Bulgaria truck driving ban: times and rules (2026)

Bulgaria has no nationwide Saturday or Sunday truck driving ban. Vehicles over 12 tonnes instead face route-specific restrictions on the Trakia, Hemus and Struma motorways and road I-1 from 1 June to 15 September, plus fixed-hour windows around public holidays, confirmed by Bulgaria's Road Infrastructure Agency (API) and independent tracker TruckBAN.eu.

This sets Bulgaria apart from neighbouring Croatia, Hungary and Romania, all of which apply a blanket weekend restriction. Bulgaria's approach targets specific corridors at specific times instead, which means a dispatcher routing freight toward Turkey, Greece or the Black Sea coast needs to check the corridor and the calendar date rather than assume every Sunday is closed. Checking Bulgaria's HGV speed limits alongside the restriction windows below helps build a realistic transit plan around them.

When does Bulgaria's truck driving ban apply?

For vehicles over 12 tonnes, restrictions run in two layers. First, a summer season window from 1 June to 15 September 2026 closes the Trakia, Hemus and Struma motorways and road I-1 on Fridays and Sundays, generally between 16:00 and 20:00, according to API's official restriction notices . Second, a public-holiday layer applies bookend-hour windows around clusters of consecutive non-working days: the last working day before the cluster is restricted 16:00-20:00, and the last day of the cluster is restricted 14:00-20:00. API demonstrated this live over the 23-25 May 2026 long weekend, restricting directional lorry movement on the Trakia, Hemus and Struma motorways in timed windows rather than closing the roads all day, as reported by The Sofia Globe . Checking Bulgaria's public holiday calendar against a planned transit date is the fastest way to confirm whether a holiday-cluster window applies.

Which roads does Bulgaria's driving restriction cover?

Three motorways and one national road carry the restriction: the Trakia Motorway between Plovdiv and Sofia, the Hemus Motorway between the road I-4 roundabout and Sofia, and road I-1 through the Struma corridor and Kresna gorge near Blagoevgrad, confirmed independently by TruckBAN.eu . Outside these named sections, and outside a holiday-cluster or summer-weekend window, there is no general prohibition on HGV movement in Bulgaria. Vehicles carrying dangerous goods (ADR), live animals, perishable foodstuffs and temperature-controlled cargo are exempt from every layer of the restriction and may continue to use the affected roads throughout the closure window.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bulgaria have a nationwide Sunday truck ban like Germany or Austria?

No. Bulgaria has no blanket nationwide ban on Sundays or public holidays for trucks over 12 tonnes. Restrictions apply only to the Trakia, Hemus and Struma motorways and road I-1, during the summer season or around public-holiday clusters.

What is the weight threshold for Bulgaria's truck restrictions?

The restrictions apply to trucks, trucks with trailers, and tractor units with semi-trailers over 12 tonnes total laden weight. Vehicles below that threshold are not subject to the summer or holiday-cluster windows.

Which roads are covered by Bulgaria's summer truck restrictions?

The Trakia Motorway, the Hemus Motorway and road I-1 through the Struma corridor near Blagoevgrad and the Kresna gorge carry the restriction. Roads outside these named sections are not subject to the same rule.

What vehicles are exempt from Bulgaria's driving restrictions?

Vehicles transporting dangerous goods under ADR, live animals, perishable foodstuffs and temperature-controlled cargo are exempt from every restriction window and may use the affected roads at any time.

Planning a delivery through Bulgaria this season: get a free quote in under 2 minutes and build the restriction windows into the schedule before departure.