Dealing with bureaucracy in Bulgaria is confusing enough without having to think about formal terms and organisational structure. Imagine filling in forms at a government office, while trying to figure out what you’re supposed to put under ЕГН or ЛНЧ and the difference between these two. And the lady sitting across the desk either isn’t very helpful, or simply isn’t in the mood for explaining Bulgarian abbreviations.
The following list can help you answer practical questions such as which institution is in charge of health insurance or social security, where you can buy train tickets and whether VAT is included in the price or not.
| Abbreviation | Full name in Bulgarian | English translation | Where you’ll see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ЕГН | единен граждански номер | unified civil number | Any official document requiring personal details |
| ЛНЧ | личен номер на чужденец | personal number of a foreigner | Any official document requiring personal details (applies to foreign residents) |
| ДДС | данък добавена стойност | value-added tax (VAT) | Pricing lists, invoices, quotes and other financial documents |
| НАП | Национална агенция за приходите | National Revenue Agency | Tax returns, health insurance contributions, employment contracts, and official correspondence from the revenue agency |
| НОИ | Национален осигурителен институт | National Social Security Institute | Sick leave payments, maternity benefits, pension documents, and social security contribution statements |
| КАТ | Контрол на автомобилния транспорт | Motor transport control | Driving licence paperwork, traffic fines, and vehicle-related documents |
| МВР | Министерство на вътрешните работи | Ministry of Interior | Police matters and official document issuance (ID card, passport, etc.) |
| РПУ | Районно полицейско управление | District police department | Local police station which is relevant for address registration, document collection, and reporting incidents |
| НЗОК | Национална здравноосигурителна каса | National Health Insurance Fund | Public health insurance coverage for GP visits, specialist referrals, medical procedures, and prescribed medications |
| МБАЛ | многопрофилна болница за активно лечение | general hospital | Hospital names across Bulgaria (e.g. “МБАЛ Света София”) |
| БДЖ | Български държавни железници | Bulgarian State Railways | Train tickets, routes, timetables, and railway network information |
| ЖП | железопътен | railway | Train station names |
| БНБ | Българска народна банка | Bulgarian National Bank | Bank regulations, exchange rates, and currency-related data |
| ОУ | основно училище | primary school (grades 1-7) | Primary school names across Bulgaria (e.g. ОУ “Христо Ботев”) |
| СУ | средно училище | secondary school (grades 1-12) | Secondary school names across Bulgaria (e.g. СУ “Елин Пелин”) |
| МОН | Министерство на образованието и науката | Ministry of Education and Science | Government documents on education: school enrolment, exams, kindergartens, etc. |
| ЕС | Европейски съюз | European Union (EU) | EU regulations on travel, residency, funding, and rights as an EU/non-EU citizen in Bulgaria |
| НПО | неправителствена организация | non-governmental organisation (NGO) | Grants, charity events, protests, and other NGO-related content |
| ЕИК | единен идентификационен код | unified identification code | Any document containing company registration details |
| МС | метростанция | metro station | Metro station names and route maps |
Personal ID Numbers in Bulgaria: ЕГН, ЛНЧ, and ЕИК
ЕГН is a personal ID number for Bulgarian citizens. It’s a 10-digit number where the first 6 digits are based on date of birth (YYMMDD). It needs to be filled in on all official documents as a way of identification (e.g. contracts, loan applications, insurance, etc.).
Foreigners who are registered as residents in Bulgaria get a similar ID: ЛНЧ, which means “личен номер на чужденец” (personal number of a foreigner). This is probably one of the most common Bulgarian abbreviations you will need as a foreigner living in this country. Again, it’s needed for any document you need to submit or get from the government or other institutions (banks, hospitals, notaries, etc.). To get ЛНЧ, you need to go to the Migration office and register as a resident.
ЕИК is a unique ID number for businesses registered in Bulgaria. It’s publicly available for all Bulgarian companies, and you can also find it on invoices or other legal documents.
Tax and Financial Abbreviations: ДДС, БНБ, and НАП
ДДС is the Bulgarian term for VAT (value-added tax). VAT is normally included in prices in Bulgaria unless it’s explicitly specified that it’s excluded: “без ДДС” (without VAT).
