Boris Nikolaev Iliev
Managing Attorney · Sofia Bar Association
Leads the corporate, immigration and property work of the practice, with a particular focus on foreign founders and investors setting up in Bulgaria.
Read full profilesSofia · 42.70° N · 23.33° E
Clear legal footing for business in Bulgaria
We help entrepreneurs, investors and families set up companies, secure residence, buy property and settle disputes — and we explain every step in plain language, in English, Bulgarian, Russian or German.
- languages we advise in
- 4
- companies registered
- 50+
- countries our clients call home
- 12+
Set up without the flightCompany registration and bank account opened under power of attorney.
- Members of the Sofia Bar Association
- Bulgarian · English · Russian · German
- Clients across four continents
- Remote incorporation & banking
Core practice
Where most of our clients start
Six areas account for the bulk of our work. Each links to a detailed page explaining what we do, how long it takes and what you will need.
Immigration & residence
Visas, long-term and permanent residence, work permits and family status for non-EU nationals, on every ground Bulgarian and EU law allows.
Company formation
Limited companies and branches for foreign founders, with the corporate bank account arranged remotely by power of attorney.
Bulgarian citizenship
Naturalisation, citizenship by Bulgarian descent and confirmation of citizenship acquired at birth.
Real estate
Title checks, purchase contracts and closing support for Bulgarian and foreign buyers, sellers and investors.
Litigation & representation
Cases before civil, commercial and administrative courts, arbitral tribunals and public authorities.
Corporate & commercial
Shareholder arrangements, transactions, restructurings and the everyday legal questions of a running business.
Results
Outcomes you can check
Specific matters from our track record, each written up in full without confidential details. See the full track record
- 2court instances
A refused work-and-residence permit overturned, and the ruling upheld by the Supreme Administrative Court.
Read the case - 4days
A residence ground switched from pension to property investment, with new permits issued before the old ones lapsed.
Read the case - 0trips to Bulgaria
A company registered and its bank account opened for three foreign partners who never had to travel.
Read the case - 3EU Blue Cards
Granted to engineers joining a defence manufacturer, so the roles were filled on schedule.
Read the case
Former Royal Palace · Sofia
The practice
One team for the legal side of building a business or a life here
Meridian Business Law is a Sofia practice for companies and individuals — Bulgarian and international — who are starting a business, moving to Bulgaria or putting a long-term legal and tax structure in place.
Our immigration practice has run residence procedures on every statutory ground, and our corporate team has registered dozens of companies for clients from more than ten countries. Because we open bank accounts under power of attorney, founders rarely need to travel to Sofia. When matters reach court, we act there too — against administrative refusals, for unpaid receivables and in disputes over property.
- Company set-up and remote banking for non-resident founders
- Residence and work permits on all legal grounds
- Tax planning and long-term structuring of your business
- Office
- Central Sofia, Bulgaria
- Client base
- Four continents, 12+ countries
- Languages
- Bulgarian · English · Russian · German
- Focus
- Immigration · Business structuring & tax · Real estate
- Clients
- International and Bulgarian
Your attorneys
The people handling your matter
You work directly with the lawyers below, not with a rotating cast of juniors.
Ivelin Uskov
Attorney-at-Law · Sofia Bar Association
Runs the litigation and recovery side of the practice — collecting debts for creditors, defending borrowers against quick-loan lenders, and resolving property disputes.
Read full profilesOur approach
Four stages, no surprises
Every engagement follows the same rhythm, so you always know where your matter stands and what comes next.
Listen
We hear what you are trying to achieve and the facts behind it, then outline the legal routes open to you.
Map
We weigh the risks, costs and timing of each route and recommend the one we would choose in your position.
Deliver
We draft the documents, negotiate, file and deal with the authorities and courts on your behalf.
Stay close
After the result, we remain on hand for renewals, follow-up questions and the next step.
Why clients choose us
What working with us feels like
Depth where it counts
Immigration, corporate and litigation are our daily work, so we know how the institutions actually operate — not just what the statute says.
One point of contact
A single attorney owns your matter from the first call to the final outcome.
Built for international clients
Most of our clients are not Bulgarian. We work comfortably across languages, time zones and legal systems.
Answers without the wait
Clear updates and dependable timing at every stage, with replies to enquiries within one working day.
Guides
Recent writing from our attorneys
Inheriting Property in Bulgaria When You Live Abroad
A parent or relative leaves a flat in Sofia or a house on the coast, and the heirs live in Germany, Russia or the UK. Which law applies, what has to be done in Bulgaria, and what it costs.
Recovering a Debt from a Bulgarian Company — Options for Foreign Creditors
An unpaid invoice from a Bulgarian customer is rarely a lost cause. The routes from demand letter to bailiff, which EU procedures help cross-border creditors, and the deadlines to watch.
Becoming Tax Resident in Bulgaria — the Rules That Decide Where You Pay
A residence permit does not make you tax resident, and leaving your old country does not end your tax ties there. The two Bulgarian tests, what they mean for your income, and how to document the move.
Meridian Business Law
Tell us where you want to get to.
Describe your situation in a few lines. We reply with a candid view of the options, timing and what we would need from you.