We are driving our Mitsubishi Pajero over from the UK.
Obviously for the journey over we will be using headlight deflector strips. But once resident in BG I
assume that the headlights will have to be changed as will the foglamp ?
We do want to keep our Pajero and register it in BG eventually.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

I also own a Pajero which I took over and did the same as you with the deflectors. When I took it to KAT to register it in Bg they passed it with no problems I never changed anything at all.

Its a good idea. Yes your headlights will have to be made permanent to meet EU standards but that apart everything else should be OK. The only real problem you will have is if it is a RHD vehicle. I know there are many that say driving RHD in BG is no problem but I beg to differ, but that is my opinion. The MOT here is not as tough as the UK one but lights is one thing that they do test. Good luck.

tonyb60 wrote:

Yes your headlights will have to be made permanent to meet EU standards.

I can't say this was ever an issue with the KAT or any of the Police when I was stopped which was frequently. I think it may depend where you are? I was in the Yambol region and the KAT office there are fine and not at all very strict in my experience.

Netsniperthefirst wrote:

tonyb60 wrote:

Yes your headlights will have to be made permanent to meet EU standards.

I can't say this was ever an issue with the KAT or any of the Police when I was stopped which was frequently. I think it may depend where you are? I was in the Yambol region and the KAT office there are fine and not at all very strict in my experience.

You may well be right there Colin. But experience is a very wise tool to have.

We still have deflectors on and have done since we have lived abroad here, and in Spain with no problem KAT have never queried it. I must disagree with you Tony on RHD cars though, in my opinion it is not whether a car is left or right hand drive, it all depends on the driver. I and my wife always have a RHD car and we have driven all over Europe with no problem, overtaking is not a problem - if we can't see we don't overtake, so don't take the risk, so that is down to us, not what side the steering wheel is on. When I see some of the risks LHD drivers take here in BG I wonder there aren't even more accidents than there are - it is all about safe and sensible driving and not taking risks, not where you wheel is.

While you are driving around with your UK plates on you won't have any problems at all, but when it comes time to register it in BG, it is going to depend on the inspection station you use. I took my Jeep in a week or so ago and he was very thorough, exaust gas tester, tire inspection, up on the rollers to test each wheels brakes individually, park brake efficiency, all lights, including correct alignment of headlamps (luckily I have changed mine over to meet the standard). He even checked the safety gear including the expiry date on the fire extinguisher! While the technician had it up on the rollers the boss invited me inside to have a look at the recording system...everything is recorded and checked on the computer in real time and the whole process is recorded on video. He was very proud of his set up and went to great pains to explain to me that it meets all the EU standards for testing and that eventually all the Bulgarian testing stations will have to have similar equipment. This is quite different to when I arrived here six years ago in my Peugeot..took 30 leva and the vehicle documents to the garage, paid the money, got the sticker and drove home..didn't even go to the garage in the correct car!! The one and only time I used KAT for the pre-rego inspection, they were more concerned about a clean engine so they could read the engine number..no brake, tire or lights check at all!!

One little point, and this applies to anyone who hasn't had their annual inspection in the last six months or so....along with all your vehicle documents, you MUST take along evidence that your Municipal tax has been paid! I realise that most of you know this, but it might help someone who is not familiar with the system these days.

On the subject of RHD v LHD, I own and regularly drive both styles here and have no problems..as someone has said above..it's not the position of the wheel that is the problem.

Hope someone finds this info useful.

howler wrote:

We still have deflectors on and have done since we have lived abroad here, and in Spain with no problem KAT have never queried it. I must disagree with you Tony on RHD cars though, in my opinion it is not whether a car is left or right hand drive, it all depends on the driver. I and my wife always have a RHD car and we have driven all over Europe with no problem, overtaking is not a problem - if we can't see we don't overtake, so don't take the risk, so that is down to us, not what side the steering wheel is on. When I see some of the risks LHD drivers take here in BG I wonder there aren't even more accidents than there are - it is all about safe and sensible driving and not taking risks, not where you wheel is.

Quote :

it all depends on the driver.

Wrong end of.

Quote :

if we can't see we don't overtake,

Donkey/ Horse and cart, slow trip then.

Didn't mean to upset anyone..but, at the end of the day, isn't it all about driving to conditions..and staying safe?

bgbazz wrote:

Didn't mean to upset anyone..but, at the end of the day, isn't it all about driving to conditions..and staying safe?

Healthy debate nothing wrong with that. We are all entitled to our opinions

I agree with all the comments here. Its a matter of experience and how you feel about driving either way. As I drove a Pajero it wasn't much of a problem seeing well ahead so it didn't bother me and to have to drive slowly when the Bulgarians are driving like nutters was quite relaxing. Each to their own and whatever pleases you |I say.

Thanks everyone for your valuable info.
Regards the Municipal Tax..............does that refer to the local car tax?
If so do I need to get that sorted on arrival?

I too have driven both LHD and RHD vehicles in Europe and USA with no problems.
Like you say , a little more caution when the wheel is on the "
other side "
.

Isn't that what I just said Tony?

good evening every one just wanted to say we didn't have any problems with lights either when we went to KAT we did change them eventually and Karnobat salvage place ordered them for us cost a tiny 150 lev a pair Yambol Kat are hot on engine and chasis numbers that's the thing have clean when you go for registration the lamps they were not concerned with. A friend drove over here and it wasn't until he went to Kat did he know about changing the dirrection of the lamps with reflectors or tape and the Kat people taped the lights up for him.
As for driving right or left it depends on the driver and what the others on the road are doing. Thank goodness we have always been safe but we have been close because of other drivers.

chrissybg wrote:

good evening every one just wanted to say we didn't have any problems with lights either when we went to KAT we did change them eventually and Karnobat salvage place ordered them for us cost a tiny 150 lev a pair Yambol Kat are hot on engine and chasis numbers that's the thing have clean when you go for registration the lamps they were not concerned with. A friend drove over here and it wasn't until he went to Kat did he know about changing the dirrection of the lamps with reflectors or tape and the Kat people taped the lights up for him.
As for driving right or left it depends on the driver and what the others on the road are doing. Thank goodness we have always been safe but we have been close because of other drivers.

Good point they made me clean mine to they could see the chassis number on the chassis.