Shipping a Car to Bulgaria from the UK: Routes, Costs and Registration

Most vehicles heading to Bulgaria travel by covered car transporter overland through France, Germany, Austria, and Serbia or Romania, taking roughly 5–8 days door to door. This suits owners relocating with a single vehicle. For multiple vehicles or dealers moving stock, RoRo shipping via Southampton to a Mediterranean or Black Sea port followed by a shorter road leg can be more cost-effective at volume.

Since Brexit, a UK-registered vehicle entering Bulgaria (an EU member state) requires a full customs export declaration from the UK side and an EU import declaration on arrival, even though Bulgaria itself has no special restrictions on UK imports beyond standard EU rules. This is a change from pre-2021 rules when intra-EU vehicle movement required no customs paperwork at all.

Bulgaria applies the EU's standard 10% import duty on cars from outside the EU/UK, plus 20% Bulgarian VAT on the duty-inclusive value, unless you qualify for transfer-of-residence relief as someone relocating permanently with proof of at least six months' prior ownership and use of the vehicle in the UK.

On arrival, vehicles must pass a technical inspection at a Bulgarian KAT (Traffic Police) approved centre, checking emissions, safety equipment, and VIN verification, before local registration and number plates are issued. A Bulgarian certificate of conformity (COC) may be required if the vehicle's original EU type-approval documentation isn't already recognised.

Budget £900–£1,400 for enclosed overland transport from the UK to Sofia or Plovdiv, or £700–£1,100 for RoRo plus onward road transport if shipping via a Mediterranean port. Add £150–£300 for UK export declaration handling and £100–£200 for Bulgarian KAT inspection and registration, plus duty and VAT if transfer-of-residence relief doesn't apply.