Register of Bank Accounts and Bank Safe Deposit Boxes

The new Article 56a of the Credit Institutions Act entered into force on 1 January 2017, providing for the establishment of a register with the Bulgarian National Bank with the following content:

• bank account numbers, the names of the account holders, and the names of the persons authorized to manage these accounts;
• the names of the persons with rental contracts for bank safe deposit boxes and the persons authorized by them.

The register will not be public and each individual will be entitled to receive information on the records of his/her own. Access to information on other persons will be granted only to the competent authorities in the field of law enforcement, the fight against crime, and the tax and fiscal control. There also exists the option for granting access to bailiffs in opened execution proceedings. Currently the access to the register is still restricted due to the need for development of an access authorization system.