Complete Bulgaria Compliance 2026 Calendar: GDPR, NIS2, ISO & AI Act
Every Bulgarian business faces compliance obligations in 2026. GDPR enforcement continues. NIS2 is now active. The EU AI Act phases in. ISO certifications require surveillance audits. This Bulgaria compliance 2026 calendar gives you every deadline in one place.
We created this guide because our clients kept asking the same question: “What do I actually need to do this year?” Rather than repeat ourselves, we mapped everything quarter by quarter.
At Varna AI, we help Bulgarian SMEs navigate exactly these requirements. Bookmark this page—you’ll reference it all year.
Q1 2026: Start Strong (January – March)
The first quarter sets the tone for your entire Bulgaria compliance 2026 journey. January is planning month. February is audit month. March is remediation month.
January: Annual Compliance Review
GDPR: Review your data processing activities register. Update it with any new processing activities from 2025. Check that all processor agreements remain current. The Bulgarian Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) expects accurate records.
NIS2: Confirm your organization’s classification. Are you “essential” or “important” under NIS2? This determines your reporting obligations. Most Bulgarian SMEs fall under “important” if they’re in covered sectors.
ISO 27001: If certified, check your surveillance audit date. Most certification bodies require annual surveillance. Book your auditor now—slots fill quickly in Q1.
February: Gap Assessments
Use February to identify gaps before regulators do. A proactive gap assessment costs far less than reactive incident response. Our GDPR compliance services include comprehensive gap analysis.
For your Bulgaria compliance 2026 planning, assess these areas: access controls, incident response procedures, vendor management, employee training records, and technical security measures. Document everything—regulators want evidence.
March: Remediation Planning
Based on February’s assessment, create your remediation roadmap. Prioritize by risk: high-risk gaps first, then medium, then low. Set realistic timelines. Budget accordingly.
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) publishes sector-specific guidance that helps prioritize. Use it.
Q2 2026: Implementation Phase (April – June)
Q2 is when Bulgaria compliance 2026 plans become reality. Stop planning, start doing. Most enforcement actions target companies that planned but never implemented.
April: NIS2 Reporting Setup
Key Deadline: NIS2 incident reporting must be operational. You need capability to report significant incidents within 24 hours (early warning), 72 hours (incident notification), and one month (final report).
Test your reporting chain. Who detects incidents? Who decides to report? Who actually submits to authorities? Document this chain and test it with a tabletop exercise.
Our C3 Compliance Platform automates incident tracking and reporting workflows. It ensures you never miss a deadline.
May: Employee Training
GDPR Article 39 requires appropriate staff training. NIS2 Article 20 requires cybersecurity awareness. The Bulgaria compliance 2026 reality is that most breaches involve human error. Train your people.
Focus training on: phishing recognition, password hygiene, data handling procedures, incident reporting, and social engineering awareness. Document attendance and test comprehension.
June: Mid-Year Compliance Review
Half the year is gone. Review progress against your Q1 remediation plan. Are you on track? Adjust timelines if needed. Document reasons for any delays—auditors will ask.
This is also when EU AI Act prohibited practices become enforceable. If you use AI systems, verify none fall into prohibited categories.
Q3 2026: Audit Season (July – September)
Summer brings auditors. Whether internal audits, ISO surveillance, or regulatory inspections, Q3 is Bulgaria compliance 2026 audit season. Be ready.
July: Internal Audit Execution
Conduct internal audits before external ones. Find and fix issues yourself rather than having auditors discover them. ISO 27001 clause 9.2 requires internal audits anyway.
Audit against your own policies first. Then audit against regulatory requirements. Document findings, assign corrective actions, and track closure. Our enterprise cybersecurity solutions include internal audit support.
August: EU AI Act High-Risk Assessment
Key Date: August 2026 brings EU AI Act obligations for high-risk AI systems. If you deploy AI in HR decisions, credit scoring, or critical infrastructure, you need conformity assessments.
For your Bulgaria compliance 2026 AI obligations: inventory all AI systems, classify by risk level, document intended purposes, and implement required safeguards for high-risk systems.
September: Certification Renewals
ISO 27001 certificates typically have three-year validity with annual surveillance. Check your certificate expiry. If recertification is due, start preparation now—the audit process takes 2-3 months.
Read client reviews to see how we’ve helped other Bulgarian companies through certification processes. Experience matters when timelines are tight.
Q4 2026: Year-End Compliance (October – December)
The final quarter of your Bulgaria compliance 2026 journey focuses on closing gaps, documenting achievements, and planning for 2027.
October: NIS2 Annual Review
NIS2 requires regular review of cybersecurity measures. October is ideal timing—late enough to assess the full year, early enough to implement changes before year-end.
Review: incident statistics, risk assessment updates, supply chain security, business continuity testing results, and security measure effectiveness. Document conclusions for regulatory review.
November: GDPR Annual Report
While GDPR doesn’t mandate annual reports, best practice—and Bulgarian CPDP guidance—suggests documenting your year’s data protection activities. This demonstrates accountability under Article 5(2).
Include: data subject requests handled, breaches (if any), training completed, policy updates, and processor audits conducted. This Bulgaria compliance 2026 documentation protects you if questions arise later.
December: 2027 Planning
Use December to plan next year. What worked in 2026? What didn’t? What new requirements are coming? The regulatory landscape constantly evolves—staying ahead requires continuous planning.
Read about our mission to understand how we help Bulgarian businesses stay ahead of compliance requirements year after year.
Quick Reference: Key Deadlines
Print this Bulgaria compliance 2026 summary and post it where your team can see it:
Ongoing: GDPR enforcement active, NIS2 incident reporting required, ISO surveillance audits
Q1: Annual compliance review, gap assessments, remediation planning
Q2: NIS2 reporting setup, employee training, mid-year review
August: EU AI Act high-risk system obligations begin
Q4: Annual reviews, documentation, 2027 planning
Which Regulations Apply to You?
Not every Bulgarian business faces every regulation. Here’s a quick guide for your Bulgaria compliance 2026 planning:
GDPR applies if you: Process personal data of EU residents (almost everyone)
NIS2 applies if you: Operate in essential/important sectors with 50+ employees or €10M+ turnover
ISO 27001: Voluntary but often required by enterprise clients or for tenders
EU AI Act applies if you: Deploy or develop AI systems in the EU market
Unsure which apply to your business? That’s exactly what our free discovery calls address.
Get Your Personalized Compliance Roadmap
This calendar provides the framework, but every business is different. Your industry, size, data processing activities, and risk profile determine your specific obligations.
We offer free 30-minute discovery calls to discuss your situation. No sales pitch—just honest assessment of what you need to prioritize. Sometimes the answer is “you’re already compliant.” Sometimes it’s “here’s what needs attention.”
Contact us to schedule your call. Let’s make sure 2026 is the year you get compliance right.
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