Road signs in Bulgaria

Bilingual road sign near Dragoman (border Bulgaria/Serbia)

Road signs in the Republic of Bulgaria were introduced by the Road Traffic Act and are regulated by:

Regulations for the implementation of the Road Traffic Act, adopted by a Decree of the Council of Ministers;^[1]^[2]
Ordinance No. 18 of July 23, 2001 on road signaling with traffic signs, issued by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.^[3]

Both normative documents are harmonized with the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals (1968), which was ratified by Bulgaria on December 28, 1978 (This Convention was not published in the State Gazette).^[4] Bulgaria made two declarations upon signature, one reservation upon ratification and one declaration upon ratification. One reservation made upon ratification is regarding transliteration into Latin characters solely to indicate the terminal points of international routes passing through Bulgaria and places of interest to international tourism. This is due to the fact that the Cyrillic script is used in the writing system of the Bulgarian language, the official language of Bulgaria.

Road signs in Bulgaria use the SNV typeface, which is also used in neighboring countries in the Balkans such as Romania, Serbia and North Macedonia. Inscriptions on road signs are usually written in both Bulgarian and English (Cyrillic and Latin scripts respectively), including settlement names.

Today there are some differences between the two documents regarding road signs. The latest changes in Ordinance No. 18 were promulgated in the State Gazette No. 13, dated February 14, 2020. These changes are not reflected in the Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Act.

Warning signs

А1
Right curve
А2
Left curve
А3
Double curve, first at right
А4
Double curve, first at left
А5
Steep downhill
А6
Steep uphill
А7
Road narrows — two-sided
А8
Road narrows - on the right
А9
Road narrows - on the left
А10
Opening bridge
А11
Unprotected quayside or riverbank
А12
Uneven road
А13
Speed bump
А14
Dangerous roadside
А15
Slippery road
А16
Loose chippings
А17
Falling rocks
А18
Pedestrian crossing
А19
Children area
А20
Cyclists
А21
Cattle
А22
Deer
А23
Roadworks
А24
Traffic lights
А25
Crossroads without priority (give way to the vehicles coming from the right)
А26
Intersection with a secondary road
А27
Secondary road junction on the right
А28
Secondary road junction on the left
А29
Roundabout ahead
А30
Two - way traffic
А31
Trams
А32
Level crossing with barriers ahead
А33
Level crossing without barriers ahead
А34.1
Single track level crossing
А34.2
Multitrack level crossing
А35.1
Distance to the road-railway crossing
А35.2
Distance to the road-railway crossing
А35.3
Distance to the road-railway crossing
А35.4
Distance to the road-railway crossing
А35.5
Distance to the road-railway crossing
А35.6
Distance to the road-railway crossing
А36
Low-flying aircraft
А37
Crosswinds
А38
Tunnel
А39
Other hazards
А40
Accident-prone road area
А41
Traffic jam
А42
Fog
А43
A traffic accident has occurred

Priority signs

Б1
Give way
Б2
Stop
Б3
Priority road
Б4
End of priority road
Б5
Give way to vehicles coming from the opposite direction
Б6
Priority over vehicles in opposite direction

Prohibitory signs

В1
No entry
В2
Road closed to all traffic
В3
No motor vehicles
В4
No trucks/heavy goods vehicles
В5
No trucks/heavy goods vehicles pulling trailers
В6
No trailers
В7
No tractors
В8
No motorcycles
В9
No bicycles
В10
No horse-drawn vehicles
В11
No handcarts
В12
No pedestrians
В13
No vehicles carrying dangerous goods
В14
No trucks and motorbikes
В15
Width limit (2.5 metres)
В16
Height limit (3.5 metres)
В17
Length limit (12 metres)
В18
Weight limit (9.5 tonnes)
В19
Weight limit per axle
В20
No traffic allowed without indicated minimum distance between vehicles
В21
No right turn
В22
No left turn
В23
No U-turn
В24
No overtaking
В25
No overtaking by trucks/heavy goods vehicles
В26
Speed limit (50 km/h)
В26
Speed limit (60 km/h)
В26
Speed limit (80 km/h)
В27
Do not block
В28
No parking
В29
Stop for customs
В30
No sound signals
В31
End of no overtaking zone
В32
End of no overtaking by trucks/heavy goods vehicles zone
В33
End of speed limit (50 km/h)
В34
End of all restrictions

