Can I pay a large sum in cash?
No — above BGN 10,000 the payment must go through a bank. Under the Act Limiting Cash Payments, payments on Bulgarian territory must be made only by transfer or deposit into a payment account where they are equal to or exceed BGN 10,000 — about €5,113 at the fixed rate. The rule also applies to payments in foreign currency where the equivalent reaches the threshold; the equivalent is set at the central bank rate on the day of payment. The key trap: the threshold also catches a series of payments under one and the same contract whose total reaches BGN 10,000 — so splitting the sum into instalments does not get round the law. The penalty is a percentage of the payment itself, not a fixed fine.
📋 The rules
- Threshold: BGN 10,000 (≈€5,113) and above — by account only
- It applies to foreign currency too, at the central bank rate
- It catches a series of payments under one contract
- Splitting the sum into instalments does not avoid it
- The penalty is a percentage of the payment, not a fixed fine
🔓 Exceptions
- The Act sets out express exceptions — withdrawing and depositing your own funds, for one
- Payment of wages follows its own regime
- The threshold applies to payments made on Bulgarian territory
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The sanction hurts because it is proportionate. For a legal entity the penalty is 50% of the total payment made, and on a repeat offence 100% — meaning you lose the whole sum a second time. For an individual the fine is 25% of the payment, and 50% on a repeat. Liability falls on both the payer and the recipient — so a seller who accepted BGN 15,000 in cash is an offender too. In a property or car sale this is the commonest pitfall: the sum passes through a notary, and the payment record is the evidence you will later need.
📎 Official sources
- Ministry of Finance · Act Limiting Cash Payments →
- lex.bg · Act Limiting Cash Payments →
- National Revenue Agency →
❓ Frequently asked
What is the cash payment threshold?
Ten thousand leva — about €5,113 at the fixed rate. Payments at or above that value must be made by transfer or deposit into a payment account.
Can I split the sum into instalments?
No. The threshold also applies to a series of payments under one and the same contract whose total reaches BGN 10,000. Splitting into instalments does not avoid the law.
What is the penalty?
For a legal entity, 50% of the payment, and 100% on a repeat offence. For an individual, 25%, rising to 50% on a repeat.
Who is liable — the payer or the recipient?
Both. A seller who accepts a sum above the threshold in cash is an offender alongside the buyer. That is why property and car sales are settled by bank transfer.
What if I pay in foreign currency?
The rule still applies where the equivalent reaches the threshold. The equivalent is set at the Bulgarian National Bank rate on the day of payment.
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