Каско (Casco) Insurance in Bulgaria — A Practical Guide

⚠️ Disclaimer: This guide is based on publicly available general terms from Bulgarian insurers (primarily Bulstrad's Каско Стандарт) and firsthand experience. Policy terms, pricing, and conditions can vary significantly between insurers and change over time. Always verify the specific terms with your insurer or broker before making decisions. This is not financial or legal advice.

If you own a car in Bulgaria, you've probably heard the word "Каско" thrown around. Unlike Гражданска отговорност (third-party liability), which is mandatory, Каско is optional — but for many car owners, especially those with newer or more valuable vehicles, it's worth serious consideration.

This guide explains what Каско actually covers, what to expect when you sign up, what surprises to watch out for, and roughly what it costs — based on firsthand experience and a close reading of actual policy terms.

What Is Каско?

Каско is a voluntary property insurance that covers damage to your own vehicle. While Гражданска отговорност pays for damage you cause to others, Каско protects your car.

Depending on the coverage level you choose, it can cover anything from fire and natural disasters to traffic accidents, vandalism, theft, and more.

What Does It Cover?

Most Bulgarian insurers (Bulstrad, DZI, Armeec, Lev Ins, etc.) offer Каско in tiers. Here's how the typical structure works, from basic to comprehensive (based on Bulstrad's Каско Стандарт general terms — other insurers follow a similar model):

1. Fire & Natural Disasters (Пожар и природни бедствия) — covers fire and explosions from natural causes, storms (wind over 15 m/s), hurricanes, lightning strikes, hail, flooding (including from burst pipes and dams), landslides, falling trees/branches from natural events, and damage from accumulated snow weight.

2. Fire, Natural Disasters & Traffic Accidents (ПТП) — everything above, plus: road traffic accidents, fire or explosion from technical malfunction in the vehicle itself, and damage while parked (from other vehicles, falling objects from buildings or aircraft, or animals).

3. Fire, Natural Disasters, ПТП & Vandalism (Злоумишлени действия) — everything above, plus: third-party malicious damage like scratching, paint/chemical splashing, broken locks, broken windows/mirrors, damaged antennas, slashed tires, and damage to factory-original emblems and trim.

4. Full Каско (Пълно каско) — everything above, plus: theft or robbery of the entire vehicle, theft of aftermarket equipment inside the cabin (for extra premium), carjacking, arson, and intentional destruction by bombing.

5. Bonus Каско — the most comprehensive option. Covers all risks that can lead to partial or total loss of the vehicle, except for the standard exclusions listed in the policy. This is the "catch-all" tier.

Most people with newer or valuable cars go for Full Каско or Bonus Каско. If you're financing the car or it's worth over €15,000, Full Каско is generally the minimum worth considering.

Where Is It Valid?

This surprised me — Каско isn't just valid in Bulgaria. Most policies cover all EU countries plus so-called "Green Card" member states.

What's a Green Card? The International Motor Insurance Card System (commonly called "Green Card") is an agreement between countries that ensures your car insurance is recognized across borders. It's named after the green-colored certificate that used to be required when crossing into certain countries. For EU countries, you don't need to carry a physical Green Card anymore — your insurance is automatically recognized. But for non-EU countries in the system (like Turkey, Serbia, or North Macedonia), you may still need the physical document.

Important: The Green Card is primarily about your Гражданска отговорност (third-party liability) — proving that you're insured to cover damage you cause to others while driving abroad. Your Каско coverage happens to be valid in the same territories, but it's your ГО that the border authorities actually care about.

How do you get a Green Card? You don't need to buy anything extra — your insurer issues it as part of your ГО policy. You can usually request it when you buy or renew your ГО, or ask your broker for it before a trip. Some insurers issue it automatically; others require you to ask. It's free, but you need to have it printed and in the car when traveling to non-EU countries.

For Bulstrad specifically, the Каско territorial coverage includes: all EU member states, plus the UK, Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Switzerland, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Montenegro, and Turkey.

Check your specific policy for the exact territory — but the coverage is typically much broader than people assume.

The Photo Inspection — Don't Skip This

This is the single most important thing to know about Каско, and the one that catches most first-timers off guard.

After you sign and pay your policy, it is NOT active until a representative of the insurer inspects and photographs your car.

