Bulgaria
Bulgaria allows street photography, but its freedom of panorama covers informational and non-commercial uses only, so selling images of copyrighted public works needs permission.
Guidance, not legal advice
Drone Authority
Check the flight side
Photography access and drone permission are separate questions. Drone Authority covers the flight-law side for this country.
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Municipality or site manager for commercial productions; no permit for personal street photography
Cost: No permit for personal photography; commercial crews and managed heritage sites need authorization
Personal photography needs no permit. Commercial productions coordinate with municipalities and site managers; monasteries and archaeological sites set their own photography and filming conditions, sometimes with camera fees at ticketed sites.
Drone / airspace
Governed by EU EASA rules via the Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration; register as a UAS operator under the Open or Specific category
For category detail, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes to photograph; GDPR and Bulgarian personal-data law apply to publishing identifiable people
Personal-use shooting is covered by the GDPR household exemption. Publishing a recognizable person without consent carries civil risk, with exceptions for public events, public figures, and journalism.
Freedom of panorama
Non-commercial only
Article 24(1)(7) of the Law on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights permits using works permanently exhibited in public places only for informational or other non-commercial purposes. Commercial sale of images where a copyrighted building or monument is the subject is not covered. Most historic architecture is out of copyright, so this mainly affects modern works.
Practical notes
- Rila Monastery allows exterior photography; interior photography of the main church is restricted, and commercial shoots need the monastery's consent.
- Communist-era monuments (e.g. Buzludzha) may still be in copyright; Buzludzha itself is also a hazardous closed structure with restricted entry.
- Military sites and some border zones with Turkey are sensitive; avoid photographing installations.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: