All Bulgaria Virtual Guide - Travel to Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a moderately developed European nation undergoing significant economic changes. Tourist facilities are widely available. Although not an exclusive vacation spot, the United States Bureau of Consular Affairs paints an antiquated picture of the Balkan nation. Under the leadership of the present United States' Department of State, the Bureau sees itself as "the first line of defense".

Bulgaria will soon experience stagnation in international bus transportation, according to the chairman of the association of bus carriers in Bulgaria.

Passengers increasingly turn to low-cost air carriers and it is illogical to believe the number of bus trips will remain unchanged.

Aviation companies offer tickets as cheap as 20 to 40 euro for trips to destinations located nearly 2000km away.

Bulgarian National Railway - BDZ - Passenger & Freight Service - Information about train arrival/departure times.

The travel and business tips on this page have been gathered from many sources including personal experience. Always apply common sense when travelling, whether at home or abroad. A Bulgarian visa (entry or transit) may be obtained at the Bulgarian Embassy in the US, the Bulgarian Consulate in New York City or at any other Bulgarian Embassy or Consular Office in other countries.

BULGARIA - Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stays of up to 90 days. American citizen tourists may remain in Bulgaria for up to 90 days during any six-month period from the date of the first entry. All visitors must be able to, upon request, show proof of valid medical insurance covering the duration of their stay. For stays longer than 90 days or for those traveling on diplomatic or official passports, a visa is required and must be obtained in advance. Visa is free of charge for those traveling on diplomatic or official passports and U.S. citizens with regular passports must pay a $25 processing fee.

HIV test is required for all intending immigrants and may be required for foreigners staying longer than 1 month for purposes of study or work; U.S. test is accepted. For more information, contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria, 1621 22nd St., NW, Washington, DC 20008 (202/387-7969 or 387-0174), the Bulgarian Consulate in New York at (212/935-4646), the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Chicago at (312/867 1904), or Consulate General of Bulgaria in Los Angeles (310/478 6700). Internet: www.bulgaria-embassy.org .Be sure to check with the Bulgarian embassy in your country before booking your journey, as Bulgaria is well-known for changing as frequently as the wind.

Notice! Visitors must have proof of sufficient funds or onward or return tickets in addition to other documents needed for the next destination. Valid health insurance is required. All visitors to Bulgaria must register as foreigners at a local police station within five days of arrival. This registration is usually done as a matter of course through the hotel or accommodation establishment. Visitors are advised to check this, as a dated registration slip has to be submitted when leaving the country. Immigration and entry regulations are very strictly enforced.

Currency regulations are quite strict. Travellers planning to enter Bulgaria with cash of any currency amounting to the equivalent of Lv 5000 (currently about $2500) or more, must declare it to customs officials (i.e. the red channel at the port of entry). Failure to do so will result in the money being confiscated, plus a possible fine and/or detention. Ignorance of the law will not be accepted as an excuse for non-declaration. The amount of cash which may be imported without declaration is soon to be increased to the equivalent of Lv 25000 / $12,500 approximately. The increase was set to take effect by the end of 2002.

Travelers should not attempt to import into Bulgaria foodstuffs for personal consumption originating from cloven-footed animals.

Incredible as it may seem to foreigners, it is literally true that in a single building in New York, the Hudson Terminal, there are more telephones than in Greece and Bulgaria combined.

In 2007 Bulgaria expects the visits of 5.6 million foreigners, which will represent an 8.2 per cent increase compared to figures for 2006. Out of the total, 1.62 million people will visit summer and mountain resorts, data of the institute for analysis and tourism evaluation shows.

Investment in hotels, restaurants and infrastructure from 1997 to 2007 exceeds 16 billion euro. People looking for a second home in Bulgaria have invested more than 3.5 million euro in the country. Revenue from international tourism for the same period exceeds 12.8 billion euro, Bulgarian National Bank data shows.

