Tracing an estate is a task many families face: a loved one has passed away, and nobody knows exactly which banks they had accounts with, whether they owned a property in another town, a share in a company or an old car registered in their name. It is even harder when the heirs live abroad or when the deceased was secretive about their finances. Without the full picture it is impossible to decide whether to accept the inheritance, accept it under inventory or renounce it, or how to divide it between the heirs.
The good news is that Bulgaria has official registers in which heirs can check the deceased's assets and debts. Below we go through each of them: where the request is filed, who is entitled to a search and what documents are needed. At the end you will find a summary table.
The first step: the certificate of heirs
Almost every search into a deceased person's assets requires you to prove that you are their heir. The document for this is the certificate of heirs (удостоверение за наследници), issued by the municipality at the deceased's last permanent address. It lists all the legal heirs at the time of death.
Ask for several copies at once, because institutions often keep a copy. If you are abroad, the searches can be carried out through an attorney-in-fact, as we described in our article on heirs living abroad and settling an inheritance in Bulgaria. The general order of steps after the death of a loved one, from the death certificate to accepting the inheritance, is set out in our guide "Inheritance in Bulgaria: first steps".
How to find out which banks the deceased had accounts with
Register of Bank Accounts and Safe Deposit Boxes (РБСС) at the Bulgarian National Bank
The most effective way to find a deceased person's bank accounts is a search in the Register of Bank Accounts and Safe Deposit Boxes (РБСС), which the Bulgarian National Bank (БНБ) maintains under Art. 56a of the Credit Institutions Act and BNB Ordinance No. 12. Banks report to the register the accounts opened, their holders and authorised persons, as well as rented safe deposit boxes.
The BNB provides a special form, "Request for information from the Register of Bank Accounts and Safe Deposit Boxes – for heirs". The procedure is as follows:
- You complete the request, giving your details and the deceased's full name and personal number (ЕГН), and indicate whether you want information on accounts, safe deposit boxes or both.
- You attach a copy of the certificate of heirs and proof of payment of the fee if you choose a shorter processing time.
- The request may be filed by just one of the heirs. If an attorney-in-fact acts, an express notarised power of attorney issued for use before the BNB is required (Art. 56a(4) of the Credit Institutions Act).
- You receive the response in person at the BNB in Sofia, by post with a return receipt, or through a third party you designate.
According to the BNB form, the search is free if issued within 14 days. For faster issue the fees are EUR 4.09 (within 7 working days), EUR 8.18 (within 24 hours) and EUR 16.36 (within 4 working hours). When the request is sent by post, the applicant's signature must be notarised. If the certification was made by a notary abroad, a certified translation is also attached.
From our practice: The register search shows which banks held accounts and safe deposit boxes, but not the balances in them. With it, however, you know exactly which banks to go to, instead of visiting all of them one by one.
Enquiries at the banks themselves
Once you know the banks, each heir can ask the bank concerned for information on the accounts and balances by presenting the certificate of heirs and an identity document. Banks usually issue a statement of the balance as at the date of death, and to pay out the money they require the consent or presence of all the heirs, or notarised powers of attorney. The requirements vary from bank to bank.
If money was wrongly withdrawn from the deceased's account or card after the death, see what can be done in our article on unauthorised transactions from a card or account.
The safe deposit box
If the register shows a rented safe deposit box, it is usually opened in the presence of all the heirs or their attorneys-in-fact, and a record of its contents is drawn up.
How to check what properties the deceased owned
Property Register at the Registry Agency
The Property Register contains registered real estate transactions. The most useful search for heirs is the search by a person's personal file (персонална партида), using the deceased's full name and personal number. It shows the notarial deeds for purchases, gifts and other transactions to which the deceased was a party, as well as mortgages and attachments.
Important: Access to the Property Register has been restricted. Since 15 January 2026, copies of registered deeds are issued without proof of a legal interest only to certain persons – the parties to the deed and their successors (including heirs), notaries, lawyers and enforcement agents. In practice, the search by a person's personal file is now made by the owner of the file or through a lawyer. This is why heirs find it easiest to obtain it through a lawyer holding a power of attorney. A search for a specific property, by address or cadastral identifier, remains available.
The search must be made for each judicial district in which you suspect there is a property. For older acquisitions, made before electronic files were introduced, the data may be incomplete and the registers have to be checked on site.
The cadastre (KAIS) and the municipality
The cadastral map (the KAIS system of the Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency, АГКК) is used mainly to check a specific property once you already know its address or identifier.
