Bulgaria VAT number: format and validation

By Remco from Avatcado

Format

BG followed by 9 or 10 digits. The local term is identifikatsionen nomer po DDS (DDS nomer, Bulgarian).

Pattern: /^\d{9,10}$/

  • 9 digits for legal entities (the UIC/EIK from the Commercial Register); 10 digits for natural persons
  • Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, so VAT thresholds are now set in euro

Example of a registered number: BG131129282

Check digit

Bulgaria VAT numbers carry a check digit (Weighted MOD 11 (UIC)): For 9-digit numbers the last digit is a weighted mod 11 check over the first eight, with a second weighting pass when the remainder is 10.

Check a Bulgaria VAT number

Checks route through VIES. Caching is enabled by default. Read the source, original result time and freshness label alongside validity; a cached or stale result does not freshly confirm current registration.

Enter a VAT number to see its registration result, source and freshness

Validate via API

The same validation as an API call, with the example number above:

curl "https://api.avatcado.com/v1/validate?vat_number=BG131129282" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer avat_live_your_api_key"
import Avatcado from "@avatcado/node";

const avatcado = new Avatcado("avat_live_your_api_key");
const { data, error } = await avatcado.vat.validate({
  vatNumber: "BG131129282",
});

if (data?.data.valid) {
  console.log(`Registered: ${data.data.company?.name}`);
}

Free tier includes 500 validations per month. Get an API key or read the API documentation.

How Avatcado validates Bulgaria numbers

  • Primary source: VIES.
  • Company name and address: yes, observed 2026-09-04.
  • When VIES is down: the most recent cached result, then a refunded 503.

See the full coverage table.

Frequently asked questions

What is the VAT registration threshold in Bulgaria?

From 1 January 2026 the threshold is EUR 51,130, the euro equivalent of BGN 100,000 after Bulgaria adopted the euro. It was briefly raised to BGN 166,000 in early 2025 before being reduced back.

How do I look up a Bulgarian VAT number?

Check the company's EIK in the Commercial Register (portal.registryagency.bg); the VAT number is BG plus the EIK once registered. VAT status itself is confirmed via NRA e-services or VIES.

How does Avatcado validate Bulgaria VAT numbers when VIES is down?

For Bulgaria VAT numbers, uncached checks use VIES, the EU's VAT Information Exchange System, which routes the query to Bulgaria's own national database. Caching is enabled by default without a requester VAT number. Read the freshness label and original result time to distinguish a new lookup from a previous result. A valid answer includes the registered company name and address that Bulgaria's tax administration publishes through VIES, which we last confirmed against a real registered number on 2026-09-04. No national register is published for Bulgaria that Avatcado can consult as a substitute, unlike the ten EU countries with a national fallback on Pro and Business, so an availability fault such as MS_UNAVAILABLE or a timeout can be answered only by eligible cache. A stored result has meta.cached: true and meta.source_status: "unavailable", plus meta.stale: true when it is past the cache window. Requester checks disable stored responses by default; cache=true opts back in. If no eligible stored result can answer, the request returns a refunded 503 (upstream_member_state_unavailable). A cached or stale result is earlier registration evidence, not a fresh check.

Related guides

VAT rate in Bulgaria

The standard VAT rate in Bulgaria is 20%. Reduced rates: 9%. See all Bulgaria VAT rates.

Sources