Doing Business in Stara Zagora
The Stara Zagora Economy
Industry is the largest sector of the Stara Zagora economy by value added. The city is active in mining, energy, machinery, electronics, food, wood, textiles and automotive, and the municipality sees potential in research, car manufacturing, ICT, farming and outsourcing.4
Source: Institute for Market Economics: Zagore economic centre3
The Institute for Market Economics groups Stara Zagora with Kazanlak, Radnevo and Galabovo in the Zagore economic centre. It produced BGN 10.6 billion of output in 2021 and had the highest labour productivity of Bulgaria’s 16 economic centres, BGN 29,500 of value added per employee. Stara Zagora generated 30% of its value added.3
Energy, Industry and the Zagore Zones
The Maritsa-Iztok energy complex, 40 km from the city, has four thermal power plants and state-owned lignite mines and supplies 40–50% of Bulgaria’s electricity. The power plants and the Maritsa-Iztok mines employ 11,600 people, almost 75% of them residents of Stara Zagora municipality. Nearly €150 million from the EU Just Transition Fund is planned for the region’s economic transformation.4,8
The Zagore Industrial Zone, a joint project of the municipality and the state, was Bulgaria’s first certified priority investment project. The Zagore-Elenino zone covers 642,000 m² 6 km from the city and is linked to the railway cargo terminal. There Smart Solar Technologies is building a €127.8 million solar panel and cell plant that is expected to create 812 jobs.4,5
| Company | Activity | Investment | New jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Solar Technologies | Solar panels and cells | €127.8 million | 812 |
| Ate Plast | Polyethylene film and packaging | BGN 10 million | 50 |
| Sibies | Supermarkets | BGN 8 million | 50 |
| GNT Trading | Confectionery | BGN 1 million | 15 |
Source: Invest Stara Zagora: Industrial zones5
IT, Outsourcing and Services
Stara Zagora Province had 437 ICT companies employing 1,306 people, eighth in Bulgaria by number of ICT specialists. Their revenue reached BGN 121.9 million in 2023, 82% more than five years earlier.7
The Bulgarian product company eDynamix makes software for car dealers and holds close to 70% of the UK market, with about 150 specialists in Stara Zagora and Plovdiv. SiteGround has support and sales teams in the city, and the first class of the Professional High School of Computer Science and Mathematical Analysis was due to graduate in 2025.7
The software companies, coworking spaces and office buildings listed in Stara Zagora are shown further down this page.
Workforce, Salaries and Universities
- 61,000 people were in work in Stara Zagora municipality, and 67.4% of residents aged 15–64 were employed, the highest rate in the economic centre.
- More than 54,500 people in the region work in manufacturing, more than half of all employees.
- The average gross salary in Stara Zagora Province was €1,143 a month in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Source: Institute for Market Economics: Zagore economic centre; Invest Stara Zagora: People and talent; Ministry of Labour and Social Policy: Labour market bulletin, fourth quarter of 20253,6,2
Trakia University has more than 10,000 students, including more than 1,000 from 44 other countries, with faculties of medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, economics and technology. It has added degrees in software engineering, information technology and computer systems.6
In 2025 Stara Zagora ranked third in the Small Regions Strategy category of fDi Intelligence, ahead of the other Bulgarian regions, and the municipality won the Bulgarian Investment Agency award for the most investment for the second year running.4
Roads and Rail
The Zagore Industrial Zone is inside the city, about 10 km from the Trakia motorway and close to the ring road, and the Zagore-Elenino site is linked to the Stara Zagora railway cargo terminal.5
Stara Zagora is about two hours from both Sofia and the Black Sea coast.7
Foreign Investment and Large Employers
Foreign direct investment in the Zagore economic centre reached €1.1 billion by the end of 2021, 65% of it in Galabovo and almost all of that in energy. Companies in Stara Zagora made 46% of the centre’s spending on machinery, land and buildings.3
| Employer | Activity | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Defence manufacturing | 7,200 |
| Maritsa-Iztok Mines | Lignite mining | 6,900 |
| Troyanovo mine companies | Mining | 5,200 |
Source: Institute for Market Economics: Zagore economic centre3
Registering a Company in Stara Zagora
Bulgaria has one national Commercial Register, so a company based in Stara Zagora can be filed online from anywhere with a qualified electronic signature, or on paper at the Registry Agency’s Stara Zagora office. After registration, the company deals with the Stara Zagora office of the National Revenue Agency for tax and VAT, and with Stara Zagora Municipality for local taxes and fees.9,10
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Registry Agency, Commercial Register | 108 Tsar Simeon Veliki Blvd., 6000 Stara Zagora | 0700 121 07 |
| National Revenue Agency, Stara Zagora office | 1 Kenali St., 6000 Stara Zagora | (042) 692 302 |
| Stara Zagora Municipality | 107 Tsar Simeon Veliki Blvd., 6000 Stara Zagora | |
| Stara Zagora Chamber of Commerce and Industry | 66 G. S. Rakovski St., 6000 Stara Zagora | (042) 62 62 97 |
Source: Registry Agency: Commercial Register contacts; Council of Ministers IISDA: National Revenue Agency offices; Stara Zagora 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 Stara Zagora
Register an EOOD or OOD based in Stara Zagora: choose the details, arrange a Stara Zagora address, prepare and notarise the documents, pay in the capital, file with the Commercial Register and register with the Stara Zagora tax office.
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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.
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Arrange a Stara Zagora address
Provide a registered address in Stara Zagora, supported by a lease, title deed or serviced-office contract.
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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.
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Pay in the capital
Pay the capital into a capital account and obtain the bank’s certificate that it has been paid in.
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File with the Commercial Register
File online with a qualified electronic signature, or on paper at the Registry Agency office at 108 Tsar Simeon Veliki Blvd., Stara Zagora.
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Register with the Stara Zagora tax office
Register employees, and VAT when required, with the National Revenue Agency office at 1 Kenali St., Stara Zagora.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stara Zagora a good place to set up a business in Bulgaria?
Stara Zagora is Bulgaria’s fifth-largest city, with 120,976 residents, and the core of the economic centre with the highest labour productivity in the country. Energy, machinery, electronics, food and automotive lead its economy, and the Zagore industrial zones have attracted more than €255 million.
How do I register a company in Stara Zagora?
A Stara Zagora company is registered in the national Commercial Register, online with a qualified electronic signature or on paper at the Registry Agency office at 108 Tsar Simeon Veliki Blvd. 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 1 Kenali St.
What is the Zagore Industrial Zone?
The Zagore Industrial Zone is a joint project of Stara Zagora Municipality and the state and was Bulgaria’s first certified priority investment project. Its Zagore-Elenino site covers 642,000 m², where Smart Solar Technologies is building a €127.8 million solar plant.
What is the average salary in Stara Zagora?
The average gross monthly salary in Stara Zagora Province was €1,143 in the fourth quarter of 2025. Pay is highest in energy and mining.
How do I get to Stara Zagora?
Stara Zagora is about two hours from Sofia and the Black Sea coast. The Zagore Industrial Zone is about 10 km from the Trakia motorway, and Zagore-Elenino is linked to the railway cargo terminal.
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: Zagore economic centre
- Invest Stara Zagora: For investors
- Invest Stara Zagora: Industrial zones
- Invest Stara Zagora: People and talent
- Capital: How Stara Zagora is rebuilding its IT sector
- BTA: Growing investment interest in the Stara Zagora region
- Registry Agency: Commercial Register contacts
- Council of Ministers IISDA: National Revenue Agency offices
- Stara Zagora 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.
