Change of address

@AshAdu

Just to touch on the change of drivers license issue. I am a Kiwi, and when I came to Bg it was from the UK. I had a UK D/L, but it was after the Brexit D/L easy exchange period. Anyway ...... they require proof that you have completed high school and thank goodness I had my high school paper work. But they would only accept it if it was notarized back in Kiwi ... then translated once I had got it back.

Then it was pretty straight forward. That's how it went for me in Plovdiv ... would be interested in how you go in your area.

@Sticky59

This was a requirement following the grace period following Brexit. Thankfully common sense eventually prevailed, and it's no longer required to provide proof of a secondary school education. It's now the same as it used to be pre Brexit, an exchange process, with a basic check up from GP, eye test, blood pressure.

@Jules999

What's "commonsensical" about it? Bulgarians have to prove that they've graduated secondary school in order to obtain a driving licence, so how can it conceivably make sense that immigrants who can't read any emergency notices on road signs should be exempt from the same requirement?

The commonsense approach would be more along the lines of testing every applicant's ability to at least read and understand fairly simple Bulgarian. Just because some countries hand out licences (and passports) to illiterates doesn't make it a sensible approach to road safety..

Hello everyone,
When we got our Bulgarian residence we were in Plovdiv, so a Plovdiv address is on our Bulgarian ID cards. Our car is also registered in Plovdiv.
We now live outside Bansko. My better half feels we should update our address. We would also like to change our driver’s license to a Bulgarian one & we will at some stage have to reregister our car. I assume this will have to be done in Blagoevgrad.
Can anyone detail the documents needed and process to do this ourselves. Also does anyone know how much it costs. Thanks for help always given on this board. Cheers Ashley - @AshAdu

Yes, you should update your address

Where was your driving license issued from?

What do you mean by register your car? Is it from another country?

@JimJ

Proving that you've obtained a secondary school education has no bearings on ones ability as a driver though! Nor a safe driver at that. Whereas your years of experience as a driver, are far more valid. Most of the signs on major roads / tourist areas are given in the Latin alphabet & everyone understands the international symbols for STOP, and the international symbol for NO OVERTAKING, although the Bulgarians don't seem to understand the latter.....

I really don't understand your point here.......

@SimCityAT

Hi there

Our driving licenses are from South Africa & are in international format. Supposedly they are easily exchanged for Bulgarian. They are sent back to SA.

With me mentioning regregister our car I mean change plates from Plovdiv to Blago at the Blago KAT.

@AshAdu

A resident foreigner who does not have a driving licence issued by an EU member state/EEA or Switzerland may drive in Bulgaria for one year. After one year, the licence must be exchanged for a Bulgarian one (if an exchange agreement exists) or the Bulgarian driving test must be taken and a new licence issued.

Non-EU-issued licences may be exchanged if the issuing country has ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and the licence meets the requirements of this agreement. Up-to-date information on exchange agreements is available from the licence issuing-country's Consular office in Bulgaria.

If the licence may not exchanged for a Bulgarian one, the full driving exam process (practical and theory tests) must be successfully completed and a Bulgarian driving licence issued.

It looks like you will have to take a test.

Hello everyone,

This is just to inform you that some off-topic posts have been removed.

Let’s try to avoid going off-topic, as it can mislead the OP.

If you wuld like to discuss another subject, please start a new thread on the Bulgaria forum.

Thank you,

Cheryl

Expat.com team