Source: European Union/Re-open EU
28.10.2020
Entry Restrictions
Citizens of EU Member States + Schengen Associated countries and their family members are allowed to enter Bulgaria without restrictions.
Full details are available in the Order № RD-01-547 of 30.09.2020 for temporary ban on entry into the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria (in Bulgarian)
Transit
Transit through Bulgaria to the country of residence is allowed for:
(a) nationals of the EU, a Schengen country, or the UK and their family members;
(b) non-EU nationals, who have a long-term residence permit in another EU Member State, the UK, or in a Schengen country and their family members;
(c) Nationals of Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Moldova and Turkey, as well as Kuwait and Israel, can transit to return to the country of which they are nationals.
Transit is only permitted when the traveler will immediately leave Bulgaria. Persons who are allowed to transit must submit to health inspectors at the border a declaration, regarding observation of the Ministry of Health’s anti-epidemic measures and acknowledgement of the risks of COVID-19.
Mandatory Travel Documentation
Self-risk travel declaration available in 8 languages (BG / EN / DE / RU / FR / RO / GR / RS)
Citizens of Austrialia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Corea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Kuwait, Turkeycan enter the territory of Bulgaria without restrictions.
Third countries
All people who arrive from all other third countries and who:
- have permanent status, long-term or long-term residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria (including member of their families);
- hold a Bulgarian long-stay visa type "D", as well as a residence permit in a EU+ country (including member of their families)
are admitted to the territory of Bulgaria upon submission of a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours before entry.
30.09.2020
Transit
Transit through Bulgaria to the country of residence is allowed for:
(a) nationals of the EU, a Schengen country, or the UK and their family members;
(b) non-EU nationals, who have a long-term residence permit in another EU Member State, the UK, or in a Schengen country and their family members;
(c) Nationals of Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Moldova and Turkey, as well as Kuwait and Israel, can transit to return to the country of which they are nationals.
Transit is only permitted when the traveler will immediately leave Bulgaria. Persons who are allowed to transit must submit to health inspectors at the border a declaration, regarding observation of the Ministry of Health’s anti-epidemic measures and acknowledgement of the risks of COVID-19.
Third-country national coming from outside the EU and Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein
Citizens of Austria, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Corea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, United Arab Emirates can enter the territory of Bulgaria without restrictions.
All people who arrive from all other third countries and who:
- have permanent status, long-term or long-term residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria (including member of their families);
- hold a Bulgarian long-stay visa type "D", as well as a residence permit in a EU+ country (including member of their families)
are admitted to the territory of Bulgaria upon submission of a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours before entry.
EU+ comprises EU Member States plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City State and the Republic of San Marino.
Full details are available in the Order № RD-01-488 of 31.08.2020 for temporary ban on entry into the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria (in Bulgarian)
1.09.2020
A temporary ban has been introduced for the entry into the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria of all persons, regardless of their nationality, through all border crossings, by air, sea, railway and road transport.
The ban does not apply to:
- Bulgarian citizens and persons with permanent status or long-term residence in Bulgaria, and members of their families;
- Nationals as well as persons holding a residence permit of Member States of the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, Schengen Parties (including the Republic of San Marino, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the Vatican City State) and members of their families;
- Citizens of Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, Israel, Kuwait, Belarus and Turkey.
Is entry based on nationality, residency or location of departure?
The main driver is nationality/residency, which sets if a traveller is authorised to enter the country. Additionally, only for authorised travellers, the location of departure defines if a PCR test is required or not. For the purposes of this order, the country from which a traveller arrives is considered to be the country of departure, irrespective of his stay or transit through other countries during his journey.
All persons authorised to enter the country, and arriving from a starting point in one of the above-mentioned countries, shall be admitted in Bulgaria without the need to provide a certificate showing a negative PCR result for COVID-19.
All persons who are allowed entry into the country, and who arrive from a starting point in a third country outside the above mentioned list, shall be admitted in Bulgaria only after providing a document showing a negative PCR result for COVID-19 conducted within 72 hours before entering the country. This certificate shall contain the name of the person according to the identity document with which he is travelling, information on the laboratory carrying out the test (name, address or other contact details), date on which the examination was carried out, written in the Latin method and allowing interpretation of the document.
The Bulgarian citizens, as well as long-term and permanent residents in Bulgaria and the members of their families who come from countries for which a negative PCR test is required, and who do not present such a test, are subject to 14 days of quarantine.
Other exceptions are also identified. Full details may be found in the Order No RD-01-459 of 31.08.2020 of the Minister of Health.