The Bulgarian National Bank is often referred to by its abbreviation БНБ. This institution is the official source for exchange rate information and other national currency matters.
НАП is the National Revenue Agency, which regulates taxes, and this is also where you need to pay your insurance contributions if you’re self-employed in Bulgaria.
Healthcare and Social Security Bulgarian Abbreviations: НОИ, НЗОК, and МБАЛ
НОИ is the National Social Security Institute. It handles the administration of all sorts of social benefits, such as maternity/paternity leave, sick leave, unemployment, and pension.
НЗОК is the National Health Insurance Fund. If you have public health insurance, you can benefit from having medical exams, tests and surgeries done for a very small fee. You just need to make sure that the doctor you’re seeing or the procedure you’re having is covered by НЗОК (or “здравната каса” as it’s referred to colloquially).
Another Bulgarian abbreviation related to health care is МБАЛ. It literally means “многопрофилна болница за активно лечение”, but it’s a complex-sounding term that in practice just means a general hospital with different specialists.
Police and Traffic Control in Bulgaria: МВР, РПУ, and КАТ
МВР is the Ministry of Interior, and this is essentially the institution governing the Bulgarian police. It’s also responsible for issuing ID documents, such as ID cards, passports and driving licences. When you fill in your ID card details, for example, you need to specify the district where the document was issued: МВР София, МВР Варна, etc. The paperwork for these documents and their delivery are managed by different institutions, which are still part of МВР.
To apply for and receive your Bulgarian ID card or passport, you need to go to your local police station, also known as РПУ. Major cities have several police stations, so you’ll need to visit the РПУ that covers your district.
КАТ is the legacy name of the agency that oversees and controls motor traffic in Bulgaria. Its current name is “Пътна полиция” (Road police), but everyone keeps using КАТ, so you will definitely hear this term more often. This is where you go to get your driving licence, register your vehicle, and pay or dispute traffic fines. КАТ is notorious for its long queues, and while most administrative services can now be done online, you still have to go in person in some cases.
Education in Bulgaria: ОУ, СУ and МОН
МОН is the Ministry of Education and Science. It’s the governing body for all public kindergartens, schools and universities, so it issues all important decrees and regulations concerning education in Bulgaria: enrolment requirements, procedures, entry exams, curriculum, etc.
The school system in Bulgaria has several types of schools. ОУ, short for “основно училище” (primary school) covers grades 1 to 7, while СУ, short for “средно училище” (secondary school), previously called СОУ, covers the whole range from grades 1 to 12 in one school. After grade 7, students can go to a СУ or move to a “гимназия” (high school). Incidentally, СУ is the abbreviation also used for “Софийски университет” (Sofia University), the oldest and largest university in Bulgaria.
Public Transport Bulgarian Abbreviations: БДЖ, ЖП, and МС
БДЖ (Български държавни железници) is Bulgarian State Railways, the company that manages railway transport in Bulgaria, including international routes departing from Bulgarian cities.
ЖП is short for “железопътен” (railway), and you may stumble upon it most frequently in the phrase “ЖП гара” (railway station). Since “гара” means a station, this abbreviation helps to distinguish between “ЖП гара” (a train station) and “автогара” (a bus station).
Another type of transit station is “метростанция” (a metro station). In route maps, you can see it abbreviated as МС, for example: МС “Витоша” – МС “Обеля”. МС also means “Министерски съвет” (Council of Ministers), but you’re more likely to come across this meaning in news and official government communications.
EU and Civil Society Bulgarian Abbreviations: ЕС and НПО
ЕС is short for “Европейски съюз” (European Union), and it’s one of the most common abbreviations in Bulgarian, which is expected for an EU country. You can find it when researching your rights as a foreigner in Bulgaria, since there are different rules and regulations for EU and non-EU nationals.
НПО means “неправителствена организация” (non-governmental organisation, or NGO). It’s used the same way as in English: for example, information about volunteering, protests and other events or projects run by NGOs.
If you want to review more official documents and formal communication in Bulgarian, here’s a standard rental agreement in Bulgarian and a conversation about signing an employment contract.