Bulgaria public holidays 2027: what truck drivers need to know

Bulgaria has no general public-holiday truck ban. The 2027 official holidays come from Labour Code art. 154, with Orthodox Easter calculated as 2027-05-02, so Good Friday is 30 April and Easter Monday 3 May. The Road Infrastructure Agency (API) has announced peak-hour limits for trucks over 12 t on main motorways around holiday periods, such as Christmas and New Year 2025/26.

Which Bulgarian public holidays fall in 2027?

Article 154(1) of the Labour Code lists 1 January, 3 March, 1 May, 6 May, 24 May, 6 September, 22 September, 24 December and 25 and 26 December, plus Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. The weekdays and extra days in the table are our calculation, checked against the code on 2026-11-06.

Art. 154(2) says that when a holiday other than the Easter days falls on a weekend, the first or first two working days after it are non-attendance days. Christmas covers a full weekend, which gives Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. Labour Day on a Saturday probably gives Tuesday 4 May under art. 154(2), but treat that day as unconfirmed. The Council of Ministers can add one-off days under art. 154(3), and none was found for 2027.

The 1 November date is a non-attendance day for schools only and is not listed in art. 154(1).

Does Bulgaria ban trucks on public holidays?

No general ban applies. Restrictions arrive as temporary Road Infrastructure Agency (API) orders for vehicles over 12 t at peak hours, and the 2027 schedule was not yet published on 2026-11-06.

The API notice of 2025-12-18 shows the pattern. For Christmas and New Year 2025/26 it limited trucks over 12 t on the whole Trakia and Struma motorways and on Hemus from Sofia to Dermantsi. The windows were 14:00 to 20:00 leaving Sofia on 2025-12-23 and 2025-12-30, and 12:00 to 20:00 toward Sofia on 2026-01-04.

The notice exempted passenger transport, dangerous goods under ADR, live animals, and perishable and temperature-controlled loads. It narrowed the exemption on part of Trakia, so read each notice for the exact roads. Check api.bg before every long weekend, and read our Bulgaria truck ban times and rules guide for the wider picture.

Which 2027 weekends need the most planning?

Two blocks stand out. The first runs from Friday 30 April to Monday 3 May, may reach Tuesday 4 May, and Thursday 6 May follows two days after 4 May. The second runs from Friday 24 December to Tuesday 28 December. No 2027 windows have been announced. The 2025/26 notice and the 2026 draft restricted the day before a holiday block and the last rest day, so check api.bg for these dates.

The Monday holidays on 24 May and 6 September also make three-day weekends. If your route continues into Romania, check the Romania public holiday rules for 2027 . Open the Bulgaria 2027 holiday calendar to see every date in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bulgaria have a permanent truck ban on holidays?

No general holiday truck ban was found in the sources reviewed. Limits appear as temporary Road Infrastructure Agency (API) orders on named roads for vehicles over 12 t. Check the notice for each holiday period.

Are ADR and perishable loads exempt?

In the API notice of 2025-12-18, yes. Dangerous goods under ADR, live animals, and perishable and temperature-controlled loads were exempt, with a narrower exemption on part of Trakia. Confirm the same wording in any 2027 notice.

Is 1 November a public holiday in Bulgaria?

No. It is a non-attendance day for schools only. It is not among the official holidays listed in art. 154(1).

When will API publish the 2027 schedule?

No 2027 API schedule had been found as of 2026-11-06. The draft for 2026 appeared on 2025-11-10 via BTA . Check api.bg before each long weekend.

Get a transport quote to plan your Bulgarian runs around each long weekend.