The peak time to visit Bulgaria is late spring, early summer. During this time period the weather is very stable and warm; the days are long (over 12 hours). and rainfalls are far rarer than in the spring. Temperatures in the late summer often reach 30o C and sometimes even higher. Wear light clothes, T-shirts, shorts are more comfortable than long trousers, sandals, sunglasses, and those who wish, bathing suits also. To protect from the sun in the mountain elevations, hats and face cream in case of burns. It is desirable to have a pair of comfortable walking shoes (again for the mountainous areas) and raincoats or jackets in case of summer showers. If you're here in the heat of July and August, remember these points and you will find it`s completely possible to be fresh and energetic in spite of the heat:

36 degrees is the ideal temperature of water if you want to have a shower when you are hot.
Replace the usual daily cream with a liquid one or use toilet milk.
Put on deodorant in the morning, when your skin is clean.
Wash your hair after sweating or if you use hair spray, foam or gel.
If you wear your shoes or sandals on bare feet, powder your shoes with talc before you put
them on.
Your clothes should be made of light and natural fabrics - linen, silk, cotton. They help reduce sweating.
Put ice pieces on your face if you want to keep your complexion fresh (make-up should be removed in advance).
Don`t go to sleep with a soiled face. After cleaning, apply a cool compress for 3-4 minutes

Regarding your health and medications:

Public healthcare in Bulgaria is bureaucratic and somewhat substandard, although the private sector clinics in the larger cities are quite modern and efficient. While homeopathic medicine is prevalent, the pharmacies (apteka) have most drugs freshly available right "off the shelf". One minor annoyance: I found it impossible to locate 81mg aspirin, but larger doses were plentiful everywhere.

Information on Petrol (gasoline and diesel) products for your vehicle:

Prices (per litre) posted by OMV, February 2007:

Autogas - 0.88 Leva.
EuroDiesel - 1.65 Leva
OMV Alpin Diesel - 1.79 Leva
OMV Super 95 - 1.69 Leva

OMV Super 100 - 1.89 Leva

Currently there are more than 3 000 gas (petrol) filling stations in Bulgaria. The largest network belongs to "Petrol" with 375 gas stations; "Lukoil" has 120; "Shell" - 82 and OMV - 69.

Among the newest chains are "Ecopetrolium" with 23 gas stations; "Ecoelda"- 15; "Opet"-7. The remaining 2300 are divided among smaller companies. The market share of the first four biggest companies is as big as the market share of all the others. The largest market share belongs to "Petrol" - 17.55%; "Lukoil" -12.49%; "Shell" - 10.47% and OMV - 8.6% Source: Banker Newspaper - Nov 6, 2004

Regarding Credit Cards (also see our page on Currency):

Over the past four years the ATM network in Bulgaria has grown considerably, making it relatively easy to obtain cash from the numerous ATMs in Sofia, as well as in all other major cities and resorts. The national credit/debit card operator BORICA (www.borica.bg, www.iccs.bas.bg/etcetera/whoiswho/borica.htm), to which all ATMs in the country are hooked up, accepts VISA/Plus, Visa Electron, MasterCard/Cirrus, Maestro, American Express, Diners Club, and a number of other cards, including local debit cards*.

ATM's are available in Bulgaria at most banks, as well as at numerous other locations, mostly in the downtown area of most cities and towns. Some other locations, such as Sofia Airport, most Shell gas stations and others, also have them.

ATM withdrawals are undoubtedly the most reasonable way to bring money to Bulgaria. All withdrawals are received in Bulgarian leva (BGN), at the inter-bank exchange rate, which is generally better than that of any change bureau. In addition, BORICA does not charge a commission fee whatsoever, which, although quite unusual, is obviously of great advantage. Furthermore, credit/debit cards do not have to be declared at customs, unlike cash. And last, but not least, credit/debit cards are definitely safer to carry around and use to obtain local currency than any other financial instruments.

We strongly advise against "Traveler's Cheques" as these can be very difficult and expensive to cash. Reasonable "out-of-pocket" expenses per person per day in Bulgaria should not normally exceed 20USD. Naturally, you are advised to follow some common-sense procedures, such as keeping your cards in a safe place, not sharing the card numbers, expiration dates or PINs with anyone, and abstaining from using badly lit ATMs alone at night.

