Act 16 in Bulgaria: what it means when buying property

“Act 16” (Bulgarian: Акт 16) is the everyday name for the document that puts a finished building into service, so that it can be used for its purpose. In property listings it usually means the building has either a permission for use from the national construction control agency (DNSK) or a certificate of commissioning from the municipality.

Strictly speaking, Act 16 is a protocol of a state acceptance commission. Estate agents, however, use the term for the final document. That is why the first question to ask is simple: which document exactly, with what number, date and issuer?

Act 14, Act 15 and Act 16 at a glance

Bulgarian construction is documented with standard forms set out in Ordinance No. 3 of 31 July 2003 on the acts and protocols drawn up during construction. Three of them appear in almost every listing for a new build:

Bulgarian term	What it is	Who signs or issues it	What it confirms
Акт 14 (Act 14)	Act for acceptance of the structure	The parties to the construction	The structure (“rough construction”, груб строеж) is complete
Акт 15 (Act 15)	Statement of fitness for acceptance	The parties to the construction	The building is ready to be accepted
Акт 16 (protocol No. 16)	Protocol of fitness for use	State acceptance commission	Basis for a permission for use (categories I–III)
Разрешение за ползване	Permission for use	DNSK	The building is put into service (categories I–III)
Удостоверение за въвеждане в експлоатация	Certificate of commissioning	The authority that issued the building permit	The building is put into service (categories IV–V)

Act 14 and Act 15 are not the final document. A building “at Act 15” is not yet in service. Protocol No. 16 on its own is also not a permission for use; it is the basis on which DNSK issues one.

A more detailed explanation in Bulgarian is in „Какво е Акт 16?“ and „Акт 14, Акт 15 и Акт 16“.

Permission for use vs certificate of commissioning

Buildings in Bulgaria are classified into categories I to V. The category is set in the design documents.

• Categories I–III (larger and more complex buildings): DNSK issues a permission for use after the state acceptance commission signs protocol No. 16. DNSK keeps a public register of permissions for use.
• Categories IV–V (smaller buildings, including most single-family houses): the authority that issued the building permit issues a certificate of commissioning. In Sofia these are published in the NAG register of Sofia Municipality.

Both documents put the building into service. Which one your building should have depends on its category. The Bulgarian comparison is in „Разрешение за ползване и удостоверение“.

Why Act 16 matters when you buy

Every purchase is different, and you should rely on a Bulgarian lawyer for the transaction. In general terms:

• Use of the building. As a rule, a building should not be used before it has been put into service.
• Utilities and paperwork. Permanent utility contracts, address registration and some bank requirements are in practice often linked to commissioning. Requirements differ between institutions and banks, so ask them directly.
• Off-plan risk. Units are often sold after Act 14, while the building is still unfinished. Delays between Act 14 and Act 16 are common. Make sure the contract says which document triggers each payment.
• Act 16 is not a title deed. Ownership is proven by the notary deed (нотариален акт) and checked in the Property Register. Act 16 concerns the building, not who owns it.
• Scope. A certificate may cover only one building, entrance or stage (етап) of a complex. Check that your unit is included.

How to check a Sofia building on akt16.org

akt16.org is an independent site that mirrors Sofia’s public registers of building permits and certificates of commissioning. The interface is in Bulgarian, but you can search without typing Cyrillic.

1. Find the cadastral identifier. It is a number such as 68134.xxx.yyy. You can find it in the notary deed, a cadastral sketch or the official cadastral map at KAIS. 68134 is the code of the city of Sofia; villages in Sofia Municipality have other five-digit codes. If you have a longer identifier for an apartment (e.g. 68134.xxx.yyy.1.12), search with the first three parts — that is the plot.
2. Open „Проверка на имот“ (Property check) at akt16.org/check/. Paste the identifier or an address. Results from both registers are grouped by plot, so you see the property’s history: building permits and certificates together.
3. Use the registers directly if needed. „Акт 16“ is the register of certificates of commissioning; „Разрешения за строеж“ is the register of building permits.
4. Read the record. Useful labels: „Издател“ (issuer), „Описание на строежа“ (description of the works), „Район“ (district), „Местоположение“ (location: plot, block, address), „Идентификатор КККР“ (cadastral identifier), „Строителен надзор“ (construction supervisor). If the description mentions „Етап“ (stage), the document covers only part of the project.
5. Confirm with the official source. For certificates, use the NAG register. For permissions for use, use the DNSK register.

To browse recently completed residential buildings, see „Нови жилищни сгради с Акт 16“ or the map.

akt16.org is not an official register. If you find no record, that does not prove the building has no document. It may have been issued by DNSK, be older than our data, or be listed under a different address.

How long it takes to get Act 16 in Sofia

As of October 2026, akt16.org tracks 5,342 certificates of commissioning (2023–2026) and 10,824 building permits (2021–2026). For 1,745 certificates, the same cadastral plot also has an earlier building permit in the data.

Building type	Median time from building permit to certificate	Middle half of projects
All construction	≈ 20 months	≈ 9–31 months
Multi-family residential buildings	≈ 29 months	≈ 17–37 months
Single-family houses	≈ 28.5 months	≈ 18–38 months

These figures come from the municipal registers only. Permits in our data start in 2021, so very long projects are under-represented. Matching is by cadastral identifier and may occasionally pair unrelated stages. The full analysis by district (in Bulgarian) is in „Колко време отнема от разрешение за строеж до Акт 16“.

In practice: if a developer promises Act 16 within a year of the building permit for an apartment block, that is faster than usual. It is not impossible, but ask for a written schedule.

What to ask the seller or developer

• A copy of the final document: permission for use or certificate of commissioning, with number, date and issuer.
• The building permit number and date.
• Copies of Act 14 and Act 15 if the building is not yet in service. These are not in the public registers.
• Confirmation that your unit is within the scope of the document (building, entrance, stage).
• The type of unit in the approved design. An „ателие“ (studio/atelier) is not necessarily a dwelling, even if it is marketed as an apartment.

Have important documents translated and reviewed by a lawyer before you sign.