Verify the debtor and the contract
Identify the customer's exact legal name and registration number, not only its trading brand. Check representation, registered address and published status in the Bulgarian Commercial Register. A parent company or director is not automatically liable for an invoice addressed to an OOD or EOOD.
Read the order, contract and incorporated terms for governing law, jurisdiction, arbitration, delivery, acceptance and payment. A Bulgarian debtor does not automatically mean that every dispute must be brought in Bulgaria. Existing insolvency proceedings can also change the route and introduce separate claim-filing deadlines.
Prove more than the invoice number
A supplier's invoice alone may not prove the entire claim. Match it to the order, agreed price, performance and due date. Preserve evidence that the customer received the goods or accepted the work, together with complaints, responses, partial payments and acknowledgements.
- Signed contract, purchase orders and applicable terms.
- Invoices, credit notes and an account reconciliation.
- Delivery notes, transport documents, work reports or acceptance records.
- Correspondence about defects, set-off or payment extensions.
- Evidence of receipt of invoices and demands.
- A calculation separating principal, interest, penalties and costs.
For example, an invoice may be unpaid because delivery is disputed rather than because the customer disputes the price. The recovery file should answer that objection with evidence. A VAT entry or unsigned document must be assessed in context, not treated as an automatic court victory.
Calculate what is due before sending a demand
Establish maturity under the agreement and applicable rules; do not apply a universal 30-day payment period to every Bulgarian transaction. Where Article 309a of the Commercial Act applies and its conditions are met, the creditor may claim statutory late-payment interest and recovery-cost compensation of at least €40 without a reminder. Contract terms and statutory restrictions on limiting that entitlement must still be checked.
A demand should identify the invoices, explain the balance, invite a specific response and give payment details. If instalments are proposed, record the acknowledgement, timetable, default consequences and any security. A new promise can be useful evidence but should not become a reason to overlook expiring deadlines.
Choose the appropriate proceedings
For eligible claims, an application under Article 410 of the Civil Procedure Code may be available. An ordinary invoice is not, by itself, an Article 417 document entitling its holder to immediate enforcement. From 1 July 2025, traders and applicants represented by a lawyer submit payment-order applications through the electronic form in the Unified e-Justice Portal under Article 410(5).
The debtor normally has one month from service to object under Article 414. A timely objection can require the creditor to bring the appropriate claim within one month of the court's notification under Article 415. Do not confuse an issued payment order with an uncontested, enforceable result. Contested contractual issues may require ordinary litigation.
For qualifying cross-border EU claims, a European order for payment may offer another route. It has its own scope, jurisdiction and opposition rules, including a 30-day opposition period after service. It is not a replacement for checking the contract or a guarantee that an anticipated dispute will disappear.
Assess assets and interim protection
Winning the claim and collecting the money are separate stages. Check whether there are identifiable bank accounts, receivables, movable assets or property, and whether other creditors have priority. An enforceable title may be pursued through a competent enforcement agent; measures must be proportionate and legally available.
If there is evidence of a risk to recovery, interim security may be worth assessing before or during litigation. The court evaluates the statutory conditions and may require a guarantee. Insolvency, asset transfers or an empty company should be considered early, not only after a judgment is obtained.
Set a proportionate recovery budget
Ask for an assessment of court fees, representation, translations, experts if needed, and enforcement expenses. Recoverable costs depend on the result and procedural rules; not every amount spent is automatically reimbursed. A settlement can be commercially sensible where it produces dependable payment at lower cost.
Limitation periods depend on the obligation and governing law. Under Bulgarian law, principal, periodic payments and interest can require different analysis. Repeated reminders do not automatically interrupt limitation. For an initial enquiry, provide the debtor's registration number, the unpaid total, the oldest due date, the dispute raised and any approaching deadline. See also debt collection and enforcement in Bulgaria.