The eligible border area for the Bulgaria - Serbia IPA Cross-border Programme covers a territory of 39 434 sq. km. (20 525 sq. km Bulgarian part and 18 909 sq. km Serbian part). It borders with Romania to the North and with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the South. The border length between the two countries is 341 km, 315 of which land border and respectively 26 km border on river Timok. There are 5 border checkpoints operating alongside the border.

The common Bulgarian-Serbian border area includes 12 administrative units: 6 districts in Bulgaria, which correspond to NUTS level III (EUROSTAT) in accordance with the requirements of the EC Regulation 1059/2003 on NUTS classification and in line with the EC draft Guidance Note of January 2004, and the equivalent NUTS III 6 districts in Serbia:

Bulgaria – NUTSIII level

Vidin District:

11 municipalities: Belogradchik, Boynitsa, Bregovo, Vidin, Gramada, Dimovo, Kula, Makresh, Novo Selo, Ruzhintsi, Chuprene

Montana District:

11 municipalities: Berkovitsa, Boychinovtsi, Brusartsi, Valchedram, Varshets, Georgi Damyanovo, Lom, Medkovets, Montana, Chiprovtsi, Yakimovo

Sofia District

22 municipalities: Anton, Bojurishte, Botevgrad, Chavdar, Chelopech, Dolna banya, Dragoman, Elin Pelin, Etropole, Godech, Gorna Malina, Ihtiman, Koprivshtitsa, Kostenets, Kostinbrod, Mirkovo, Pirdop, Pravets, Samokov, Slivnitsa, Svoge, Zlatitsa

Pernik District:

6 municipalities: Breznik, Zemen, Kovachevtsi, Pernik, Radomir, Tran

Kyustendil District:

9 municipalities: Bobovdol, Boboshevo, Kocherinovo, Kyustendil, Nevestino, Rila, Sapareva Banya, Dupnitsa, Treklyano

Sofia-city District

1 municipality: Sofia city

Serbia – NUTSIII equivalent

Bor District:

4 municipalities: Bor, Kladovo, Majdanpek, Negotin

Zaječar District:

4 municipalities: Boljevac, Zaječar, Knjaževac, Sokobanja

Nišava District:

11 municipalities: City of Niš (Municipalities: Pantelej, Medijana, Crveni Krst, Palilula and Niška Banja), Aleksinac, Gadžin Han, Doljevac, Merošina, Ražanj,, Svrljig

Pirot District:

4 municipalities: Babušnica, Bela Palanka, Dimitrovgrad, Pirot

Jablanica District:

6 municipalities: Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Leskovac, Medveđa, Crna Trava

Pčinja District:

7 municipalities: Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladičin Han, Vranje, Preševo, Surdulica, Trgovište