Shotguns and rifles

You certainly do have to register them, but first you have to be a resident and obtain a permit for each firearm before you are allowed to bring them into the country.  IIRC, you need to undergo a training course and then pass an exam - in Bulgarian - in order to obtain the permit. I haven't looked into the situation for a number of years, so that information may be outdated, but I don't think so.

@graemewalker

As far as I'm aware you will have to have permanent residency which if you're coming on a retirement pension D Visa you won't be able to get for the first five years.

We have a Veterans group here that organises range days as you can certainly go and shoot but not own a firearm until you are at least a permanent resident before  jumping through all the other hoops.

Possibly a stupid question but does this apply to air rifles too? as I understand the rules in the uk (and France) are different for air powered weapons.

@ButterMyPaws19

"Lower-powered" air rifles (as in the UK, not above 16 joules) aren't restricted.  Above that level, they need to be registered with the police, but you can basically buy air rifles of any calibre and power that you feel like - subject to how deep your pockets are.  Kind of bizarre, given the power of modern big bore airguns. However, it's illegal to hunt with them (and ditto for bows).

You'll find a much better range of air rifles in Holland - they ship to BG no problem, and it's then up to you to roll up at the local police admin offices to register them; iirc correctly you have a couple of weeks or so to do this.  The courier companies here theoretically won't carry weapons of any kind, but will still pick up airguns from gun shops - and watch as they're packed and wrapped.  Most people sending air rifles to gunsmiths by courier describe them as "musical instruments" on the paperwork...

Scarily, a lot of people with very powerful big-bore air rifles meet up in supposedly remote parts of the mountains for target practice: IMO they're completely irresponsible, given that some walker could suddenly appear out of nowhere, and those slugs (or more realistically, bullets, given the calibres and velocities we're talking about) have a long lethal range and will easily take down big game, let alone a person...

I have a Canadian restricted rifle and handguns and hunting license, are those transferable to equivalent in BG?

@adardom

I don't think so; AFAIK, only foreigners working as diplomatic security personnel can obtain a reciprocal firearms licence - and only for handguns and for official duties.

@JimJ

Thank you for the info.

@ButterMyPaws19

Just an amendment - the level for registering an air weapon is actually 24 joules and above, not 16 as I initially said...