No nationwide truck driving ban in Bulgaria. Local and route restrictions may still apply, see below.
Bulgaria has no general year-round Sunday truck ban. Instead, trucks over 12 t are banned on selected motorways and main roads around public holidays (windows of 15:00–20:00, 12:00–20:00 or 07:00–21:00 depending on the day) and, from 1 June to 15 September, on Fridays 17:00–20:00 and Sundays 14:00–20:00 on selected routes. Bulgaria is also the only EU country with heat-wave truck bans: when forecast temperatures exceed 35°C, the Road Infrastructure Agency (АПИ) bans trucks over 20 t from 13:00 to 21:00 on selected roads.
Next 30 days
Bulgaria has no scheduled nationwide driving bans. Local and city restrictions are described below.
Rules & exemptions
| Ban | When | Time | Where | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday corridor bans | Last working day before, first day and last day of multi-day public holiday periods | 15:00–20:00 on the last working day before holidays; 12:00–20:00 on the last holiday day; 07:00–21:00 on major holidays such as 7 September, 22 September and 24–25 December | Selected motorways (Trakia, Hemus, Struma) and main national roads; some pre-holiday bans do not apply on Trakia, Hemus and Struma in the direction of entry into Sofia | Trucks over 12 t. Rules are direction-sensitive: the same motorway can be banned in one direction and open in the other, so check the route wording of each АПИ notice. For Independence Day (22 September 2026) published windows conflict (12:00–20:00 vs 07:00–21:00); the broader 07:00–21:00 window is shown in the table. |
| Summer route bans | Fridays and Sundays, 1 June – 15 September | Fridays 17:00–20:00; Sundays 14:00–20:00 | Selected motorway sections and main roads on major leisure and transit corridors, including the Black Sea direction | Trucks over 12 t. Route-based, not nationwide: only the road sections named in the seasonal order are affected. |
| Heat-wave daytime bans | Days with forecast temperatures above 35°C, announced in advance by АПИ | 13:00–21:00 | Selected roads and motorways in affected regions: Trakia, Struma and Maritsa motorways, sections of Hemus, and roads such as I-2 Ruse – Razgrad, I-4 Targovishte – Shumen, I-5 Ruse – Veliko Tarnovo and I-7 Silistra – Shumen | Trucks over 20 t. Unique to Bulgaria. Regions named in 2026 notices include Sofia, Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Pleven, Lovech, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Ruse, Razgrad, Targovishte, Shumen, Silistra, Stara Zagora, Sliven and Yambol. Trucks carrying perishable food, temperature-controlled cargo, live animals or ADR dangerous goods are exempt. Affected trucks wait in designated parking areas until the ban period ends. |
Public holidays with truck bans in Bulgaria 2026
| Date | Holiday | Ban time | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberation Day (last holiday day) | 12:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last working day before Easter period | 15:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Good Friday (first holiday day) | Set per АПИ notice | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Easter Monday (last holiday day) | 12:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last working day before May holiday period | 15:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Labour Day (first holiday day) | Set per АПИ notice | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last day of May holiday period | 12:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last working day before St George's Day period | 15:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| St George's Day (last holiday day) | 12:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last working day before 24 May holiday period | 15:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| First non-working day of 24 May period | Set per АПИ notice | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last non-working day of 24 May period | 12:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last working day before Unification Day period | 15:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| First non-working day of Unification Day period | Set per АПИ notice | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Unification Day (observed) | 07:00–21:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last working day before Independence Day period | 15:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Independence Day (last holiday day) | 07:00–21:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last working day before Christmas period | 15:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Christmas Eve | 07:00–21:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Christmas Day | 07:00–21:00 | Selected motorways and main roads | |
| Last non-working day of Christmas period | 12:00–20:00 | Selected motorways and main roads |
Summer route ban
1 June – 15 September 2026 · Fridays 17:00–20:00; Sundays 14:00–20:00
Trucks over 12 t are banned on selected motorway sections and main roads at the start and end of busy summer travel weekends. The aim is to keep major leisure and transit corridors moving, especially towards the Black Sea coast. Only the routes named in the seasonal order are affected.
Affected road sections (3)
- Trakia motorway
- Hemus motorway
- Struma motorway
Affected roads
- Trakia motorway
- Hemus motorway
- Struma motorway
- Maritsa motorway
- I-2 Ruse – Razgrad
- I-4 Targovishte – Shumen
- I-5 Ruse – Veliko Tarnovo
- I-7 Silistra – Shumen
Exempt from the ban
Fines for violations
- Administrative fine under the traffic rules; no single fixed national amount is published, the sanction follows the restriction order in force
- Trucks stopped during a ban must wait in designated parking areas or off the carriageway until the restriction period ends
Heat-wave bans: the rule unique to Bulgaria
No other EU country suspends truck traffic because of temperature. When the forecast exceeds 35°C, АПИ issues an advance notice banning trucks over 20 t from 13:00 to 21:00 on selected roads and motorways. In late June 2026 such notices covered regions including Sofia, Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Pleven, Lovech, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Ruse, Razgrad, Targovishte, Shumen, Silistra, Stara Zagora, Sliven and Yambol, with the Trakia, Struma and Maritsa motorways, sections of Hemus, and roads I-2, I-4, I-5 and I-7 among those affected. A truck that is legal under the ordinary 12 t summer rule can still be stopped by a heat-wave order if it exceeds 20 t and runs on a listed corridor.
How to plan a Bulgarian transit day
There is no single all-road calendar. Before dispatch, answer four questions: is it a public-holiday travel period; is it a Friday or Sunday between 1 June and 15 September; has АПИ issued a heat-wave notice for today; and is the planned road one of the corridors named in the notice. Check the direction as well as the date, because some bans exclude traffic entering Sofia on Trakia, Hemus and Struma.
FAQ
Are trucks banned every Sunday in Bulgaria?
No. Bulgaria has no general nationwide Sunday truck ban. Restrictions apply on selected roads around public holidays, on summer Fridays and Sundays from 1 June to 15 September, and during announced heat-wave bans.
What truck weight is affected in Bulgaria?
Holiday and summer route bans apply to trucks over 12 t. Heat-wave bans apply to the heavier category of trucks over 20 t.
When do summer truck bans apply in Bulgaria?
From 1 June to 15 September, on Fridays 17:00–20:00 and Sundays 14:00–20:00, on selected motorway sections and main roads.
What is a heat-wave truck ban?
When forecast temperatures exceed 35°C, АПИ announces daytime bans for trucks over 20 t, running 13:00–21:00 on selected roads and motorways in the affected regions. Bulgaria is the only EU country using this trigger.
Which cargo types are exempt?
Perishable food, temperature-controlled cargo, live animals and ADR dangerous goods are exempt from heat-wave bans. Check the wording of each notice, as exemptions can differ between orders.
Do the bans apply in both directions?
Not always. Some pre-holiday bans do not apply on the Trakia, Hemus and Struma motorways in the direction of entry into Sofia, so the same road can be banned one way and open the other.
How do I find out about a heat-wave ban in advance?
АПИ (the Road Infrastructure Agency) publishes heat-wave restriction notices in advance, naming the affected regions, roads and hours. Check the notice for the travel day before dispatch.
Official source
- АПИ / Road Infrastructure Agency of Bulgaria (api.bg), traffic restriction notices
- Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria (mvr.bg), information for foreign drivers
Rules can change on short notice. Verify with the official sources above before dispatch.