Tobacco — Bulgaria

Smoking is banned outright in every enclosed public place in Bulgaria — bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels and other accommodation, shops, pharmacies and any building the public can enter — and in workplaces, including their ancillary and service rooms. There is no smoking-room exception anywhere except sealed, separately ventilated rooms inside airport buildings, and under-18s may not be in those. The ban also reaches named outdoor places: the grounds and pavements of nurseries, kindergartens, schools, student dormitories and places providing social services for children, children's playgrounds, any place hosting an event for children or pupils, and sports venues, open-air cinemas and theatres while a sporting or cultural event is on. The fine falls on the smoker, and separately and more heavily on whoever runs the venue for allowing it, so staff will enforce it. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is banned in the same outdoor places and in enclosed public places. The Health Act, which carries all of this, says nothing about e-cigarettes or heated tobacco — Bulgaria regulates those in a separate tobacco-products act — so do not read this ban as settling where you may vape.

Smoking in an enclosed public place, in a workplace, or in one of the listed outdoor places: a fine of 300 to 500 leva, rising to 500 to 1,000 leva for a repeat of the same offence (Health Act art. 218(1), penalising arts. 54, 56 and 56a(1)). Whoever allows the offence in premises they manage: a fine of 300 to 500 leva, a property sanction of 1,000 to 1,500 leva if a sole trader, or 3,000 to 5,000 leva if a legal person; on repeat, 500 to 1,000 leva, 1,500 to 3,000 leva and 5,000 to 10,000 leva respectively (art. 218(2) and (3)). Using nitrous oxide in the listed places: 3,000 to 5,000 leva, or 5,000 to 10,000 leva where the offence is committed in a food-and-entertainment venue or repeated (art. 218(2b)). Enforcement is by the Regional Health Inspectorates (art. 15(1), item 7).

Verified Oct 14, 2026