Here's what you need to know:

• •Your car must be clean — if it's dirty, they may send you away. They need to clearly document its condition.
• •The inspection records all existing damage. Any scratches, dents, or issues visible in the photos will NOT be covered later. The insurer will reference these photos for every future claim.
• •If you fix existing damage, you MUST go back for a new photo inspection. Otherwise, if the same area gets damaged again, the insurer will point to the original photos showing it was already damaged and refuse to cover it.
• •No photos = no coverage. The policy technically doesn't take effect until the inspection is complete.

Treat this step as a priority. Don't leave it for "next week."

What Documents Do You Need to Sign Up?

According to Bulstrad's general terms (and similar across most insurers), if you're signing up directly with an insurer, you'll need:

• •Original vehicle registration certificate (свидетелство за регистрация)
• •Purchase agreement (if the registration hasn't been updated to your name yet)
• •Power of attorney (if someone else will be driving the car)
• •For new or imported cars: invoice, customs declaration, and supporting documents

If you're going through a broker or intermediary (like an import company), they may ask for more:

• •Both малък талон AND голям талон — even though the GTP station only needs the малък, brokers often want both for the Каско application
• •Your occupation — this one surprises people, but insurers use your profession to assess risk. Taxi drivers, couriers, and similar roles face surcharges, while "lower-risk" professions can get better rates. Don't be alarmed when they ask — it's standard.

Note: Document requirements can vary between insurers and may have changed. Always confirm with your specific insurer or broker what they need before your appointment.

How Much Does Каско Cost?

The annual Каско premium alone is typically 2–5% of the car's insured value. So for a car valued at €20,000, expect to pay roughly €400–€1,000 per year for Каско, depending on several factors. This does not include Гражданска отговорност (ГО), which is a separate mandatory policy that typically costs 200–600 лв/year on its own.

Many people buy both from the same insurer and bundle them for a discount (see below), but they are two distinct policies with separate premiums.

What affects the price:

• •Car age — newer cars get lower rates
• •Insured value — higher value = higher premium
• •Coverage level — Bonus Каско costs more than basic Fire & Natural
• •Deductible (самоучастие) — choosing a higher deductible lowers your premium. This means you agree to cover the first X amount of any claim yourself.
• •Driver age — drivers over 40 typically get 5% off; over 50, up to 10% off. Note: for Гражданска отговорност (which is often bundled), there's a surcharge for owners under 30 that can noticeably increase the combined cost. This surcharge decreases as you get closer to 30 and disappears entirely once you turn 30.
• •Claims history — no claims from the previous year can earn you a significant discount (up to 35–45% at renewal)
• •Previous claims — having claims on record can mean surcharges when renewing
• •Bundling — buying Каско + Гражданска отговорност together often saves ~10%
• •Single payment — paying the full year upfront instead of installments can save ~5%
• •Eco/hybrid/electric vehicles — some insurers offer ~10% off

Things that increase the price: taxis (+50–100%), rental cars (+50%), right-hand drive vehicles (+50%), choosing an official brand service for older cars (+30–40%).

Payment Options

You can typically pay:

• •In full at the start (usually comes with a discount)
• •In installments — usually up to 4 equal quarterly payments

Important: if you miss an installment by more than 15 days past the due date, your coverage automatically terminates. No warning, no grace period beyond those 15 days. Keep track of your payment dates.

How Repairs Work — It Depends on Your Car's Age

This is something most people don't realize: the insurer treats your car differently based on how old it is.

Cars up to 4 years old: Repairs can be done at the brand's official service center or an insurer-approved partner service. Parts are new and original. The insurer pays the service directly.

Cars 4–7 years old: Repairs are done at an insurer-approved service (not necessarily the brand's official one). Original parts are used, but a 50% depreciation coefficient is applied to part prices in the calculation. You can pay extra for official brand service access.

Cars 7–15 years old: Same as above, but the depreciation coefficient drops to 30%. Access to brand service requires an additional premium.

Cars over 15 years old: Similar rules, with the 30% coefficient. Options for service are more limited.

This means the older your car, the less the insurer pays per claim — even though you might expect full coverage.

What to Do When Something Happens (Claims Process)

If your car is damaged:

• •Notify the insurer within 3 business days of finding out about the damage — by phone, in person at their office, or through their website.
• •Contact the relevant authorities — police for accidents or vandalism, fire department for fire damage. Get the official report.
• •Don't repair anything until the insurer's representative has inspected and documented the damage.
• •Submit a claim with the required documents: your driver's license, the relevant police/fire report, and any other evidence.

For traffic accidents specifically, you'll need either a police protocol or a bilateral accident report (двустранен констативен протокол).