Credit or debit cards can be also used to obtain cash from all banks and many change bureaus. Those, however, will usually charge commission fees for the withdrawal and/or the currency exchange. The amount of those fees varies, and is often not openly stated, so make sure you enquire about it before requesting a transaction.

Unfortunately, most retailers in Bulgaria, especially those in smaller cities and rural areas, do not accept credit or debit cards yet. Hotels, gas station chains, restaurants, airlines and other retailers in bigger cities are now switching to credit cards. However, be aware that paying with cards at such places can be a little more risky that obtaining cash from an ATM. It is recommended that you only use your credit/debit cards at locations that you have a reason to trust. For example, you probably should not be concerned about card payments at Plovdiv Novotel Hotel, a Shell gas station, or the Metro store.

You should, however, be cautious about paying with a card at some small dark pub in the middle of nowhere. Also, remember to keep or carefully destroy any receipts on which the full card number appears.

If you plan to use your credit/debit card(s) in Bulgaria, it is highly recommended that you contact your financial institution in advance, and inform them about your travel plans. Often credit/debit card usage is limited to your home country, so you should ensure that you will be able to use your cards abroad. Informing your financial institution about your travel plans in advance will also prevent the unpleasant event of your cards being cancelled due to extraordinary transactions.

Bear in mind that you will most likely be unable to obtain your balance from an ATM that uses a currency different than the one in your account. Therefore, if your account is in currency other than the lev, you should ensure easy telephone or Internet access to your card account, in order to regularly monitor your transactions. Those may also be of vital importance in the unpleasant event of your cards being lost or stolen. As you may know, banks/credit institutions generally waive unauthorized charges made on your card only if you have reported it missing beforehand. US visitors please note that Discover Card is not accepted overseas except for Internet purchases and transactions through US-based institutions. Only regular magnetic stripe cards are usable at ATMs in Bulgaria. Smart Card, AMEX Blue and other microchip-only cards are currently not accepted.

Keep in mind that your bank/credit institution may be at liberty to charge you a transaction fee for ATM withdrawals abroad. For more information, please contact your financial institution. To obtain cash from your credit/debit card at an ATM, you will need to use your four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). If your PIN consists of more than four digits, or if you do not have a PIN yet, please contact your financial institution for advice.

We note that there is also an excellent collection of travel tips including a list of possible scams at "Round The World Travel Guide". We highly recommend that you read and put into practice as many travel tips and pieces of advice as possible.

Disclaimer: This information is current as of October 2002. The information above is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, neither the author, nor the publisher bear any responsibility for its accuracy.

All trademarks mentioned above are the property of their respective owners.

Regarding doing business in Bulgaria:

We strongly recomend that if you intend to do business in Bulgaria, you find reliable business consultants (or audit/accountants/lawyers) because of the specifics of Bulgarian bureaucracy. It is also useful to get acquainted with main Bulgarian laws and regulations. A Bulgarian consuting company based in Sofia - The SKM - keeps an updated page of useful Bulgarian tax information on their site at http://www.skmbg.com/info.html

As in every free-market country, Bulgaria's economic marketplace sets prices at affordable levels for the average wage earner, and the average monthly salary in the country is quite low by western standards - about $114. Tourist revenue is increasing at the rate of about 20% - 30% per year.

Finally, your webmaster (an American) would like to make the following observation and comment: It is an unexplained fact that Bulgarian furniture is built "closer to the floor" than that in the United States. Chairs, beds, tables are lower by a few inches. An American acquaintance made the same observation and she wrote that "The reason is, Bulgarians are shorter." Such an idea is silly; it isn't true at all. A large number of Bulgarians - both men and women - are 6-feet or taller. I do know for a fact that most Bulgarians weigh much less than Americans for the same height, and many walk almost everywhere they go. I'm still looking for credible reasons why furniture here is built closer to the floor and the best idea to date is the influence of 500 years of rule under the Ottoman empire.