TRAVEL GUIDE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR BULGARIA

A passport is required. UK citizen visitors who enter the country on regular passports without a Bulgarian visa are authorised to stay for a total of 30 days within a six-month period. Travelers who intend to stay more than 30 days, or travelers using official or diplomatic passports, must secure a Bulgarian visa from a Bulgarian embassy/consulate prior to arrival. Foreign citizens who intend to stay and live or work in Bulgaria must obtain a special Type 'D' visa prior to arrival. Once in Bulgaria, this visa facilitates application for a residence permit. Travelers who have a one-year multiple-entry visa for Bulgaria may stay for a total of 90 days within a six- month period. If a traveler comes to Bulgaria on a one-year multiple-entry visa, stays in the country 90 days and then leaves, he/she will not be able to enter the country within the next 90 days.

All travelers are required to register with the regional passport office for foreigners or the police within 48 hours after their arrival in the country and to inform the office about any change in their address. For those staying at a hotel, a private boarding house or an apartment rented through an accommodation company, registration is taken care of by the proprietor. Presentation of a copy of the passport is not considered sufficient for identification purposes in Bulgaria - visitors are advised to carry their passport with them at all times. For further information concerning entry requirements, please see the Web site of the Embassy of Bulgaria in London, http://www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk/

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS

Travelers should declare jewellery, cameras, computers, and other valuables upon arrival in order to avoid difficulties when departing. Travelers entering Bulgaria with more than 8,000 Bulgarian Leva or the equivalent (around GBP 2,800) in either foreign currency or travelers checks must declare the money and/or checks to Customs officials upon arrival. Travelers entering Bulgaria with any amount of cut or uncut gems, gold or silver must also declare these valuables. Foreign nationals intending to declare money or valuables who enter Bulgaria through Sofia Airport are strongly encouraged to use the red "Something to Declare" line and not the green "Nothing to Declare" line at Customs, even if specifically invited into the green line by a Customs official. The Bulgarian government considers entry through the green line to be a formal, irrevocable declaration that the traveler is carrying less than 8,000 Leva, and Customs authorities have sometimes confiscated travelers' entire funds if they are carrying undeclared cash in excess of that amount.

Travelers who attempt to leave the country with the equivalent of 25,000 Bulgarian Leva or more must complete a customs declaration on which they must state the origin of the money, and present a certificate from the Bulgarian regional internal revenue service proving they do not owe taxes, unless the sum is less than the amount originally reported when initially brought into the country.

Bulgaria's customs authorities encourage the use of an ATA (Admission Temporaries /Temporary Admission) Carnet for the temporary admission of professional equipment, commercial samples, and /or goods for exhibitions and fair purposes.

A Border Crossing Guide is available online at : www.bcci.bg/border

Flights

There are scheduled flights to Bulgaria every day from the UK. Charter flights also fly to local airports during both the ski and summer seasons. The four main scheduled airlines are listed below, please click on to be passed to the relevant airlines web site

Useful Links

The Bulgarian Embassy in Sofia http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/
The Bulgarian Embassy London http://www.balkanair.co.uk/
Flights to Sofia with BA http://www.britishairways.com/ /
Summer holidays and flights http://www.thomsonflights.com/
Holidays and flights to Bulgaria (all year) http://www.balkanholidays.co.uk/
Internal flights from Sofia to Varna www.hemusair.bg/
Sofia Airport www.sofia-airport.bg/
Package holidays to Bulgaria: www.balkanholidays.co.uk/
Thomas Cook: www.ThomasCook.com
www.firstchoice.co.uk/