What's NOT Covered (Key Exclusions)

Even with Full Каско, there are things the insurer won't pay for:

• •Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• •Driving without a valid license
• •Driving on flooded, closed, or prohibited roads
• •War, terrorism, earthquakes, nuclear events
• •Wear and tear, rust, mechanical/electrical failures from normal use
• •Damage during racing, training, or testing (unless specifically added)
• •Consequential losses like lost income or depreciation
• •Driving with an expired ГТП (annual technical inspection) — this is a big one. If your ГТП is expired and you have an accident, the insurer can refuse your claim entirely.

Total Loss — When They Write Off Your Car

The insurer declares a total loss when repair costs exceed 70% of the car's actual value. When this happens, you don't get a repair — you get a payout instead.

Here's how it works with a concrete example:

Say your car is insured for €20,000. You have a bad accident and the repair estimate comes in at €15,000 — that's 75%, which exceeds the 70% threshold. The insurer declares a total loss.

What you receive: the insured amount (€20,000) minus the value of salvageable parts (the wreck still has some value — scrap metal, working parts, etc.). This deduction is capped at 20% of the car's value, so at most they'd deduct €4,000. In practice, you'd likely receive something in the range of €16,000–€19,000, and you keep the wreck (which you can then sell for scrap or parts).

Special case for newer cars: If the car is under 3 years old, you're the first owner, and there's a liable third party (meaning someone else caused the accident and their insurer will reimburse yours), the insurer may pay 100% of the insured value — but they take ownership of the vehicle. You don't get to keep the wreck in this scenario.

Road Assistance (Помощ на пътя)

This is an area where it's easy to pay for something you don't need. There are three tiers, and understanding the differences can save you money.

Basic Coverage (included free with Каско)

Comes with your Каско policy at no extra cost. Covers towing only after an insured event — meaning an accident, fire, vandalism, or other covered risk. If your car breaks down mechanically or you lock your keys inside? This basic tier does NOT help. You get one free tow per event to the nearest service center or parking lot.

Assist 24/7 (paid extra)

Expands coverage to include mechanical breakdowns and normal operation issues (dead battery, flat tire, locked keys, wrong fuel, etc.). Towing is covered up to 100 km from the breakdown location. Available 24/7.

Assist 24/7+ (paid extra)

The premium tier. Same as Assist 24/7, but with unlimited towing distance within Bulgaria, plus:

• •One night hotel accommodation (up to ~€77) if repairs take over 24 hours
• •Transport for passengers and luggage from the breakdown location
• •Medical expenses for injuries from an accident (up to ~€77/person, ~€307 total)
• •Parking costs for up to 48 hours

⚠️ Check Your Manufacturer Coverage First

This is an easy mistake to make. Many newer cars come with manufacturer road assistance — Volvo On Call, BMW Assist, Mercedes me, etc. — that covers breakdowns, flat tires, dead batteries, and towing for free, usually for the first 2–3 years or the duration of the factory warranty.

If your car still has active manufacturer road assistance, paying extra for Assist 24/7 or 24/7+ means you're paying twice for essentially the same service. The basic (free) Каско road assistance is enough during that period — it covers accident-related towing, and your manufacturer handles everything else.

When to upgrade: Once your manufacturer coverage expires, the paid Assist tiers become much more valuable. That's when a mechanical breakdown can leave you stranded with no free help, and the basic Каско coverage won't apply because it's not an "insured event."

Bottom line: Before paying for the Assist upgrade, ask yourself: "Does my car still have manufacturer road assistance?" If yes, save the money. If no, the Assist 24/7+ with unlimited towing is worth considering — especially if you drive long distances within Bulgaria.

Каско vs Гражданска Отговорност — Quick Comparison

Quick Checklist — Before You Sign

• ☑ompare quotes from at least 2-3 insurers
• ☑nderstand which clause level you're getting (Full Каско vs Bonus Каско vs basic)
• ☑ecide on your deductible (самоучастие) — higher = cheaper premium but more out-of-pocket per claim
• ☑sk about bundling with Гражданска отговорност for a discount
• ☑Schedule your photo inspection immediately after payment*
• ☑ake sure your car is clean for the inspection
• ☑eep your ГТП valid — expired inspection can void your claims
• ☑rack your payment due dates if paying in installments

Thinking about buying a used car? Your Каско premium depends heavily on the car's value, age, and condition — but so does whether you're getting a fair deal in the first place. AutoPakt helps you check if the price is right before you commit, so you don't overpay for the car or the insurance.