What a Power of Attorney Does in a Property Deal<\/h2>\n
A power of attorney (in Bulgarian, power of attorney<\/em>) is a document in which you, the principal, authorise another person, the attorney, to act in your name. In a property purchase or sale, the attorney can sign the preliminary contract, appear before the notary, sign the final notarial deed and complete the steps around it.<\/p>\n The attorney can be a relative, a friend or a lawyer. What matters is that you trust them and that the document gives them exactly the powers they need, no more and no less.<\/p>\n Bulgarian law is strict here. Under Art. 37 of the Obligations and Contracts Act, a power of attorney for a contract that requires a notarial form, such as the sale or purchase of real estate, must be in writing with notarial certification of both the signature and the content, made at the same time<\/strong>. A certificate of the signature alone is not enough, and neither is certifying the signature one day and the content another.<\/p>\n In practice this means you sign the document in front of the official who certifies it. A document signed at home and brought in later will be refused.<\/p>\n If you are in Bulgaria at any point before the deal, even for one day, this is the simplest route. The notary certifies the signature and content on the spot, and the document is ready to use.<\/p>\n Bulgarian consular offices can certify the signature and the content of a power of attorney for the sale, purchase, exchange or gift of property, including for foreign citizens, as long as the document is intended to take effect in Bulgaria and is written in Bulgarian. You must appear in person with a valid passport (or, for EU citizens, a national ID card) and sign in front of the consular officer. A power of attorney issued by a Bulgarian consul has the same legal force as one made before a notary in Bulgaria. Check the opening hours and appointment rules of your nearest consulate in advance.<\/p>\n If you live in a country that is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, such as Israel, the UK and the other EU member states, you can sign before a local notary. The document then needs an apostille<\/strong> (a stamp that confirms the notary\u2019s authority) from the competent authority in that country. For countries outside the Convention, full consular legalisation is needed instead. A document in a foreign language must then be translated into Bulgarian by a sworn translator, and the translator\u2019s signature is certified by a notary in Bulgaria.<\/p>\n Ask the local notary to follow the Bulgarian requirement for simultaneous certification of signature and content. A bilingual document, Bulgarian and English side by side, prepared in advance, saves time and translation costs.<\/p>\n A vague power of attorney is the most common reason a notary stops a deal. A good one usually includes:<\/p>\n Before signing, send the draft to the Bulgarian notary who will handle the deal. Notaries differ slightly in what they want to see, and a five-minute check saves a second trip to the consulate.<\/p>\n You can revoke a power of attorney at any time, without giving a reason. The revocation takes effect for the attorney from the moment they learn about it. To avoid disputes, make the revocation in writing with a notary and deliver it to the attorney, and tell the notary handling the deal.<\/p>\n We work with clients who are not in Bulgaria, in Bulgarian, English and Russian. We can prepare the list of details the notary needs, coordinate the draft power of attorney with the notary, and follow the deal through to the keys. Our commission on a sale or purchase is 3%, with a minimum of 2,000 EUR.<\/p>\nThe Form the Law Requires<\/h2>\n
Three Ways to Sign It<\/h2>\n
1. Before a notary in Bulgaria<\/h3>\n
2. At a Bulgarian embassy or consulate<\/h3>\n
3. Before a local notary abroad, with an apostille<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat the Document Should Say<\/h2>\n
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Buying From Abroad: What to Watch<\/h2>\n
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Selling From Abroad: What to Watch<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nRevoking a Power of Attorney<\/h2>\n
Common Mistakes<\/h2>\n
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How We Can Help<\/h2>\n