Foreign and Commonwealth Office Notes on Travel in Bulgaria

These travel notes have been edited down from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website where you can read the full story.

Edited by Barry and Margaret Williamson

July 2008

There is an underlying threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

The main types of incidents for which British nationals required consular assistance in Bulgaria in 2007 involved petty crime and, replacing lost or stolen passports. You should be aware of young pickpockets in city centres especially in crowded areas e.g. buses, trains and busy streets. Keep valuable belongings in a hotel safe where possible.

British citizens holding valid passports can enter Bulgaria without requiring a visa. However, we are aware of cases where individuals entering Bulgaria without a visa on “BRITISH SUBJECT” passports, have been refused entry. If you are in any doubt you should contact the Bulgarian Embassy in London before you travel.

You should carry a copy of the information pages of your passport at all times as proof of identity.

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Inurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.

Terrorism

There is an underlying threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

Crime

Organised criminal groups are active in casinos, nightclubs, prostitution and elsewhere. Serious crime is rare and people unconnected with these groups have not been targeted, although there is obviously a risk of accidental injury from such incidents. You should beware of groups of young pickpockets (often children) in city centres, especially busy shopping areas and underpasses. Thieves and pickpockets also target holidaymakers at Black Sea coastal resorts. You should leave passports and other valuables in a hotel safe or other secure place.

Please be aware that many local authority officials and police officers do not speak English.

Please be aware that the majority of local authority officials and police officers do not speak English, even in tourist areas.

Most cities and larger towns have cheap and extensive public transport. There are regular bus services between most major towns in the country. There are several car-hire companies, including Hertz and Avis. It is possible to fly between Sofia and the two major towns on the Black Sea coast, Varna and Bourgas. If travelling on a domestic air flight, you should have your passport ready for inspection.

Taxis are plentiful and cheap by UK standards, although vehicles may not be in very good condition. Most taxis are metered and the yellow taxis are generally considered reliable. It is advisable, however, to check the tariffs on the vehicle window before boarding as they can vary considerably. At the airport you should use a taxi from one of the two companies (OK and Express) operating the official rank.

If you enter Bulgaria in a private vehicle, you must have your driving licence, all original registration and ownership documents (including logbook) as well as evidence of insurance valid in Bulgaria. If you have hired a car you must have the original contract document, which should state that the vehicle can be brought into Bulgaria. Border officials will impound your vehicle if they are not satisfied that you own it or have permission to use it in Bulgaria.

Since January 2005, tolls have been charged on motorways and main roads out of town. These are payable in Euros. The rate for cars is currently 5 Euros for a one week vignette and 12 Euros for one month. Rates are much higher for freight vehicles and coaches for eight or more passengers. Vignettes can be purchased at ports and border points, and are also available from post offices, large petrol stations and DZI bank offices. You will be fined if you do not carry the appropriate vignette.

Under Bulgarian law, vehicles that are registered outside the EU are considered to be 'temporarily imported' when driven inside Bulgaria. If they are stolen on Bulgarian soil, the owners will be liable for import duty and related taxes. Cars registered in the Channel Islands and the Isles of Man are subject to this legislation.

Take care when driving, particularly at night. Many roads are in poor condition and road works are often unlit or unmarked. Driving standards are generally poor. Avoid confrontations with aggressive drivers who may be armed. You should observe the speed limit and ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy. Spot fines are charged for minor violations.

Some criminals have been reported to impersonate traffic policemen to flag vehicles down on major routes, especially near international border crossings, though there have been no incidents reported to us in 2007 or 2008. If you are crossing Bulgaria by car, you should try to travel in daylight hours.

If travelling by train, you should check with operators on the availability of sleeping compartments and whether bicycles can be taken on board. This may vary between regions, and there may be additional charges. Thieves operate on trains, so take particular care that documents and other valuables are safe. The train system is very poor by European standards and most Bulgarians prefer to travel by inter-city buses, which are frequent, relatively fast and comfortable.

The Bulgarian authorities treat all drug-related (including possession) and or sex offences very seriously (the age of consent is 16). Custodial sentences can be expected for any foreigners convicted of such offences. Offences relating to drunken, disorderly behaviour and hooliganism may also be treated more seriously than in the UK.

Homosexuality is no longer illegal, but Bulgarians tend not to be very open about the subject and the gay community generally keeps a low profile. There are a few gay bars and clubs in Sofia and, to a lesser extent, in other major towns in Bulgaria.

Be careful if you are taking photographs in security-sensitive areas such as airports. If in doubt, ask permission.

Following Accession on 1 January 2007, EU citizens and companies registered in EU countries have the same rights to acquire land in Bulgaria as Bulgarian citizens. Whilst the majority of property brokers are honest, we have received reports of prospective buyers being defrauded. If this occurs, there is little that the British Government can do to assist in the recovery of any capital outlay. We advise that you solicit comprehensive advice, including legal advice from a qualified, independent, property lawyer, before making any purchase.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Visas

British citizens holding valid passports can enter Bulgaria without requiring a visa. However, please note that British subjects, e.g. of Irish descent and born before 1 January 1949, must obtain a visa from the Bulgarian Embassy in London prior to any visit to Bulgaria. Failure to do so will mean that you will be refused entry. If your passport classifies you as anything other than a British citizen you should contact the Bulgarian Embassy in London before you travel to see if you need a visa.

