Doing Business in Ruse
The Ruse Economy
Industry is the largest part of the Ruse economy: manufacturing companies generated almost 43% of the sales revenue in the municipality in 2023, and machinery and equipment made up about a third of that. Transport, warehousing and storage are the other large sectors.4
Source: Institute for Market Economics: Ruse–Targovishte–Razgrad economic centre3
The Institute for Market Economics treats Ruse, Targovishte and Razgrad as one economic centre. It produced BGN 9.97 billion of output in 2021, its value added grew by 70% in ten years, and Ruse municipality generated 54% of it.3
Manufacturing and Industrial Zones
Automotive parts are a key driver of the Ruse economy, alongside machinery, metallurgy, chemicals and food and beverages. Witte Automotive employs 1,100 people in the city, and Astra Bioplant was the economic centre’s largest company by revenue, with BGN 3.36 billion.4,3
| Zone | What it offers |
|---|---|
| East and West industrial zones | The city’s two main industrial areas, with a large part of its production |
| Industrial Park Ruse | Next to the Danube Bridge checkpoint, with road, gas, power, water and a railway line nearby |
| Ruse Free Zone | 29 warehouse and industrial buildings with 30,000 m² of floor space, a rail siding and customs and tax relief on its free-zone site |
| TEGRA Danube Industrial Zone | On the river, with its own port and rail and Bulgaria’s only multimodal LNG terminal |
| LVZ Industrial Park | 176 decares and more than 53,000 m² of buildings on the former locomotive and wagon works |
Source: Invest in Ruse: Industrial zones and business parks; BTA: Bulmarket Group opens LVZ Industrial Park in Ruse5,7
Bulmarket Group opened the LVZ Industrial Park in 2026 after investing more than €60 million. Seven companies with more than 210 employees work there, and its wagon and locomotive plant can repair and modernise more than 1,000 wagons and 200 locomotives a year.7
IT, Outsourcing and Services
The Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry names ICT, clean technologies and the circular economy as the sectors the city supports with investment. Software companies with offices in Ruse include Musala Soft, Sirma Solutions, Networx-Bulgaria and Multilink, and the city was nominated for Outsourcing City of the Year by the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association in 2016.6,8
The StartUp Factory association has supported start-ups and IT skills in Ruse since 2015, and the Centre of Excellence at the University of Ruse runs laboratories for businesses that develop new technology.8,5
The software companies, coworking spaces and office buildings listed in Ruse are shown further down this page.
Workforce, Salaries and Universities
- 59,000 people were in work in Ruse municipality, and 67.8% of residents aged 15–64 were employed.
- Unemployment in Ruse municipality was 3.2% in 2022.
- 28.2% of residents aged 7 and over have a university degree.
- The average gross salary in Ruse Province was €1,137 a month in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Source: Institute for Market Economics: Ruse–Targovishte–Razgrad economic centre; Ministry of Labour and Social Policy: Labour market bulletin, fourth quarter of 20253,2
The University of Ruse Angel Kanchev is in the city, together with a network of vocational high schools.6
River, Bridge, Roads and Rail
Ruse lies where Pan-European Corridor 7, the Danube waterway, meets Corridor 9 by land. It has river, rail and road connections, and Bucharest is 70 km away across the Danube Bridge.6
The TEGRA zone has its own port with several berths for all types of cargo, and the Ruse Free Zone has a four-track rail siding.5
Foreign Investment
Foreign direct investment in Ruse passed €428 million in 2023, and 80% of it went into industry. At the end of 2021, Ruse municipality held €355 million of the €626 million invested in the wider economic centre, almost all of it in manufacturing.6,3
Large investors and employers in the city include WITTE Automotive, Montupet, Keros Bulgaria and Balkanzink in Industrial Park Ruse, and the logistics companies Econt Express and Holleman Bulgaria.8
Registering a Company in Ruse
Bulgaria has one national Commercial Register, so a company based in Ruse can be filed online from anywhere with a qualified electronic signature, or on paper at the Registry Agency’s Ruse office. After registration, the company deals with the Ruse office of the National Revenue Agency for tax and VAT, and with Ruse Municipality for local taxes and fees.9,10
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Registry Agency, Commercial Register | 16 Tsarkovna Nezavisimost St., 3rd floor, 7000 Ruse | 0700 121 07 |
| National Revenue Agency, Ruse office | 19 Major Atanas Uzunov St., 7000 Ruse | (082) 808 160 |
| Ruse Municipality | 6 Svoboda Sq., 7000 Ruse | (082) 820 111 |
| Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry | 3A Ferdinand Blvd., 7000 Ruse | (082) 82 58 75 |
Source: Registry Agency: Commercial Register contacts; Council of Ministers IISDA: National Revenue Agency offices; Ruse Municipality: Contacts; Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Regional chambers9,10,11,12
The full steps, documents, fees and timings are in the guide to registering a company in Bulgaria.
