How do you get a mobile phone plan in Bulgaria in 2026?

A1, Yettel (formerly Telenor Bulgaria), and Vivacom dominate national coverage. Buy prepaid at an official operator store or authorised desk, including Sofia Airport Terminal 2 arrivals when open, rather than hoping for an anonymous newsstand chip. Staff will scan a passport for non-EU visitors; many EU citizens can use a national ID card, though a passport removes friction at busy kiosks.

Ask for a starter data pack large enough for maps, translation, WhatsApp, and Bolt before you leave the airport district. Keep the receipt and activation SMS. Coverage is strong in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna centres, then thinner on some mountain and Black Sea stretches: Utilities, internet and transport and Living in Sofia.

Postpaid and family contracts usually want stronger identity: LNCH, residence certificate or permit, and Bulgarian address proof: Get an LNCH and Apply for a residence permit. Keep the same number once bank account onboarding starts, because UniCredit, DSK, and other apps expect a stable OTP line.

Top up through official apps or operator stores and screenshot confirmations. Clinic SMS, KAT appointment notes, and lease chats reuse the same WhatsApp: Enrol in public health, Convert a driving licence, and How to rent a home. English often works in Sofia mall and airport stores; smaller town desks lean Bulgarian: Bureaucracy without Bulgarian.