Road signs in Bulgaria

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

• 
  A1
  Right curve
• 
  A2
  Left curve
• 
  A3
  Double curve, first at right
• 
  A4
  Double curve, first at left
• 
  A5
  Steep downhill
• 
  A6
  Steep uphill
• 
  A7
  Road narrows — two-sided
• 
  A8
  Road narrows - on the right
• 
  A9
  Road narrows - on the left
• 
  A10
  Opening bridge
• 
  A11
  Unprotected quayside or riverbank
• 
  A12
  Uneven road
• 
  A13
  Speed bump
• 
  A14
  Dangerous roadside
• 
  A15
  Slippery road
• 
  A16
  Loose chippings
• 
  A17
  Falling rocks
• 
  A18
  Pedestrian crossing
• 
  A19
  Children area
• 
  A20
  Cyclists
• 
  A21
  Domesticated animals
• 
  A22
  Wild animals
• 
  A23
  Roadworks
• 
  A24
  Traffic lights
• 
  A25
  Crossroads without priority (give way to the vehicles coming from the right)
• 
  A26
  Intersection with a secondary road
• 
  A27
  Secondary road junction on the right
• 
  A28
  Secondary road junction on the left
• 
  A29
  Roundabout ahead
• 
  A30
  Two - way traffic
• 
  A31
  Trams
• 
  A32
  Level crossing with barriers ahead
• 
  A33
  Level crossing without barriers ahead
• 
  A34.1
  Single track level crossing
• 
  A34.2
  Multitrack level crossing
• 
  A35.1
  Distance to the road-railway crossing
• 
  A35.2
  Distance to the road-railway crossing
• 
  A35.3
  Distance to the road-railway crossing
• 
  A36
  Low-flying aircraft
• 
  A37
  Crosswinds
• 
  A38
  Tunnel
• 
  A39
  Other hazards
• 
  A40
  Accident-prone road area
• 
  A41
  Traffic jam
• 
  A42
  Fog
• 
  A43
  A traffic accident has occurred

Priority signs

• 
  B1
  Give way
• 
  B2
  Stop
• 
  B3
  Priority road
• 
  B4
  End of priority road
• 
  B5
  Give way to vehicles coming from the opposite direction
• 
  B6
  Priority over vehicles in opposite direction

Prohibitory signs

• 
  V1
  No entry
• 
  V2
  Road closed to all traffic
• 
  V3
  No motor vehicles
• 
  V4
  No trucks/heavy goods vehicles
• 
  V5
  No trucks/heavy goods vehicles pulling trailers
• 
  V6
  No trailers
• 
  V7
  No tractors
• 
  V8
  No motorcycles
• 
  V9
  No bicycles
• 
  V10
  No horse-drawn vehicles
• 
  V11
  No handcarts
• 
  V12
  No pedestrians
• 
  V13
  No vehicles carrying dangerous goods
• 
  V14
  No trucks and motorbikes
• 
  V15
  Width limit (2.5 metres)
• 
  V16
  Height limit (3.5 metres)
• 
  V17
  Length limit (12 metres)
• 
  V18
  Weight limit (9.5 tonnes)
• 
  V19
  Weight limit per axle
• 
  V20
  No traffic allowed without indicated minimum distance between vehicles
• 
  V21
  No right turn
• 
  V22
  No left turn
• 
  V23
  No U-turn
• 
  V24
  No overtaking
• 
  V25
  No overtaking by trucks/heavy goods vehicles
• 
  V26
  Speed limit (50 km/h)
• 
  V26
  Speed limit (60 km/h)
• 
  V26
  Speed limit (80 km/h)
• 
  V27
  Do not block
• 
  V28
  No parking
• 
  V29
  Stop for customs
• 
  V30
  No sound signals
• 
  V31
  End of no overtaking zone
• 
  V32
  End of no overtaking by trucks/heavy goods vehicles zone
• 
  V33
  End of speed limit (50 km/h)
• 
  V34
  End of all restrictions

Mandatory signs

• 
  G1
  Keep straight
• 
  G2
  Turn right ahead
• 
  G3
  Turn left ahead
• 
  G4
  Turn right or go straight ahead
• 
  G5
  Turn left or go straight ahead
• 
  G6
  Turn left or right ahead
• 
  G7
  Turn right before the sign
• 
  G8
  Turn left before the sign
• 
  G9
  Keep right
• 
  G10
  Keep left
• 
  G11
  Keep left or right
• 
  G12
  Roundabout
• 
  G13
  Exclusive bus or trolleybus lane
• 
  G14
  Bicycle lane
• 
  G15
  Pedestrian lane
• 
  G16
  Segregated pedestrian and bicycle path
• 
  G17
  Minimum speed limit (30 km/h)
• 
  G17
  Minimum speed limit (50 km/h)
• 
  G18
  End of minimum speed limit (30 km/h)
• 
  G18
  End of minimum speed limit (50 km/h)
• 
  G19
  Snow chains compulsory
• 
  G20
  Vehicles carrying hazardous goods should turn left

Special regulations signs

• 
  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-compilation indicator
• 
  Д4
  One-way traffic
• 
  Д5
  Motorway
• 
  Д6
  End of motorway
• 
  Д7
  Limited-access highway (option 1)
• 
  Д7
  Limited-access highway (option 2)
• 
  Д8
  End of limited-access highway (option 1)
• 
  Д8
  End of limited-access highway (option 2)
• 
  Д9
  Entrance to tunnel (option 1)
• 
  Д9
  Entrance to tunnel (option 2)
• 
  Д10
  End of tunnel (option 1)
• 
  Д10
  End of tunnel (option 2)
• 
  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
  Bus stop
• 
  Д23
  Trolleybus stop
• 
  Д24
  Tram stop
• 
  Д25
  Vignette road
• 
  Д25
  Vignette and toll road
• 
  Д25
  Toll road

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
• 
  Е7.3
  Gas station that also offers unleaded gasoline
• 
  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)
• 
  Е24
  Control with automated technical means or systems
• 
  Е25
  Charging station for electric vehicles

Information signs

• 
  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
• 
  Ж4
  Alternative way of driving in connection with the prohibition on turning left
• 
  Ж5
  Truck route
• 
  Ж9
  U-turn permitted
• 
  Ж10
  Destinations sign with distances used on highways
• 
  Ж10
  Destinations sign with distances used on roads
• 
  Ж12
  Entry to no through road
• 
  Ж13
  Dead end
• 
  Ж14
  Indicating the number and direction of traffic lanes
• 
  Ж16
  Traffic redirected on adjacent carriageway (temporary sign, usually placed during the roadworks)
• 
  Ж18
  Emergency escape lane for runaway vehicles
• 
  Ж19
  50 km/h advisory speed
• 
  Ж20/Ж21
  Highway route number sign

Additional plates

• 
  Т1
  Above sign effective in 1300 metres
• 
  Т2
  Sign area effective
• 
  Т3
  Plate indicating beginning of stopping or parking prohibition
• 
  Т8
  Stop ahead in 50 metres (placed below the give way sign to warn of a stop sign ahead)
• 
  Т13
  Diagram of priority road direction
• 
  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

Unofficial road signs

• 
  EU country border

References

External links

• Media related to Road signs in Bulgaria at Wikimedia Commons