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A road crossing high open pasture in the Balkan mountains of Bulgaria, with layered blue ridges receding to the horizon.

Bulgaria

Drives on the right · BGN · Emergency 112
LAST VERIFIED 2026-09-13

Driving in Bulgaria

Bulgaria pairs one of the highest motorway limits in Europe with one of its broader vignette requirements, which is a combination worth understanding before you arrive. The motorway limit is 140 km/h. The vignette, though, is not just a motorway product: the e-vinetka covers motorways and most national roads, so leaving the motorway for a main road does not take you outside the charge. It is digital and plate-linked, sold in weekend, weekly, monthly and annual bands, and bought online or at petrol stations and border crossings. There is nothing to display, so nothing reminds you. Headlights are required day and night, year-round. Winter tyres — or all-season tyres with adequate tread, or chains carried — are effectively required in winter conditions on many roads, and enforcement on signed mountain routes is active rather than nominal. The alcohol limit is 0.5‰ and zero for novice drivers. Sofia restricts traffic locally during high-pollution episodes but there is no standing low-emission zone network. The currency is the lev.

Speed limits

Urban
50 km/h
Rural / outside built-up areas
90 km/h
Motorway
140 km/h

Alcohol limits

General limit
0.5‰
Novice drivers
0.0‰

Mandatory equipment

  • •Warning triangle
  • •Hi-vis vest
  • •First aid kit
  • •Fire extinguisher

Winter tires & snow chains

Winter tires (or all-season tires with adequate tread, or chains carried) are effectively required in winter conditions on many roads — enforcement is active, especially on signed mountain routes.

Tolls

System
Vignette

A digital, plate-linked e-vignette ("e-vinetka") is required for motorways and most national roads, purchased online or at petrol stations/border crossings, valid for a set period (weekend/week/month/year).

Full vignette & tolls guide →

More things to know before you drive

Seatbelts
Mandatory front and rear for all occupants.
Mobile phone use
Hands-free only; holding a phone while driving is prohibited.
Child seats
Children under 150 cm must use an approved child restraint suited to their size.
Headlights
Dipped headlights are required at all times, day and night, year-round.
Low-emission & restricted zones
No nationwide low-emission zone network; Sofia has limited local traffic restrictions during high-pollution episodes.
Right of way & roundabouts
Priority to the right at unmarked intersections; roundabouts give way to traffic already circulating.
Parking
Paid parking zones ("Синя зона") are common in cities via meter, SMS, or app.
Speed cameras
Fixed and mobile cameras are widely used, including average-speed sections on some motorways.

Good to know

Currency is the lev (BGN), not the euro. Novice drivers have a zero alcohol limit.