Importing a car from the USA: what you need to know in Bulgaria

Customs duty, VAT, approval by the Road Transport Administration Executive Agency (IAAA) and registration with the traffic police (KAT). And why a car's history can get lost on the way across the Atlantic.

Anna

Vehicle history research

A car from a US auction often looks like a bargain. But the auction price is only the start. Before Bulgarian plates come transport, duty, VAT, approval and registration. And sometimes a history nobody told you about.

This guide shows what an import really costs in 2026, the steps in order, and what to check before you bid.

What did it go through in the US?

Once a car is registered here, its US past is easy to hide. The VIN still shows it: auction photos, damage records and title brands.

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Duty, VAT and fees

Everything starts from the customs value: the price plus transport and insurance to the EU border. The standard duty on passenger cars is 10%. VAT of 20% is added on the customs value plus the duty. Bulgaria joined the euro area on 1 January 2026, so fees are now in euros.

New since 1 July 2026: Regulation (EU) 2026/1455 cuts the duty on goods of US origin to 0%, for now until the end of 2029. Passenger cars are included. What counts, though, is where the car was built, not where you bought it. A Japanese, Korean, Mexican or German car from a US auction pays 10%. A "Made in USA" sticker or a line on the invoice is not enough proof. For a used auction car the origin is hard to prove, so plan with 10%.

There is no excise on ordinary passenger cars, and no registration tax. Before first registration you pay a product fee based on age: 290 leva (about 148 euros) for a car aged 5 to 10 years. According to the practice of the National Revenue Agency (NAP), the acquisition tax is not due at the first registration of an imported car.

The annual tax is set by the municipality based on kilowatts, age and emissions category. In Sofia, a car with no documented category pays about 3.5 times more than a Euro 6 car.

Cost example: a 2018 saloon

You buy a 2018 saloon with a two litre petrol engine for USD 12,000 and pay USD 1,800 for transport to Varna or Burgas:

Customs converts the amounts at the official exchange rate. Not included: auction fees, transport inside the USA, the customs agent, the technical service (about 250 to 500 euros at market prices), conversion work, translations, the fee at KAT and insurance. The annual tax is calculated for 110 kW.

Port and customs

Bulgaria's sea ports are Varna and Burgas. American cars arrive in containers there, but also via Constanta, Piraeus or Bremerhaven and Rotterdam, and then travel on by truck. The declaration is usually filed by a customs representative. For registration you need a customs document showing the import is cleared.

You can also clear the car in another EU country, for example in Germany with 19% VAT. For a used car you then owe no VAT in Bulgaria, but the individual approval at the IAAA is still required.

Individual approval at the IAAA

Cars registered outside the EU must meet the technical requirements in force on the date of their first registration. The procedure has two stages. First a designated technical service inspects and tests the car and enters the results in the IAAA system. Agency staff check them within 10 days, after which the service issues an identification report.

Then you file an application to the executive director of the IAAA with the report, a copy of the US registration document showing the first registration date, a declaration and the paid fee of 51.13 euros. Every document that is not in Bulgarian needs a legalised translation. You can also apply online with a qualified electronic signature. The certificate is issued within 10 days.

Salvage, rebuilt, flood: cars after a crash

Many cheap American cars carry a salvage, rebuilt or flood brand: an insurer has already declared them a total loss, or they were flooded. Unlike in Romania, we found no Bulgarian rule that bans registering a car declared a total loss abroad. The real filter is the technical one. The IAAA must refuse a car that poses a serious road safety risk.

But the technical inspection looks at the car's state on the day, not at the quality of the repair. With flooded cars, electronics problems often appear months later. After registration in Bulgaria, the American past does not show in the papers.

The Bulgarian registration certificate will not tell you that a car was a total loss in the USA.

That is why step 2 matters: check the US history before the auction, not after it.

Our guide to checking the history of an imported car shows what else can get lost when a car crosses a border.

Step by step: from the listing to your driveway

This is how an import works in practice. The timings are typical, not official deadlines. Allow roughly six to ten weeks for the whole journey.

1. Set a budget and choose the car

   before buying

   Add transport, duty, VAT, the technical service, translations and the product fee to the auction price. If the power is 250 kW or more, watch the final text of the 2027 excise.

2. Check the VIN

   before you bid

   Get the VIN and check the US history before you bid:

   • salvage, rebuilt, flood or junk brands,
   • auction photos and damage,
   • mileage readings over the years,
   • country of manufacture. A VIN starting with 1, 4 or 5 usually means a car built in the USA.

3. Ask a technical service

   before you bid

   Ask a designated technical service whether it will approve the model, what conversion work is needed and how much it will cost. That way you will not buy a car you cannot register.

4. Bid and buy

   auction day

   Set your maximum bid including all fees. Only pay if you receive the original ownership document (Certificate of Title), and keep the invoice and proof of payment.

5. Transport and shipping

   2 to 6 weeks

   A forwarder collects the car, takes it to the US port and files the export. Choose the port: Varna, Burgas or a port in Western Europe with a truck on to Bulgaria.

6. Customs clearance

   after arrival

   The customs representative files the declaration and you pay duty and VAT. You receive a document confirming the import is cleared. For 0%, prepare proof of US manufacture and of direct shipping.

7. Conversion work

   usually a few days to 2 weeks

   These are usually needed:

   • headlamps with a European beam pattern,
   • rear fog lamp,
   • speedometer in km/h,
   • often amber rear indicators as well.

8. Technical service and report

   depends on the service

   The technical service inspects and tests the car and enters the data in the IAAA system. After the agency's check, within 10 days you receive an identification report.

9. Legalised translations

   a few days

   Prepare a legalised translation of all documents that are not in Bulgarian, including the American ownership document.

10. IAAA certificate

    up to 10 days

    File the application with the report, the copy of the American document, the declaration and the paid fee of 51.13 euros, in person or online with an electronic signature.

11. Product fee, insurance and KAT

    1 visit

    Pay the product fee to PUDOOS (the environmental protection fund) and take out compulsory third party liability insurance. At KAT present:

    • the car for identification and technical inspection,
    • the IAAA certificate,
    • the ownership documents and the American document,
    • the customs document and the documents for the product fee.

    The fee for a passenger car is about 40.90 euros.

12. Fit the plates and drive home

    done

    With the plates and the registration certificate, you can drive. Keep all the US paperwork: if you sell the car later, a documented history is an argument for honest buyers.

Not sure yet? See what a full report looks like first

Good to know

• Excise from 2027: under the draft of 23 October 2026, cars of 250 kW and up will pay a fixed excise of 500, 1,500, 3,000 or 6,000 euros. Electric cars are excluded. The draft is not final yet.
• Discount on the annual tax: if you pay by 30 April, you get a 5% discount. Electric cars pay no annual tax.
• Relocation: if you move your permanent address to Bulgaria from a non-EU country, your personal car can be imported duty free.
• Buying in the EU instead? A car bought inside the EU pays no customs duty and no import VAT at the border. National taxes and registration costs still apply. Our guide to importing a damaged car to Bulgaria explains that route.