In 2025 the Spatial Development Act (ZUT) was amended twice — in State Gazette No. 47 of 10 June and No. 87 of 17 October — and since the start of 2026 the investment process has been operating in a tangibly new framework. Here is what matters in practice if you are preparing or managing a project.
The “design solution” under Art. 147. A new definition was introduced — a reduced volume of design documentation for certain works for which approval of a full investment design is not required. The scope and content of the design solution are set out in the secondary legislation (the ordinances under Art. 139 and Ordinance No. 4 on the scope and content of investment designs), which the law required to be updated within nine months. For the investor this means: for smaller works and certain categories the road to a building permit can run on a lighter package — but the boundaries of the relief are read in the ordinances, not in the act, and the precise judgement of which regime applies to a specific development is part of the project’s permitting strategy.
A unified public register for spatial development. The act sets out a unified register covering spatial plans, building permits, commissioning acts and related documents. For investment analysis this is a tool of real value: checking the status of a property, of neighbouring developments and of the permit history becomes faster and less dependent on the local administration. The register’s completeness will build up gradually — but the direction is clear: more transparency in due diligence.
Electronic procedures. Electronic exchange is expanding — filing applications and designs electronically, electronic coordination, fewer paper copies, traceability of case files. The effect on timelines depends on each administration’s readiness, but for well-prepared files the digital channel is now an advantage, not an exotic option.
Municipal spatial plans. The deadlines for municipalities on their general spatial plans were extended (municipalities without an adopted general plan operate under a transitional regime until the end of 2028). For projects in Sofia the direct effect is limited, but for investments outside the capital the status of the municipality’s spatial planning remains the first check in Phase 0.
The takeaway for the investor: the regulatory framework is moving towards digitalisation and transparency, but with transitional periods and secondary-legislation details that need careful reading. In our model this is the work of Phase 0 (verifying the planning and permitting status) and Phase 2 (permitting strategy and management of the procedures).