Doing Business in Vratsa

The Vratsa Economy

Foreign direct investment in Vratsa Province exceeded €177 million in 2024, 32% more than in 2023, and €148.7 million of it was in Vratsa Municipality. Industry attracted €147.1 million of the province’s foreign investment.³

Spending on land, buildings and machinery in the province reached BGN 582.3 million in 2024, 11% more than a year earlier. Mining, manufacturing, utilities and waste management took BGN 358 million of it, and machinery and equipment made up 52% of the total.³

38,800 people were employed in Vratsa Province at the end of December 2025.³

Industry

The German automotive cable maker MD Elektronik announced in 2026 that it would stop production in Vratsa, affecting more than 550 workers. Its factory had opened in 2020 after an investment of over BGN 20 million.⁵

The preliminary draft of the new General Development Plan, presented in July 2026, sets out zones for production, a Centre for Energy Development and New Sciences as its first priority, and a car retail park west of the city in the direction of Montana.⁶

The New Industrial Zone

Vratsa is preparing an industrial park of over 300 decares, about 5 km from the city in the direction of Krivodol. The €7.6 million project is fully funded through an integrated territorial investment and will be run by the municipal company Industrial Zones-Vratsa EOOD.⁴

• About 20 plots are planned, with the layout adjusted to investor needs.
• Planned infrastructure includes a street network, pavements, public transport stops and cycle lanes.
• The aim is to have the site prepared with infrastructure for investors by 2029.

Source: BTA: A €7.6 million industrial zone to be built in Vratsa; Standart: Vratsa builds a new 300-decare industrial park^4,5

Workforce and Salaries

• The average gross salary in Vratsa Province was €1,257 a month in the fourth quarter of 2025, the third highest among provinces after Sofia and Varna.
• Unemployment in Vratsa Province averaged 10.27% in 2025, and 72.4% of residents aged 20–64 were employed.
• 32.2% of the province’s residents aged 25–64 have a university degree.

Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Policy: Labour market bulletin, fourth quarter of 2025; Institute for Market Economics: Regional Profiles, Vratsa Province^2,7

Transport and Location

The proximity of Vratsa to Sofia and its transport connection are cited as advantages for the new industrial park. Motorways and first-class roads made up 10.3% of the road network of Vratsa Province in 2025.^5,7

Registering a Company in Vratsa

Bulgaria has one national Commercial Register, so a company based in Vratsa can be filed online from anywhere with a qualified electronic signature, or on paper at the Registry Agency’s Vratsa office. After registration, the company deals with the Vratsa office of the National Revenue Agency for tax and VAT, and with Vratsa Municipality for local taxes and fees.^8,9

Source: Registry Agency: Commercial Register contacts; Council of Ministers IISDA: National Revenue Agency offices; Vratsa Municipality; Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Regional chambers^8,9,10,11

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