Bulgaria pays back 25% of qualifying production spend in the country, now with a €5 million cap per project. This guide covers how it works, who can apply, the paperwork in Bulgarian and how long payment takes. It also has a calculator for your own numbers. Written by a Sofia production service team that has worked in Bulgaria since 2014.
Last reviewed: November 2026 · Sources: Bulgarian National Film Center (NFC) guidelines, CMS Law, Film New Europe
The rebate is a state aid scheme under Bulgaria’s Film Industry Act and its Implementing Regulation, in line with EU Regulation 651/2014. It’s run by the Bulgarian National Film Center (NFC), an executive agency of the Ministry of Culture. Applications are accepted all year and handled in the order they arrive.
Enter your planned spend in Bulgaria for a quick estimate. To compare, it also shows what the same spend would mean in Greece and Cyprus.
Estimate only. Your project still has to meet the eligible formats, the minimum spend in the Implementing Regulation, the cultural test and NFC approval. This is not tax or legal advice.
The project must be made wholly or partly in Bulgaria, be meant for public release or broadcast, pass the cultural test and meet the minimum spend in Bulgaria set in the Implementing Regulation.
Foreign producers without a Bulgarian co-producer apply through a Bulgarian-registered production services company. That’s the usual route for international shoots, and it’s where a local service partner earns its keep.
Submit the application and qualification test to the NFC before you start work in Bulgaria. The evaluation commission meets at least once a month. Starting work before you apply makes the project ineligible.
Within 12 months of registration, submit the Bulgarian cost estimate with proof that 100% of the Bulgarian costs are financed. A second panel approves the amount.
After the shoot, submit the verified costs. The NFC issues a decision within about a month and pays into a dedicated bank account. If the year’s budget has run out, payment moves to the next year.
Everything goes to the NFC in Bulgarian, script included, and foreign documents need a sworn translation. Our team prepares and translates the file with you.
Shooting across borders? We run productions in 19 countries. For Greece and Cyprus, see our partners’ Greece film cash rebate guide.
Bulgaria’s studios and crews have hosted Hollywood features, streaming series and big commercials. Recent examples:
Subservience was among the first productions approved for the 25% rebate. Foo Fighters, Adidas and Olivia Dean are our own recent shoots.
Bulgaria offers a 25% cash rebate on eligible production costs incurred in the country, up to €5 million per project. Eligible costs can’t exceed 80% of the total production budget.
Yes. Foreign producers without a Bulgarian co-producer apply through a production services company registered in Bulgaria and entered in the National Film Center’s register.
No. The rebate covers feature films, TV and streaming series and films, documentaries and animation. Commercials, promotional content and music videos aren’t eligible, though Bulgaria stays very cost-effective for them.
Before any work starts in Bulgaria. Projects that begin production before the first application aren’t eligible. The commission meets at least monthly and reviews applications in the order they arrive.
After the shoot you submit the verified costs, and the NFC decides within about a month. Payment goes to a dedicated bank account. If the annual budget is used up, payment moves to the next calendar year, so plan your cash flow.
Bulgarian. Everything submitted to the NFC, including the script, must be in Bulgarian, and foreign documents need a sworn translation.
Send us your script, schedule and budget. We’ll tell you what qualifies, what the rebate could be worth and how to structure the shoot.
info@filmfixersbalkans.com +359 877 189 108Sources: NFC – Guidelines for the Film Incentive Scheme · CMS – Bulgaria raises cash rebate cap to €5M · Film New Europe. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm with the National Film Center before you commit spend.