Step by step
How to register a company in Ruse
Register an EOOD or OOD based in Ruse: choose the details, arrange a Ruse address, prepare and notarise the documents, pay in the capital, file with the Commercial Register and register with the Ruse tax office.
-
Choose the company details
Choose an EOOD or OOD, select the business activity by NACE code and set the capital. The legal minimum capital is €1.
-
Arrange a Ruse address
Provide a registered address in Ruse, supported by a lease, title deed or serviced-office contract.
-
Prepare and notarise the documents
Prepare passport copies, the founding act or articles of association, proof of the address and a declaration of beneficial owners. The manager’s consent and specimen signature must be notarised.
-
Pay in the capital
Pay the capital into a capital account and obtain the bank’s certificate that it has been paid in.
-
File with the Commercial Register
File online with a qualified electronic signature, or on paper at the Registry Agency office at 16 Tsarkovna Nezavisimost St., Ruse.
-
Register with the Ruse tax office
Register employees, and VAT when required, with the National Revenue Agency office at 19 Major Atanas Uzunov St., Ruse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ruse a good place to set up a business in Bulgaria?
Ruse is a Danube city on the border with Romania, 70 km from Bucharest, with 120,282 residents. Manufacturing generates almost 43% of local business revenue, led by machinery and automotive parts, and the city has two industrial zones, an industrial park, a free zone and a Danube port zone.
How do I register a company in Ruse?
A Ruse company is registered in the national Commercial Register, online with a qualified electronic signature or on paper at the Registry Agency office at 16 Tsarkovna Nezavisimost St. The online state fee is €28.12, and the company number usually follows in 3–7 working days. Tax and VAT matters are then handled by the National Revenue Agency office at 19 Major Atanas Uzunov St.
What is the Ruse Free Zone?
Ruse Free Zone is in the Eastern Industrial Zone near the Danube Bridge. It has 29 warehouse and industrial buildings with 30,000 m² of floor space and a rail siding, and one of its sites has free-zone status with customs and tax relief.
What is the average salary in Ruse?
The average gross monthly salary in Ruse Province was €1,137 in the fourth quarter of 2025.
How do I get to Ruse?
Ruse has river, rail and road connections and lies on Pan-European Corridors 7 and 9. The Danube Bridge links the city with Romania, and Bucharest is 70 km away.
Sources
- NSI via Standart: Population of the largest cities at 31 December 2025
- Ministry of Labour and Social Policy: Labour market bulletin, fourth quarter of 2025
- Institute for Market Economics: Ruse–Targovishte–Razgrad economic centre
- Invest in Ruse: A highly diversified economy
- Invest in Ruse: Industrial zones and business parks
- Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Support for investors
- BTA: Bulmarket Group opens LVZ Industrial Park in Ruse
- Ruse Municipality: Investment profile
- Registry Agency: Commercial Register contacts
- Council of Ministers IISDA: National Revenue Agency offices
- Ruse Municipality: Contacts
- Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Regional chambers
Figures checked 15 October 2026. Prepared by InvestBulgaria for general information. Figures come from the sources listed; check addresses and opening hours with each office before you visit.