A valuable and often overlooked source is the municipality. Its Local Taxes and Fees department keeps tax files for the properties on which the deceased paid building tax and the household waste fee. The heirs must in any case file a declaration of the inherited assets with the municipality within 6 months (Art. 32 of the Local Taxes and Fees Act), so the search can be made at the same time as filing it. You will find more about the tax file and the electricity, water and heating accounts in our article on transferring utility accounts to the heirs.
When the inherited property is to be sold, the buyer will carry out a detailed check of the documents. We explain exactly what is checked in our article on legal due diligence before buying property.
How to find out whether the deceased owned a car
Registered motor vehicles are recorded by the Traffic Police (Пътна полиция) units of the Ministry of Interior (МВР). The Ministry offers an administrative service issuing a certificate with data on the registered and deregistered vehicles of a given person. The heirs file an application with the Traffic Police at the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior (ОДМВР) or, in Sofia, the Sofia Directorate (СДВР), attaching the certificate of heirs. If filing through an attorney-in-fact, a notarised power of attorney is required.
Note that the Ministry of Interior applies ex officio deregistration of vehicles belonging to deceased owners. If the car is not re-registered in an heir's name within a reasonable time, its registration may be cancelled. The car remains part of the estate, but before you use or sell it you must sort out the registration. Check the current conditions with the Traffic Police.
Shares in companies, sole traders and securities
Commercial Register
The Commercial Register at the Registry Agency is public and free to search. In it you can check whether the deceased was:
- a partner in an OOD (limited liability company) or the sole owner of an EOOD (single-member limited liability company);
- a sole trader (ЕТ);
- a manager, a member of a board of directors or a holder of commercial power of attorney (procurator).
Shares in an OOD are assets that are inherited, but whether the heirs become partners depends on the articles of association and on the Commerce Act. You will find details in our article on the transfer of company shares in an OOD. Also check whether the company has published its annual financial statements. If it has not, it may be struck off ex officio, which also affects the value of the inherited share. More on this in our article on the ex officio strike-off of companies for unpublished annual accounts.
Securities at the Central Depository
Shares and other book-entry financial instruments are held at the Central Depository (Централен депозитар АД). According to the Depository itself, inheritance is not handled directly there but through a licensed investment firm acting as registration agent. The heirs, or one of them, ask the investment firm for a "final portfolio", i.e. a statement of the securities held by the deceased, presenting the certificate of heirs. The investment firm then transfers the securities to the heirs' accounts on the basis of a partition or a will.
Pensions, pension funds and life insurance
Unpaid pension from the National Social Security Institute
If the deceased was a pensioner, part of their pension may have remained unpaid. The heirs can claim the unpaid amounts from the regional office of the National Social Security Institute (НОИ) that paid the pension, including electronically. Check with the Institute which heirs are entitled and for what period.
Money in a universal pension fund
It is less well known that the money in a deceased person's individual account in a universal or occupational pension fund is not lost. Under Art. 170(1) of the Social Security Code, it is paid to their legal heirs in a lump sum or in instalments. Contact the pension insurance company with which they were insured. If you do not know which one it is, its name usually appears in the deceased's annual statements or social security documents.
Life insurance
In Bulgaria there is currently no public central register in which heirs can check whether the deceased had life insurance. A hands-on search is therefore needed:
- look for policies and correspondence from insurers in the deceased's papers;
- go through the bank statements for regular payments of insurance premiums;
- check whether their loans had insurance taken out through the bank;
- ask the employer about group insurance for employees.
Where a beneficiary is named in the policy, the sum is owed to that person. If there is none, it is usually paid to the heirs. We deal with disputed cases in which an insurer refuses to pay in our insurance law practice.
How to check the deceased's debts
Finding the debts is just as important as finding the assets. Under Art. 60(1) of the Inheritance Act, heirs who have accepted the inheritance are liable for its obligations in proportion to their shares.
Central Credit Register (ЦКР)
The Central Credit Register at the BNB contains information on credit indebtedness to banks and to non-bank financial institutions, including payday-loan companies, which also report data to the register. The BNB tariff expressly provides that heirs of deceased persons may also obtain information. An application on the "For heirs" form is filed under Art. 21(4) of Ordinance No. 22 on the Central Credit Register, with a copy of the certificate of heirs. The search is free within 14 days; for a shorter period the fees are EUR 1.02 (within 7 working days), EUR 5.11 (within 24 hours) and EUR 10.22 (within 4 working hours).
Other liabilities: National Revenue Agency, private enforcement agents, court cases
- National Revenue Agency (НАП) and the municipality: taxes and social security contributions are checked with the National Revenue Agency, and building tax and the household waste fee with the municipality.
- Private enforcement agents (ЧСИ): enforcement proceedings against the deceased may continue against the heirs. Often the first sign is a notice or garnishment order received at their address.
