Doing Business in Pernik

The Pernik Economy

Pernik grew as an industrial town after the State Mine opened in 1891. The Sofia–Pernik railway followed in 1893, the first electric light in 1895 and the first power plant in 1899. Industry generates 31% of the gross value added of Pernik Province.³

The Institute for Market Economics places Pernik in the Sofia–Pernik–Botevgrad economic centre, where the capital generates 92.5% of the value added and Pernik, at 1.6%, has the second-largest share. Pernik has 53,000 working-age residents and 35,000 people in work.⁵

Manufacturers and Industrial Park Pernik

Source: Invest Pernik: Investment portal³

Industrial Park Pernik is 5 minutes from the city centre and covers 344,823 m², with plot sizes still to be set in the detailed plan. It is run by Industrial and Logistics Zone Pernik, a single-shareholder company owned by Pernik Municipality, and has a direct link to road I-6, which coincides with the E871 towards North Macedonia and Serbia.^6,3

The Territorial Just Transition Plan for Pernik names mechatronics, industrial ICT, electrical components and clean-energy equipment as the priorities for the region’s transformation. In February 2025 the deputy mayor said two investment projects were in certification, and pointed to investments already made in components for electronic systems, silicone products and food processing.^3,7

Foreign Investment and Investor Support

Foreign direct investment in the non-financial sector of Pernik Province was €268.4 million at the end of 2024, about €2,400 per person against roughly €5,200 for Bulgaria as a whole. The province has nearly 1.7% of the country’s population but about 0.8% of its foreign investment.⁴

In 2026 Rotary Club Pernik launched the Invest Pernik portal and a network of Investment Ambassadors, Pernik-based companies that answer questions from potential investors free of charge. More than 10 companies in IT, logistics, transport, the green transition and the creative industries joined on the first day.⁴

Pernik Municipality’s Ordinance No. 14 provides local Class B investment certificates, with municipal administrative deadlines one-third shorter and free individual coordination for eligible projects.^3,6

Workforce and Salaries

• Pernik Municipality had 80,576 residents and Pernik Province 108,871 at the end of 2025, and 29,900 people worked under labour contracts in December 2025.
• Unemployment in Pernik Province averaged 3.91% in 2025, and 76.1% of residents aged 20–64 were employed.
• 30.5% of the province’s residents aged 25–64 have a university degree.
• The average gross salary in Pernik Province was €1,074 a month in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Source: Invest Pernik: Investment portal; Institute for Market Economics: Regional Profiles, Pernik Province; Ministry of Labour and Social Policy: Labour market bulletin, fourth quarter of 2025^3,8,2

Roads, Rail and Sofia

Pernik is 36 km by road from the centre of Sofia and 37 km from Sofia Airport. The A3 Struma motorway and the E79 international road pass through the city, linking it with Greece and Romania, and road I-6 leads towards North Macedonia and Serbia.^3,6

Pernik Province has the second-densest road network of any Bulgarian province, 23.9 km per 100 km², with 4.8 km of railway per 100 km², and 91.8% of households have internet access.³

Registering a Company in Pernik

Bulgaria has one national Commercial Register, so a company based in Pernik can be filed online from anywhere with a qualified electronic signature, or on paper at the Registry Agency’s Pernik office. After registration, the company deals with the Pernik office of the National Revenue Agency for tax and VAT, and with Pernik Municipality for local taxes and fees.^9,10

Source: Registry Agency: Commercial Register contacts; Council of Ministers IISDA: National Revenue Agency offices; Pernik Municipality: Contacts; Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Regional chambers^9,10,11,12

The full steps, documents, fees and timings are in the guide to registering a company in Bulgaria.