Market and legal data for the vapour sector in Bulgaria

9th September 2024: Bulgaria: Parliament has passed an amendment to the Child Protection Act in its second and final reading that extends the ban on sales of tobacco products to under-18s to include “products other than tobacco products”, which would include e-cigarettes without nicotine. Sales of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to under-18s are already banned. The bill needs to be signed by the president before becoming a law.
1st August 2024: Bulgaria: Parliament has passed in its first reading an amendment to the Child Protection Act, extending the ban on sales of tobacco products to under-18s to include “products other than tobacco products, smokeless tobacco products and heated tobacco products”. Although the bill does not address e-cigarettes, members of parliament (MPs) are considering a ban on fruit flavours for e-cigarettes, press reports. Kostadin Angelov of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, which currently holds a majority in the parliament, said: “I am opening a big door for you with the idea of whether these types of cigarettes and vapes can have fruit flavours at all.” The bill will now go to a second and final reading.
30th May 2024: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Finance has published an amendment to the Supplements to the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law on Excise Duty and Tax Warehouses. The amendment adds a limit of 20 ml for bringing in e-cigarettes for personal use from other EU member states, regardless of the nicotine content. The amendment also systematises and defines the taxable composition of e-liquids, regardless of nicotine content. The amendment adds as taxable products mixtures that can be added to an e-liquid, such as an alkaloid nicotine or its salts alone, or in combination with glycerol or flavourings. The draft needs to be sent to and approved by the parliament.
8th January 2024: Bulgaria: As of 1st January 2024, the tax on e-cigarettes, regardless of nicotine content, has increased to BGN0.35 (€0.18) per ml.
20th December 2023: Bulgaria: Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes must carry tax stamps from 31st December 2023.
1st August 2023: Bulgaria: The 2023 State Budget, published today (1st August), increases the tax on nicotine e-cigarettes and applies it for the first time to non-nicotine e-cigarettes too. From today, both will be taxed at BGN0.30 (€ 0.15) per ml, rising to BGN0.35 (€0.18) per ml from 1st January 2024, BGN0.40 (€0.20) from 1st January 2025, and BGN0.45 (€0.23) from 1st January 2026.
28th July 2023: Bulgaria: Parliament has approved the 2023 State Budget, which increases the tax on nicotine e-cigarettes and applies it for the first time to non-nicotine e-cigs. Both will be taxed at BGN0.30 (€0.15) per ml from 1st August, BGN0.35 (€0.18) per ml from 1st January 2024, BGN0.40 (€0.20) per ml from 1st January 2025, and BGN0.45 (€0.23) per ml from 1st January 2026. The Budget needs to be signed by the president and published in the Federal Gazette.
29th June 2023: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Finance’s draft state budget increases the tax on nicotine e-cigarettes and applies it for the first time to non-nicotine e-cigs. Both will be taxed at BGN0.30 (€0.15) per ml from 1st August, BGN0.35 (€0.18) from 1st January 2024, BGN0.40 (€0.20) from 1st January 2025 and BGN0.45 (€0.23) per ml from 1st January 2026. The draft has to be approved by the National Assembly before it becomes law.
14th April 2023: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Economy and Industry has notified a draft Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Tax-Insurance Procedural Code to the European Commission's TRIS database, which introduces a tax for non-nicotine e-cigarettes and increases the tax for nicotine-containing ones. Both products will be taxed at BGN0.30 (€0.15) per ml from 1st July 2023, BGN0.35 (€0.18) per ml from 1st January 2024, BGN0.40 (€0.20) per ml from 1st January 2025 and BGN0.45 (€0.23) per ml from 1st January 2026. The draft is open for public consultation until 16th April on the Ministry of Finance's website.
20th March 2023: Bulgaria: The Ministry of Finance has presented a draft Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Tax-Insurance Procedural Code, which introduces a tax for non-nicotine e-cigarettes and increases the tax for nicotine-containing ones. If approved, both products will be taxed at BGN0.30 (€0.15) per ml from 1st July 2023, BGN0.35 (€0.18) per ml from 1st January 2024, BGN0.40 (€0.20) per ml from 1st January 2025 and BGN0.45 (€0.23) per ml from 1st January 2026. The draft is open for public consultation until 16th April, when it will then be sent to the National Assembly.
16th March 2023: Bulgaria: Finance minister Rositsa Velkova has announced that the 2023 Budget will include an increase in tax on e-cigarettes. The changes will be published tomorrow, 17th March, and a draft budget will be presented for public discussion on 3rd April before being submitted to the National Assembly.
28th February 2023: Bulgaria: From tomorrow, 1st March, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes will be taxed at BGN0.18 (€0.09) per ml. The rate will rise to BGN0.25 (€0.13) in 2024 and BGN0.35 (€0.18) in 2025.

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