Mandatory signs

Г1
Keep straight
Г2
Turn right ahead
Г3
Turn left ahead
Г4
Turn right or go straight ahead
Г5
Turn left or go straight ahead
Г6
Turn left or right ahead
Г7
Turn right before the sign
Г8
Turn left before the sign
Г9
Keep right
Г10
Keep left
Г11
Keep left or right
Г12
Roundabout
Г13
Exclusive bus or trolleybus lane
Г14
Bicycle lane
Г15
Pedestrian lane
Г16
Segregated pedestrian and bicycle path
Г17
Minimum speed limit (30 km/h)
Г17
Minimum speed limit (50 km/h)
Г18
End of minimum speed limit (30 km/h)
Г18
End of minimum speed limit (50 km/h)
Г19
Snow chains compulsory
Г20
Vehicles carrying hazardous goods should turn left

Special regulations signs

Д1
Number of lanes and traffic directions
Д1
Number of lanes and traffic directions
Д1
Number of lanes and traffic directions
Д2
Additional road lane for slow-moving road vehicles
Д2
Additional road lane for slow-moving road vehicles
Д2
Additional road lane for slow-moving road vehicles
Д3
Pre-rebuild directory
Д3
Pre-rebuild directory
Д4
One-way traffic
Д5
Motorway
Д6
End of motorway
Д7
Limited-access highway
Д7
Limited-access highway
Д8
End of limited-access highway
Д8
End of limited-access highway
Д9
Entrance to tunnel
Д9
Entrance to tunnel
Д10
End of tunnel
Д10
End of tunnel
Д11
Entrance to built-up area
Д12
End of built-up area
Д13
No parking zone
Д14
End of no parking zone
Д15
Entrance to residential area zone
Д16
End of residential area zone
Д17
Pedestrian zone
Д18
Hospital
Д19
Parking
Д20
Paid parking
Д21
Disabled people parking
Д22
Tram stop
Д23
Trolleybus stop
Д24
Bus stop
Д25
Vignette road
Д25
Vignette and toll road
Д25
Toll road
Д26
Parking space for electric vehicles for charging

Indication signs

Е1
Medical center
Е2
A hospital with an emergency department
Е3
Police
Е4
Telephone
E5 Technical service station
E6
Car wash
Е7.1
Gas station
Е7.2
Gas station
E8
Tourist information point
E9
Hotel or motel
E10
Restaurant
E11
Café
E12
Camping site
E13
Caravan site
E14
Camping and caravan site
E15
Youth hostel
E16
Picnic site
E17
Starting point for walks
E18
Drinking water
Е19
Toilet
Е20
Taxi stand
Е21
Pedestrian onderpass
Е22
National speed limits (used at border crossings with other countries)
Е23
The passage is open or closed to traffic
Е23
The passage is open or closed to traffic
Е23
The passage is open or closed to traffic
Е24
Control with automated technical means or systems
Е25
Charging station for electric vehicles
Е26
Hydrogen charging station

Information signs

Ж1
Preliminary route guide sign
Ж1
Preliminary route guide sign
Ж1
Preliminary route guide sign
Ж1
Preliminary route guide sign
Ж2
Route guide sign with destinations used on highways
Ж2
Route guide sign with destinations used on roads
Ж2
Route guide sign with destinations used inside cities
Ж3
Advance traffic diversion sign
Ж4
Alternative way of driving in connection with the prohibition on turning left
Ж5
Truck route
Ж6
Signboard
Ж7
Pointing arrow
Ж7
Pointing arrow
Ж7
Pointing arrow
Ж8
Directions to ferry
Ж9
U-turn permitted
Ж10
Destinations sign with distances used on highways
Ж10
Destinations sign with distances used on roads
Ж11
Object name (river)
Ж12
Entry to no through road
Ж13
Dead end
Ж14
Start of lane
Ж14
Start of lane
Ж14
Start of lane
Ж15
End of lane
Ж15
End of lane
Ж15
End of lane
Ж16
Crossing into the oncoming traffic lane
Ж18
Emergency escape lane for runaway vehicles
Ж19
50 km/h advisory speed
Ж20/Ж21
Highway route number sign
Ж20
Motorway number according to the national classification
Ж20
National classification road number
Ж21
Road number according to the international classification
Ж22
Kilometer sign

Additional plates

Т1
Above sign effective in 1300 metres
Т2
Sign area effective
Т3
Start
Т4
Continue
Т5
End
Т6
Road vehicle to which the action of the road sign applies
Т7
A road vehicle to which the effect of the traffic sign does not apply
Т8
Stop ahead in 50 metres (placed below the give way sign to warn of a stop sign ahead)
Т9
Arrow
Т10
Validity time of the traffic sign
Т11
A pointer to an object
Т12
Way of parking the road vehicles
Т13
Diagram of priority road direction
T14.1
Road conditions (ice)
T14.2
Road conditions (rainfall)
T15
Working days
T16
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays
T17
Text plate
T18.1
Plate indicating that unattended vehicle will be towed-away at the expense of the vehicle owner
T18.2
Placement of restrictive measures