How to exchange your driving licence for a Bulgarian one?

However, when travelling to another EU country an old-format licence may be invalid, so for that purpose it is better to obtain a new driving licence in Bulgaria.

In addition, it will not be possible to replace a lost foreign licence or an expired one in Bulgaria. Therefore, those who live in Bulgaria permanently are well advised to exchange the driving licence obtained in their home country for a Bulgarian one.

This is not difficult to do, and no exam is required. You need to attend КАТ, taking with you, in addition to your passport and residence permit card:

• A medical certificate (from a general practitioner; there is no need to see every specialist);
• A translated and legalised secondary school certificate or a diploma of specialised secondary education. University diplomas are not accepted in most regions of Bulgaria (for example, in Sofia, Burgas and some other cities), where a document confirming secondary education is specifically required;
• A valid driving licence;
• 3 copies of the driving licence.

Preparing the school certificate takes the most time. The point is that it must not merely be translated into Bulgarian and legalised – the document has to be recognised by РИО (the Regional Inspectorate of Education). РИО offices exist in every regional city. The certificate recognition procedure takes one month.

After legalisation, the documents are submitted to КАТ. No photograph is required; all data is taken from the МВР database. After that you need to pay the fee and wait a month. Once this period has elapsed, a new licence is issued in place of the old one.

Documents may be submitted by another person under a power of attorney (“пълномощно”), but the document can only be collected in person at the КАТ office.

The Russian or Ukrainian licence is withdrawn in the process. КАТ sends it back to the driver’s home country. Thus, it is not possible to hold Russian (Ukrainian) and Bulgarian licences at the same time. Those who want to hold both a Bulgarian and a “home” licence simply obtain a new driving licence in Bulgaria by taking a driving school course and passing the exam.

Important! To exchange a licence and to study at a driving school you must reside legally in Bulgaria with a long-term residence permit, EU long-term resident status or a permanent residence permit.

DRIVING SCHOOLS IN BURGAS

To obtain a driving licence in Bulgaria, a foreign national must have completed secondary education (the school certificate or university diploma must be translated and legalised – how the certificate is legalised is described above) and hold legal status in Bulgaria. Before obtaining the licence you must complete the training and pass the exam. You must also complete a course with the Bulgarian Red Cross (БЧК) – the training lasts one day. A medical examination is, of course, also required.

There are quite a few driving schools in Burgas, but the classes are held in Bulgarian, which makes the learning process and, especially, passing the theory exam somewhat harder. If you wish, you can look for a Russian-speaking instructor or theory teacher. Most driving schools are willing to accommodate foreigners and find a teacher with whom communication will not be difficult.

Training for a category B driving licence lasts at least three months. Driving schools accept persons aged at least 17 years and 9 months who hold a certified and legalised education diploma and have permanent status in Bulgaria. This option is not available to tourists.

The largest driving schools in Burgas:

• The “Елит Ауто” driving school is located at ж.к. Славейков, 121, Б. Tel. 0887708844. The school employs experienced teachers, and payment by instalments is possible.
• The “Русев и синове” driving school. Address: ж.к. Лазур, ул. Батак, 43, tel. 0887787292. The driving school offers to arrange training at times convenient for clients.
• The “Каталина” driving school. Address: ж.к. Меден Рудник, block 35, ent. 8. Tel. 0887822206. The driving school has a modern vehicle fleet and offers a flexible lesson schedule.
• The “Тони 71” driving school. Telephone 0895128532. This driving school offers additional training hours at no extra cost to students.
• Шофьорски курсове “Авто БИС”. This driving school is located at ул. Демокрация, 73. Telephone 0888458963. The teachers work with students until the required result is achieved.

The cost of training is roughly the same at all driving schools and starts from 600 leva.

Even if you manage to find a Russian-speaking instructor, the exams will have to be taken in Bulgarian or English. Those who find this too difficult can travel to their home country, obtain a licence there and then exchange it for a Bulgarian one. More experienced drivers who obtained their driving licence long before moving to Bulgaria can also exchange their licence.

Information about the exam passed is transmitted to КАТ automatically. After completing the driving school and successfully passing the tests, you need to attend КАТ with the following documents:

• A medical certificate.
• A copy of the translated, legalised school certificate or document of specialised secondary education; in some cases a university diploma will also do.
• Personal card.
• International passport.
• The certificate issued by the Red Cross (a certified copy, issued together with the original).

The КАТ staff print out an application, which you need to check and sign. After paying the fee (25 leva, payable on the spot), you are given a slip with which you can collect your licence in a month.

Fines in Bulgaria. Notes for drivers!

Residence in Bulgaria (long-term residence permit)

Buying a car in Bulgaria