If you wish to visit Bulgaria for longer than three months, and/or reside in Bulgaria on a more permanent basis exercising an EU Treaty right (for example as a worker, student, self-employed person or self-sufficient person), you will need to register with the police and get the appropriate permit. Dual nationals of Bulgaria and any other country should enter and exit Bulgaria on their Bulgarian passports. It is always advisable to carry your Bulgarian travel document with you as well as that of your second nationality.

EU citizens can travel to Bulgaria up to the expiry date of their passports. Other citizens need at least three months remaining validity.

If you wish to enter or leave Bulgaria with cash of any currency amounting to the equivalent of Leva 8000 (approx. £3,000) or more, you must declare it to customs officials. If you wish to export cash of any currency amounting to the equivalent of Leva 25,000 (approx. £9,000) or more, you will be required to show documentation showing the origin of the funds and proof that no outstanding liabilities are owed to the National Revenue Agency.

New legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU also applies in all EU Member States. Any person entering or leaving the EU has to declare the cash they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 euros or more; this includes cheques, travellers' cheques, money orders, etc. This does not apply to anyone travelling via the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU, nor to those travelling within the EU.

All children entering Bulgaria will need to have their own passport. Children included in parents' passports will only be allowed in if the passport also contains their photograph. Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting children to leave the country.

The Form E111 is no longer valid. You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment that becomes necessary on the same terms as Bulgarian nationals. You will not be covered for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature.

You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS.

Facilities in most Bulgarian hospitals are basic and old-fashioned compared to those in the UK. Standards of medical care are acceptable, although specialised equipment/treatment may not be available, and hospital staff invariably do not speak English.

You should seek medical advice before travelling and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up to date. You should seek further information on vaccination requirements, health outbnreaks and general disease protection and prevention.

There was a confirmed case of H5N1 Avian Influenza in wild birds in the Vidin area in the north-western region of Bulgaria in the summer of 2006. No human infections or deaths have been reported.

The risk from Avian Influenza is believed to be very low. As a precaution, you should avoid visiting live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where you may come into close contact with domestic, caged or wild birds; and ensure poultry and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked.

Bulgaria regularly experiences earth tremors. These are normally relatively minor (up to 4.5 on the Richter Scale) and do not have any major impact on the country

GENERAL

Insurance

We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover the full period you will be in the country, and which includes medivac to the UK if necessary. You should be aware, however, that most insurance companies will not authorise a medivac to the UK as a matter of routine, or because local hospitals are not up to UK standards.

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.

The British Embassy in Sofia does not issue full passports. Before setting off, you should ensure that your passport has sufficient validity and a plentiful supply of unused pages. Applications for new passports are accepted in Sofia for forwarding to the British Embassy in Vienna for processing, but this may take up to six weeks. If a courier is used, the cost will have to be borne by the applicant. If you lose your passport, the British Embassy can issue a temporary/emergency passport to enable your return to the UK. You should keep a photocopy of your passport with you at all times as proof of identity.

Travellers entering the UK from European Union countries do not normally pay any UK tax or duty on excise goods they have bought tax and duty paid in EU countries for own use. But there are special rules for cigarettes and some other tobacco products from some EU countries.

The UK is maintaining limits on the amount of cigarettes and some tobacco products that travellers are able to bring in to the UK for own use from nine European Union Member States (including Bulgaria), without paying UK duty.

The limits are:

Estonia - 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco.

Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - 200 cigarettes.

Anyone who is carrying more than the limits should pay UK duty on those goods by entering the Customs red channel or by using the red point telephone. If travellers enter the Customs blue channel with more than the limits, then all of their tobacco may be seized.

You can buy Leva from banks and foreign exchange offices in the UK. There are many exchange bureaux in Bulgaria that normally exchange all major currencies. However, check the rates of exchange before making a transaction and where possible, you should change money in banks or in large hotels. If you have travellers' cheques you may need to go to a bank anyway. You should also be aware that Scottish and Northern Irish bank notes/coins may not be exchanged in banks and bureaux de changes.

There is now a large network of ATMs that accept standard international credit and debit cards. Check with your UK bank/card provider whether you will be able to use these machines to draw Leva.

Bulgaria is still largely a cash economy. Credit cards are not yet very widely accepted, though they may be used in major hotels and, increasingly, in restaurants and retail outlets.

Contact Details

Address: British Embassy, 9 Moskovska Street, Sofia

Telephone: (359) (2) 933 9222

Email:  Visa Section:

Office Hours: GMT: Mon-Thurs: 0630-1530, Fri: 0630-1100. Local Time: Mon-Thurs: 0830-1730, Fri: 0830-1300

Website: http://www.british-embassy.bg/