such right) |
200 |
Other punishments
Communities impose more severe penalties for violations in toll zones. The most common is to lock the wheel using a bracket. Under the glass there will be a receipt with a phone number that you need to call to release the car. The fine in this case depends on the city and reaches 30 BGN. An additional fee is also charged for each hour of downtime and additionally for the arrival of employees.
The most difficult case is evacuation to an impound lot. If your car has been taken away, call the phone number listed on the sign next to the parking lot. You can ask for help from taxi drivers who know Bulgarian and will give you a ride to the right place. As in the case of the bracket, you will be charged for towing and idle car.
The violator will be made nervous not only by the size of the punishment, but also by the payment process. The driver will have to contact the local police department or arrange a bank transfer. Without knowledge of the language, this can be a difficult task, so it is better not to break the rules.