Driving abroad
Source: European Commission
18.08.2020
Entry requirements
01 - 31 August 2020 additional rules under Ordinances of the Minister of Health apply on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria:
- Persons, arriving from the following countries are excluded from the effective temporary ban on entry on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria: EU countries, UK, the Schengen states, including San Marino, Andorra, Monaco, the Vatican, Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Ruanda, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Tunis, Uruguay, Jordan, Ukraine, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, Israel, Kuwait, as well as persons possessing Type D Bulgarian Visa for long-term residence. The other exceptions from the temporary ban still include medical and transport personnel, officials, persons traveling for humanitarian (within the meaning of § 1, item 16 of the additional provisions of the Law for the Foreigners of the Republic of Bulgaria) or educational reasons, seasonal workers and workers in the field of tourism, as well as representatives of trade, economic and investment activities and persons directly related to: construction, maintenance, operation and ensuring the safety of the strategic and critical infrastructure of the Republic of Bulgaria, implementation of projects certified under the Investment Promotion Act, analyzes of projects of potential investors and other activities relevant to the country's economy, certified by a letter from the Minister of Economy or another minister responsible for the respective activity, as well as persons engaged in shipbuilding and ship repair and members of their families. The letter of the respective minister shall be submitted to the border control authorities;
- All persons, who are excluded from the temporary ban and commencing their travel from the territory of a Member State of the European Union, UK, Schengen states (including San Marino, Andorra, Monaco and the Vatican), Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, Jordan and Ukraine shall be allowed on the territory of Bulgaria without the requirement to present a document, proving a negative PCR test result for COVID-19.
- Excluded from the temporary ban on entry are also organizers and participants in international sports competitions - for the time of the respective sporting event, certified by a letter from the Minister of Youth and Sports, in which the names of the persons and the place (address) of their stay in Bulgaria are indicated. The letter should be submitted to the border control authorities.
- Foreign citizens, who are to receive a decree under the Bulgarian Citizenship Law for acquiring a Bulgarian citizenship, certified by a letter from the Minister of Justice are also excluded from the temporary ban.
- Transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria is now allowed to persons, traveling from countries, excluded from the temporary ban, the Republic of Moldova, or citizens of the Republic of Turkey, returning to their home country.
- Persons arriving from the following countries should present a document proving a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, issued up to 72 hours before their arrival to Bulgaria: all third countries, except those excluded from the temporary ban on entry, and those, beginning their travel from a starting point from third countries other than those referred to in in the second paragraph of the current text, including Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, Israel and Kuwait. The document should contain the names of the person according to the ID card, which they use during their travel, data about the laboratory that performed the test (name, address or other contact details), date on which the test was performed, written in English - method (PCR) and negative result (Negative), which would allow correct interpretation of the document.
- In case of a passenger with COVID-19 on board an aircraft, landed on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, the cabin crew members who serviced the passenger are not to be scheduled for the next flight and will be a subject of a quarantine for a period of 14 days with a prescribe, issued by the director of the respective regional health inspection or an official authorized by him.
Start date: 01.08.2020
End date: 31.08.2020
22.07.2020
Transit through Bulgaria
Transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, upon submitting a declaration to Border Health Control Authorities, shall be granted to:
- citizens of EU Member States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Schengen countries (including San Marino, Andorra, Monaco and the Vatican) and their family members in order to return to their country of residence;
- third-country nationals who hold a long-term residence permit in another EU Member State, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or a Schengen country (including San Marino, Andorra, Monaco and the Vatican) and their family members in order to return to the country of residence;
- citizens of Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey, Albania and Kosovo in order to return to the country of which they are nationals.
Transit shall be allowed only when immediate departure from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria is guaranteed.
Start date: 18.06.2020
End date: 30.06.2020
Further information: https://www.mh.government.bg/media/filer_public/2020/06/17/z...
More info: https://www.mfa.bg/en/customnews/main/24737
WCO/Bulgarian Customs Agency
19.03.2020
The Bulgarian Customs Agency publishes information regarding COVID-19 on its
administration’s web-site :
https://customs.bg/wps/portal/agency/media-center/on-focus/covid-19 in Bulgarian and
https://customs.bg/wps/portal/agency-en/media-center/on-focus/covid-19 in English.
Mandatory 14-day quarantine (17.03.2020)
Bulgaria has issued an Ordinance N130 which establishes nationals of which countries shall be placed in quarantine for a period of 14 days. All Bulgarian nationals or foreign nationals having their permanent, long-term or extended residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and their family members arriving from certain countries shall be placed in quarantine for a period of 14 days either at their home or at a placement facility at which said persons have stated they would reside. For the list of countries and exemptions refer to the website.
Start date: 17.03.2020
End date: not available
Temporary ban on the entry of third-country nationals into the territory of Bulgaria (19.03.2020)
Bulgaria has issued an Ordinance N138 temporarily prohibiting the entry of third-country nationals into Bulgaria. The entry into the territory of Bulgaria shall be temporarily prohibited from 00:00 hours on 20 March until 17 April 2020, inclusive, to all third-country nationals at all border crossing points and with any means of transport, including aviation, maritime, rail and road. The ban on entry into the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria of persons arriving from the following EU Member States and Schengen countries shall remain in force: Italy, Spain, France, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, except Bulgarian citizens, family members of Bulgarian citizens and persons with permanent and long-term residence status on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. Citizens from these EU Member States and Schengen countries and their family members are allowed to transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria in order to return to their country of residence. For further information and possible exemptions consult the website.
Start date: 20.03.2020
End date: 17.04.2020
Contact information:
http://www.mh.government.bg/bg/novini/aktualno/ministrt-na-zdraveopazvaneto-izdade-zapoved-za-lic/