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Europe & Central Asia · BG

India Bulgaria

India exported USD 216.9 mn to Bulgaria in 2024, led by HS 29, and imported USD 178.2 mn. Here are the documents, the gateways and how SSL moves your cargo on the India side.

  • AgreementIndia-EU FTA: concluded not in force
  • CurrencyEUR €
  • Time−3h30 to −2h30 vs IST
  • CapitalSofia
  • AccessCoastal
Get a quote for Bulgaria How exporting works
  • Road
  • Sea
  • Air
  1. Road leg in India to the gateway, SSL fleet · Road
  2. Sea leg to Bulgaria · Sea
  3. Air leg to Bulgaria · Air

Road in India, then sea or air onward

Exports from India
USD 216.9 mn
Imports into India
USD 178.2 mn
Trade partner rank
#110

Happiness, on this lane, is the buyer in Sofia whose goods arrive on the promised day, and the shipper in India who never has to chase.

At a glance

Region
Europe & Central AsiaSoutheast Europe
Income group
High incomeWorld Bank
Currency
EUREuro
Languages
Bulgarian
Capital
Sofia
Time
−3h30 to −2h30 vs ISTUTC+02:00, UTC+03:00
Access
Coastal
Trade partner rank
#1100.035% of India's trade

Trade agreements: No India trade agreement in force (MFN terms; check GSTP separately). · India-EU FTA: concluded not in force. Sources: World Bank country classification; ISO 4217 and languages via mledoze/countries; IANA time zones; agreements per India Briefing FTA tracker and Invest India.

Ship from India to Bulgaria

USD 216.9 mnIndia's exports to Bulgaria, 2024 (FOB)
0.050%of India's exports to the world
USD 395.0 mntwo-way trade, 2024
India's top exports to Bulgaria, 2024
  1. HS 29 Organic chemicals USD 36.2 mn17%
  2. HS 85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof USD 23.5 mn11%
  3. HS 72 Iron and steel USD 22.4 mn10%
  4. HS 40 Rubber and articles thereof USD 10.8 mn5%
  5. HS 90 Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, medical… USD 10.7 mn5%

Gateways in Bulgaria

Seaports: Not yet sourced for this page. Our desk confirms the right port when it quotes.

Airports: Burgas Airport (BOJ) · Plovdiv International Airport (PDV) · Sofia Airport (SOF) · Varna Airport (VAR)

OurAirports: large (else medium) airports with scheduled service and an IATA code. Direct service from India NOT verified.

Transit time

No public port-to-port benchmark is published here yet. We do not guess one: our desk gives you the current sailing or flight time with the quote.

Source: UN Comtrade, 2024. India as reporter; exports FOB, imports CIF; general trade, all modes; HS 2022 (H6) chapters. Retrieved 29 Sep 2026.

Import from Bulgaria to India

USD 178.2 mnIndia's imports from Bulgaria, 2024 (CIF)
45%of the two-way trade is India buying
India's top imports from Bulgaria, 2024
  1. HS 31 Fertilizers USD 24.4 mn14%
  2. HS 90 Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, medical… USD 23.2 mn13%
  3. HS 85 Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof USD 21.8 mn12%
  4. HS 84 Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers, nuclear reactors USD 20.8 mn12%
  5. HS 88 Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof USD 18.6 mn10%

On arrival in India the importer files a bill of entry on ICEGATE; customs assesses basic customs duty, the social welfare surcharge and IGST on the assessable value. No agreement rate is available, so the standard tariff applies. Read the import guide →

How SSL moves it

Road in India, then sea or air onward

India leg: by road to the Indian gateway

SSL's fleet moves your cargo by road to and from India's ports and airports.

International leg. The international sea or air leg is arranged by our desk, and our desk arranges customs clearance.

Ask our desk for a quote Email the desk

Outside India? Email (corporatesales@sslpl.in) is the easiest way for our desk to reply across time zones. WhatsApp +91 75062 45557 works too.

Documents

General guidance: verify every shipment with your customs broker and the current DGFT and CBIC notifications.

IEC
An Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT is needed for any commercial shipment to or from Bulgaria. Guide →
HS code
Classify every line under the HS nomenclature; India's largest export chapter to Bulgaria in 2024 was HS 29. The 8-digit ITC(HS) code goes on the shipping bill. Guide →
Incoterms
State one Incoterms 2020 rule on the invoice. FOB or CIF suit a port-to-port sea leg; FCA or CPT suit containers handed over inland. Guide →
Certificate of origin
Non-preferential CoO Guide →

Questions about shipping between India and Bulgaria

Does India have a free trade agreement with Bulgaria?
Not in force yet. India-EU FTA is concluded not in force. Until it is in force, trade with Bulgaria runs at normal (MFN) duty rates. Source: India Briefing FTA tracker, 2026.
What does India export to Bulgaria?
India exported USD 216.9 mn of goods to Bulgaria in 2024. The largest chapters were HS 29 organic chemicals (USD 36.2 mn), HS 85 electrical machinery and equipment and… (USD 23.5 mn), HS 72 iron and steel (USD 22.4 mn). That is 0.050% of India's exports to the world. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, exports FOB.
What does India import from Bulgaria?
India imported USD 178.2 mn from Bulgaria in 2024, mainly HS 31 fertilizers (USD 24.4 mn), HS 90 optical, photographic, cinematographic,… (USD 23.2 mn), HS 85 electrical machinery and equipment and… (USD 21.8 mn). To claim a lower agreement rate on these goods, the importer needs origin proof under CAROTAR 2020. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024, imports CIF.
How big is India-Bulgaria trade?
Two-way goods trade between India and Bulgaria was USD 395.0 mn in 2024, 0.035% of India's total, which ranks Bulgaria number 110 among India's trading partners. India exports more than it imports on this lane. Source: UN Comtrade, India as reporter, 2024.
How long does shipping from India to Bulgaria take?
No public port-to-port benchmark for India to Bulgaria is published on this page yet. Our desk confirms the current sailing or flight time for your cargo when it quotes. Source: SSL global dataset, 29 Sep 2026.
What certificate of origin do I need to export to Bulgaria?
A non-preferential certificate of origin is the usual document; both kinds are issued through the DGFT e-CoO platform (coo.dgft.gov.in). Check the buyer's letter of credit or import rules for the exact form. Source: DGFT, 2026.
What is the time difference between India and Bulgaria?
Sofia runs at UTC+02:00, UTC+03:00 in 2026, which is −3h30 to −2h30 vs IST. Plan calls and cut-offs with our desk in IST; we reply by email across time zones. Source: IANA time-zone database, 2026.
Does Safe & Secure Logistics clear customs for Bulgaria shipments?
Yes. Our desk arranges clearance for your shipment, or works with your own broker, while SSL's fleet runs the road leg in India. Our desk shares the operator's licence and documents for your shipment on request. Source: SSL site facts, 29 Sep 2026.

Keep exploring

Data: UN Comtrade 2024 · retrieved 29 Sep 2026. Company figures appear only where sourced from SSL's own register.

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