Bulgaria has one of the most liberal foreign investment laws in the region in respect of real estate and foreign investors. According to the Bulgarian Constitution and current legislation, foreign individuals and companies can invest in real estate in Bulgaria either personally or through a local legal entity. Generally speaking, foreigners as individuals can acquire only buildings but not land. Only Bulgarian citizens and legal bodies such as companies (including those with a foreign owner) can own Bulgarian land.
Therefore, the most popular ways for non-residents to become property owners are:
- As far as houses, villas, flats and limited ownership rights (the right of use, the right to build a house, etc.) are concerned; you can directly purchase them as an individual.
- With reference to Bulgarian land, the procedure is that you set up a company that will be the owner of the property. You own and control the company completely. Setting up a company in Bulgaria is very easy and relatively cheap. All you need is a good solicitor or barrister at law. We can recommend some excellent lawyers in Bulgaria at very reasonable rates.

Of course, there are other ways to do it, such as:

• Establishing a joint venture with existing local companies;
  
• Setting up a new venture;
  
• Acquiring a company through privatisation;
  
• Making a portfolio investment;
  

PURCHASE PROCEDURE
The process of purchasing a property (with and without land) In Bulgaria by foreign clients

• Find a property and determine whether it is being sold with or without land. If it is being sold with land you need to form a company as the land owner (much the same as a "Limited" company in the UK and Ireland)
  
• Negotiate and agree the final price with the current owners.
  After the verbal agreement, draw up the initial contract and get the property removed from the market. (Similar to "Sold subject to contract" in the UK and Ireland)
  
• Do the standard checks on: (Use a lawyer)
  - Title documents
  - Licenses and permissions
  - Debts on title
  - Terms of contract
  
• Sign the Title Deed (Contract to Purchase) in front of a Bulgarian Notary Public and the Final Legal Contract
  
• You are now owner of a Bulgarian property!We can advise and assist you in all stages of your transaction. We can arrange for you to give a power of attorney to your lawyer in Bulgaria so that you do not need to attend more than once. (In many cases it can all be done by post with no need to attend at all.) Our aim is to make the process as straightforward as possible for you