Regulated beauty: a guide to the Bulgarian regulatory framework

The beauty and aesthetics industry in Bulgaria is experiencing rapid growth in demand. An increasing number of establishments now offer services ranging from traditional cosmetic treatments to laser procedures, injectable fillers and Botox. Behind this diverse palette of services, however, lies a clear and strict legal boundary, ignorance of which can lead to serious sanctions. This analysis briefly outlines the key regulatory requirements for establishments offering beauty procedures in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian law draws a clear distinction between two types of establishments, depending on the nature of the services offered: outpatient care facilities and cosmetic salons.

Providing non-medical cosmetic services

Cosmetic salons providing non-medical cosmetic services are classified as establishments with public purpose ("обект с обществено предназначение"). These include cosmetic salons, hairdressing salons and barbershops, SPA and wellness centres, solariums and others.

These establishments are subject to registration with the Regional Health Inspectorate (RZI). Anyone opening an establishment with public purpose is obliged to notify the relevant RZI at the location of the facility no later than the day on which activity commences. Within one month of notification, the territorial state health control authorities carry out an inspection to verify compliance with the applicable health requirements. The RZI creates and maintains a public register of establishments with public purpose.

Where, however, an establishment offers medical procedures (i.e. injectable treatments such as fillers, Botox, laser procedures or other invasive and minimally invasive interventions such as microneedling), it must be registered as a medical centre under the Bulgarian Healthcare Facilities Act. This constitutes a fundamentally different legal regime, imposing significantly stricter requirements than those applicable to cosmetic salons.

Requirements for outpatient care facilities

When the procedures offered are of a medical nature (invasive or minimally invasive, laser, injectable, skin therapy), the facility qualifies as an outpatient care facility ("лечебно заведение за извънболнична помощ"). In most cases, the activity of these centres falls within the scope of the medical specialty "Skin and Venereological Diseases", including aesthetic dermatology (lasers, fillers, Botox, peels, etc.), in accordance with the medical standard approved by the Minister of Health.

These facilities undergo a registration procedure carried out by the Executive Agency "Medical Supervision" of the Ministry of Health, based on an application containing specified corporate details, accompanied by the facility's internal rules, diplomas, specialty certificates and other required documents. Once approved, the healthcare facility is entered in the public register of healthcare facilities maintained by the Executive Agency, where it is classified as a medical centre or an outpatient centre for specialised medical care in skin and venereal diseases.

The premises and equipment must comply with the applicable regulatory requirements concerning the infrastructure of the facilities, including examination rooms, procedure rooms, sterilisation areas and waste management systems. These facilities must operate in compliance with the medical standards approved by the Minister of Health.

The most frequently encountered practical issue in the market is the offering of injectable, laser and energy-based procedures in establishments registered only as cosmetic salons, rather than as healthcare facilities. Carrying out such procedures without the relevant registrations and medical qualifications constitutes a serious regulatory violation. Compliance with this distinction is essential both for the lawful operation of the business and for client safety. Operators considering beauty or aesthetic services should carefully assess whether their planned activities fall within the cosmetic or medical scope of the regulatory framework and structure their establishment accordingly.