- Court cases: pending cases do not lapse on death, and the heirs may be joined to the proceedings in the deceased's place.
- Utility providers: unpaid electricity, water and heating bills are also a debt of the estate.
If the liabilities look large, do not rush to dispose of the inherited assets. You can accept the inheritance under inventory by a written application to the district court judge within three months of learning that the succession has opened (Art. 61(1) of the Inheritance Act). With acceptance under inventory you are liable for the debts only up to the value of the assets received.
Tracing an estate: summary table
| What you are looking for | Where | Who can request it | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank accounts and safe deposit boxes | Register of Bank Accounts and Safe Deposit Boxes at the BNB | Any heir or attorney-in-fact | "For heirs" request, certificate of heirs |
| Account balances | The bank concerned | Heir | Certificate of heirs, ID card |
| Loans and credit | Central Credit Register at the BNB | Heir or attorney-in-fact | "For heirs" application, certificate of heirs |
| Real estate | Registry Office, the municipality | Search by person: through a lawyer | Deceased's full name and personal number, certificate of heirs |
| Cars | Traffic Police (Ministry of Interior) | Heir or attorney-in-fact | Application, certificate of heirs |
| Company shares, sole traders | Commercial Register | Anyone, free of charge | Name or personal number / company number (ЕИК) |
| Shares and bonds | Investment firm and Central Depository | Heir | Certificate of heirs |
| Unpaid pension | Regional office of the National Social Security Institute | Heir | Application, certificate of heirs |
| Pension fund | The pension insurance company | Legal heir | Certificate of heirs, death certificate |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I find out which banks my late parent had accounts with?
File a "For heirs" request with the Register of Bank Accounts and Safe Deposit Boxes at the BNB, attaching a copy of the certificate of heirs. The search shows all the banks in which the deceased had accounts or safe deposit boxes and is free with a 14-day processing time. You then contact each of the banks listed for the balances.
Does the register search show how much money is in the accounts?
No. The register contains data on the accounts and their holders, but not on the balances. The balances are obtained from the bank itself, which issues a statement to the heirs against the certificate of heirs and an identity document.
Can I search for a deceased person's assets if I live abroad?
Yes. Searches at the BNB, the banks, the Ministry of Interior and the other institutions can be carried out through an attorney-in-fact with a notarised power of attorney. The request to the BNB can also be sent by post with a notarised signature. We describe the procedure in detail in our article on heirs living abroad.
How do I find out whether the deceased had debts to banks?
Make a search in the BNB's Central Credit Register using the "For heirs" application. The register shows loans both from banks and from non-bank financial institutions and payday-loan companies. Liabilities to the National Revenue Agency, the municipality, utility companies and private individuals must be checked separately.
What should I do if the deceased's debts exceed the assets?
You can renounce the inheritance or accept it under inventory. Acceptance under inventory is declared in writing before the district court judge within three months of learning that the succession has opened. You are then liable for the debts only up to the value of what you inherited. For more on the deadlines, see our guide "Inheritance in Bulgaria: first steps".
Do I inherit the deceased's share in an OOD?
A company share is an asset, and its value is inherited. Whether the heirs become partners, however, depends on the articles of association and on the decision of the general meeting. We look at this question in detail in our article on the transfer of company shares in an OOD.
How can I find a deceased person's life insurance?
In Bulgaria there is no public register of insurance policies accessible to heirs. Look for policies in the deceased's papers, premium payments in the bank statements, insurance attached to their loans and group insurance with their employer. If you find a policy, contact the insurer directly with the certificate of heirs and the death certificate.
What happens to the deceased's electricity and water bills?
Unpaid bills are a debt of the estate, and the accounts must be transferred to the heirs or to the new occupant. The deadlines and documents differ from provider to provider. We explain them in our article on electricity, water, heating and gas accounts after a death.
What should I do if money was withdrawn from the deceased's card after their death?
Notify the bank immediately and ask for the card and account to be blocked, presenting the death certificate. If the withdrawals were unauthorised, the heirs can dispute the transactions and claim the amounts. We describe the steps in our article on unauthorised transactions from a card or account.
How can we help you?
Tracing an estate requires patience and knowledge of many different registers and procedures. The lawyers at Mechkova & Dimitrova Law Firm can carry out the searches at the BNB, the banks, the Registry Agency, the Ministry of Interior and the municipalities on your behalf, including when you are abroad, and give you a clear picture of the assets and debts before you decide whether to accept the inheritance. You will find more about our work on our family and inheritance law page.
The information in this article is general and does not replace advice on your particular case. Contact us for advice on tracing and settling an inheritance.
