Bulgaria free zones in 2023

Bulgaria has several special economic zones, each of which offer the benefit of multiple investment incentives. The Bulgarian authorities distinguish two types of special economic zones: i) free economic zones and ii) industrial zones.

The Bulgarian free economic zones

1. The Bulgarian free economic zones (FEZ) are sizeable industrialized estates with high-quality infrastructure to support commercial and logistics facilities to foreign investors. FEZs are an ideal location for manufacturing and trading companies exporting their products to the EU, thanks to i) their convenient location close to transport hubs ii) low cost warehousing space and iii) competitive investment incentives compared to neighboring EU countries;
2. The Bulgarian authorities currently utilize 6 free economic zones: i) Rousse FEZ which is the largest and most developed; ii) Vidin FEZ; iii) Plovdiv FEZ; iv) Bourgas FEZ; v) Svilengrad FEZ and vi) Dragoman FEZ;
3. These free zones offers advantages including i) no import/export customs duties; ii) no VAT on exports produced within the zones; iii) and simplified customs procedures. The Rousse FEZ additionally offers i) cheaper land leases; ii) 24-hour live security surveillance and iii) staff project subsidies;
4. In order to conduct operations in a Free Trade Zone, a company must obtain approval from the Free Zone Authority. Healy Consultants will be happy to assist our Clients interested in operating in an FEZ to i) evaluate the eligibility of their project ii) draft a detailed business plan fulfilling registration requirements and iii) register their company directly with the relevant government entity.

The Bulgarian industrial zones

1. The Bulgarian government currently operates 5 industrial zones to promote manufacturing, including: i) Maritsa Industrial and Commercial Zone, ii) Rakovski Industrial Zone; iii) Kuklen Industrial and Commercial Zone; iv) Parvomai Industrial Zone and v) Letnitsa Industrial Park;
2. These industrial zones provide the advantages to business including i) 100% corporate tax exemption; ii) rapid business setup implementation terms; iii) reduced land leases in co-operation with a bank; iv) excellent logistics and infrastructure support and v) cheap railway services;
3. Foreign investors wishing to conduct business within one of the industrial zones must obtain approval from the Bulgarian Trade Register. Healy Consultants will be happy to assist our Clients to i) evaluate the eligibility of their project ii) draft a detailed business plan fulfilling registration requirements and iii) submit an application to the respective Government Authority.

Table of comparison between Bulgarian free zones