Technical inspection and Green Card requirements for Ukrainians in Bulgaria

If you are planning a long-term stay in Bulgaria and have a car with Ukrainian license plates, you should familiarize yourself with the local rules and requirements for a technical inspection in advance. This will help avoid unpleasant situations and ensure safety on the country’s roads. Since Bulgaria has its own peculiarities in this area, knowing the nuances of the law is extremely important for those who temporarily reside or frequently use a vehicle in this country.
Technical inspection in Bulgaria: general requirements
Technical inspection of the vehicle (MOT) is mandatory for all vehicles participating in road traffic on the territory of Bulgaria. This applies not only to vehicles registered in Bulgaria, but also to those that have foreign license plates and are temporarily in the country, including cars with Ukrainian license plates. The main purpose of the technical inspection is to check the technical condition of the car and ensure safety on the roads.
For Ukrainians who find themselves in Bulgaria due to the war or for other reasons, compliance with local MOT regulations is an important aspect for the legal use of a vehicle. This allows you to avoid fines and other problems associated with the lack of a valid technical inspection.
Is a technical inspection required for cars with Ukrainian license plates?
According to Bulgarian law, vehicles with foreign registration must have a valid MOT carried out in the country where the vehicle is registered. Thus, cars with Ukrainian license plates must have a technical inspection carried out in Ukraine. However, in practice this often creates problems, as not all Ukrainian drivers can return to Ukraine to undergo this procedure.
Problems with inspection in Bulgaria
Bulgarian inspection stations mostly do not service cars with foreign license plates. According to current legislation, they can only carry out inspections for vehicles registered in Bulgaria. This leads to the fact that there is no possibility for Ukrainian cars to pass a technical inspection on the territory of Bulgaria. Drivers who are unable to return to Ukraine for a technical inspection face the problem of continuing to use their vehicles in Bulgaria.
Requirements for different types of cars
Depending on the type of car, the requirements for technical inspection may differ slightly. For example, vehicles of category N1 (for transporting goods weighing up to 3.5 tons) and M1 (for transporting passengers with up to eight seats, excluding the driver) are subject to different technical requirements. For vehicles registered in Bulgaria, MOT is mandatory in the third and fifth years after initial registration, and thereafter it must be carried out annually, according to Article 147 of the Bulgarian Road Traffic Law.
Lack of inspection and possible consequences
If the car does not have a valid technical inspection, it can lead to legal consequences. According to Article 179 of the Bulgarian Road Traffic Law, driving a vehicle without a valid MOT is considered a violation and is punishable by a fine of 50 to 500 BGN. In case of detection of serious technical malfunctions of the vehicle, the police can temporarily withdraw the technical passport of the vehicle until all problems are eliminated and the vehicle is re-inspected.
How can the problem be solved?
For Ukrainians planning a long-term stay in Bulgaria, one of the possible options for solving the problem is to register a car with a Bulgarian legal entity. This allows you to pass a technical inspection on the territory of the country, as the vehicle will be officially considered registered in Bulgaria. However, this process requires legal registration and has its own characteristics — the car formally becomes the property of the company.
Current situation and possible solutions
Currently, the Bulgarian authorities do not comment on the situation with the impossibility of passing technical inspection for cars with Ukrainian license plates. Although there are reports of successful inspection passes at some stations, such cases may be unofficial and not recognized in the event of inspection or insurance claims.
Ukrainians who are in Bulgaria are advised to follow the development of events and wait for the official decisions of the authorities, which could allow vehicles with foreign registration to be inspected. One of the possible options is to find alternative ways to solve the problem, such as carrying out technical inspection in neighboring countries, for example, in Romania, where technical inspection for Ukrainian cars, although rare, is still possible.
“Green card” for traveling abroad
For those who plan to travel outside of Ukraine and use a car in Europe, it is important to take out a Green Card insurance policy. This policy is valid in the territory of the member countries of the “Green Card” system, namely, in the countries of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East: Austria, Albania, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Great Britain, Greece, Denmark, Estonia , Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Morocco, Moldova, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tunisia, Turkey, Hungary, France, Finland , Croatia, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Switzerland and Sweden.
Therefore, compliance with local legislation and the preparation of necessary documents, such as the “Green Card”, are important aspects to ensure a safe and legal stay in Bulgaria with a car with Ukrainian plates.