A relative has passed away in Bulgaria. There is an apartment, perhaps a bank account, perhaps company shares. And you are abroad – wondering how to prove your status as an heir without endlessly navigating between institutions and countries.
That is exactly what the European Certificate of Succession exists for. But without the right documents, the certificate cannot be issued – and this is precisely where most applications fail from the very beginning.
The European Certificate of Succession (ECS) was introduced by EU Regulation No. 650/2012 on succession matters and applies to all inheritance cases opened from 17 August 2015 onwards. It is not a mandatory document. But it is the most practical tool an heir can have when dealing with a cross-border inheritance.
Why? Because it is recognised directly in all EU member states – without any separate recognition procedure. Once issued, you can use it to register the inheritance of an apartment in the Bulgarian Property Register (Imoten Registar), access a bank account, or prove your heir status to any authority in the country where you live.
If the deceased had their last habitual residence in Bulgaria, the competent court in Bulgaria is the District Court (Rayonen Sad) at the last place of residence of the deceased. The application goes there. Not to the country where you live.
This is the question we are asked most often. And the answer is: it depends on the specific case. But there is a core set of documents without which an application simply cannot be processed.
The death certificate is the starting point. Without it, the inheritance case does not exist for any authority. Death certificates issued in Bulgaria are submitted in original. Foreign certificates must be translated and legalised.
The certificate of heirs (удостоверение за наследници) confirms who is considered a legal heir under Bulgarian law. This document is issued in Bulgaria by the municipal administration at the last address of the deceased. For heirs living abroad, this is often an unfamiliar step – and yet it is one of the first.
The will, if one exists. If it was drawn up abroad, it must be translated and properly legalised or apostilled. If it was drawn up in Bulgaria, it should be located through the competent notary or the Notary Register.
Evidence of the estate assets. Concretely: for real property – an extract from the Bulgarian Property Register; for bank balances – a certificate or account document from the Bulgarian bank; for company shares – an extract from the Commercial Register (Targovski Registar).
Details of all heirs – full names, dates of birth, addresses. It sounds straightforward. It is not. If even one heir is missing or incorrectly stated, the entire application stalls.
Translated and legalised foreign documents, insofar as they relate to facts from abroad. For documents issued in countries that are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention – which covers most of Europe, the Americas, and many other jurisdictions – an apostille is sufficient, without going through the more complex consular legalisation procedure. Bulgaria is a contracting state, which simplifies the process for documents from most European and many other countries.
Proof of the deceased’s habitual residence in Bulgaria. This is the basis for Bulgarian court jurisdiction. Address registration documents, insurance documents, pension records – anything that establishes that the deceased actually lived in Bulgaria last.
Proof of payment of the state court fee. Without it, the application will not be accepted. The exact amount varies – we calculate it for each specific case.
The ECS procedure is not a form you fill in and send off. The court reviews the substance. An incomplete or incorrect application is not automatically corrected – it is rejected. The process then starts from scratch, and for certain documents – such as the certificate of heirs, which has a limited validity period – a new request must be made.
We have assisted clients who initially tried to file the application themselves, without legal representation, and came to us after two rejections. The time lost was considerable. A thorough preparation from the outset would have been the faster and more economical path.
Our law firm in Burgas takes on the entire procedure: from assessing which documents are required in your specific case, through obtaining the Bulgarian documents, to the complete filing of the application with the competent District Court.
You do not need to travel to Bulgaria for this. With a properly certified power of attorney, we can act on your behalf – from start to the issuance of the ECS. The power of attorney can be certified before a local notary with an apostille, or at the Bulgarian Embassy in your country.
If you have also inherited real property in Bulgaria or have questions about the overall inheritance process in Bulgaria, we can handle both together.
If the deceased had their last habitual residence in Bulgaria, the competent District Court at their last place of residence is the authority to which the application is submitted. If the deceased had no registered address in Bulgaria, the Sofia District Court is competent under the applicable procedural rules. Jurisdiction should be verified before filing.
Yes – all documents in a foreign language must be translated into Bulgarian by a sworn translator. For legalisation: if the issuing country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille is sufficient and no consular legalisation procedure is required. Bulgaria is a contracting state, which simplifies the process for documents from most European and many other countries.
That depends on how quickly the documents are available in full and on the court’s workload. If all documents are submitted completely and correctly from the outset, a processing time of several weeks is realistic. Incomplete applications extend the procedure considerably – sometimes by months.
Yes. With a properly certified power of attorney – notarised in your country with an apostille or certified at the Bulgarian Embassy – a lawyer in Bulgaria can file the entire application and conduct the proceedings on your behalf. Travel to Bulgaria is generally not required.
Yes – we regularly assist clients from across Europe and beyond with inheritance matters in Bulgaria. Consultations can be conducted online or in person at our office in Burgas. We handle the entire procedure – from the initial document review to the issuance of the European Certificate of Succession.
You need a European Certificate of Succession for an inheritance in Bulgaria? Schedule a consultation – we will review your specific case and identify exactly which documents you need. Book a consultation | Tel. +359 888 456 483
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