News

TO THE ATTENTION

OF ALL PERSONS WHO ARE ABOUT TO TRAVEL TO

THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

By Order № RD – 07 – 977 / 26. 11. 2021 of the Minister of Health, temporary anti-epidemic measures have been introduced regarding the entry of persons arriving from other countries on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, as of 1.12.2021 to 31.03.2022, according to an assessment of the prevalence of COVID-19 in the respective country by criteria and placement of the countries in color zones.

According to this order, the countries from which the persons arrive on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria are divided into three color zones based on the assessment of the distribution of COVID-19 - green, orange and red zones.

The list of countries by color zones is contained in Annex № 1 to the order. The list is reviewed periodically and, if necessary, updated every 14 days, and in the event of a deterioration of the epidemic situation in a given country, it may be updated more frequently.

1. What temporary anti-epidemic measures have been introduced for people arriving from the green zone?

Persons arriving from countries in the green zone are admitted to the territory of the country upon presentation of a valid EU digital COVID certificate for vaccination, recovery or testing or a similar document containing the same data as the EU digital COVID certificate.

Persons who do not present a document shall be quarantined for 10 days in the home or other place of accommodation in which the person has indicated that he will reside, with a prescription issued by the director of the relevant regional health inspection or by an authorized by him deputy director.

The quarantined person may carry out a polymerase chain reaction test to detect COVID-19 or a rapid antigen test as specified in Annex № 2 not earlier than 72 hours of arrival in the country. In case of a negative result from the conducted examination, the quarantine of the person shall be considered terminated from the day following the registration of the result in the National Information System for Combating COVID-19.

2. What temporary anti-epidemic measures have been introduced for people arriving from the orange zone?

Persons arriving from countries in the orange zone are admitted to the territory of the country upon presentation of a valid EU digital COVID certificate for vaccination, recovery or testing or a similar document containing the same data as the EU digital COVID certificate.

Persons who do not present a document shall be placed under quarantine for a period of 10 days in the home or other place of accommodation in which the person has indicated that he will reside, with a prescription issued by the director of the relevant regional health inspectorate or Deputy Director authorized by him.

The quarantined person may carry out a polymerase chain reaction test to detect COVID-19 or a rapid antigen test as specified in Annex № 2 not earlier than 72 hours of arrival in the country. In case of a negative result from the conducted examination, the quarantine of the person shall be considered terminated from the day following the registration of the result in the National Information System for Combating COVID-19.

3. What temporary anti-epidemic measures have been introduced for persons arriving from the red zone?

Оn the territory of the country are allowed only persons who are:

- bulgarian citizens and persons with the status of permanent, long-term or continuos residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and members of their families. Рersons are admitted to the territory of the country upon presentation of a valid EU digital COVID certificate for vaccination or for recovery or similar document, or to a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction test for COVID-19 conducted up to 72 hours before entry into the country, certified by a valid EU digital COVID certificate or a similar document containing the same data as the EU digital COVID certificate.

- citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the countries listed in Annex № 4 and their family members arriving from a Member State of the European Union, the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation , The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and from a country listed in Annex № 4, which citizens have a valid EU digital COVID certificate for vaccination or recovery or for polymerase chain reaction testing for COVID-19 or an equivalent document according to Annex №. 4;

- medical professionals, medical researchers, social workers and their supervisors, when the purpose of the trip is related to the profession they practice;

- workers involved in the supply of medicinal products, medical devices and personal protective equipment, medical equipment, including its installation and maintenance;

- officials (heads of state, members of governments, etc.) and members of their delegations, as well as diplomats, members of the administrative and technical staff of foreign missions, employees of international organizations, military personnel, members of the security services and public order, and humanitarian workers in the performance of their duties, as well as members of their families;

- persons traveling for humanitarian reasons within the meaning of § 1, item 16 of the additional provisions of the Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria;

- seasonal agricultural workers and workers in the field of tourism;

- foreign citizens, for receiving a decree under the Bulgarian Citizenship Act for acquired Bulgarian citizenship, certified by a letter of the Ministry of Justice;

- foreign citizens admitted to study in higher educational schools on the territory of the country, certified by a document from the respective higher educational school, as well as foreign students, other than those specified in item 5.6., holding a type "D" visa residence for educational purposes;

- persons other than those, who have received approval from the Minister of Health or a Deputy Minister authorized by him, made on the basis of a motivated written proposal of a Minister, when this is required for particularly important specific reasons. Specific anti-epidemic measures specified in the approval may be laid down for these persons.

Bulgarian citizens and persons with the status of permanent, long-term or continuous residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and members of their families who do not present a documen t/ EU digital COVID certificate / are allowed on the territory of the country and placed in quarantine for 10 days or in another place of accommodation where the person has indicated that he / she will reside, with a prescription issued by the director of the respective regional health inspection or a deputy director authorized by him.

4. For which countries specific anti-epidemic measures have been introduced, due to the availability of information on a significant negative change in the epidemic situation, and what are the conditions for entry into the country?

Persons arriving from the following countries of the red zone are not allowed on the territory of the country: the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of Botswana, the Republic of South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, the Republic of Namibia and the Republic of Zimbabwe, except for persons who are Bulgarian citizens and persons with status of permanent, long-term or continuous residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and the members of their families.

Bulgarian citizens and persons with the status of permanent, long-term or continuous residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and members of their families shall be placed in quarantine for a period of 10 days in the home or other place of accommodation in which the person has indicated that he will reside, with a prescription issued by the director of the respective regional health inspectorate or by a deputy director authorized by him.

It is obligatory for the Bulgarian citizens and persons with the status of permanent, long-term or continuous residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and members of their families to submit by e-mail to the regional health inspectorate, which has placed them under quarantine, a document with a result of a test conducted from the 10th to the 12th day of entry into the country by the method of polymerase chain reaction for proving COVID-19.

5. What are the requirements for the document for completed vaccination course against COVID-19, which should be submitted to the border health control?

"Valid EU COVID vaccination certificate or similar document" means a document for a completed vaccination course against COVID-19.

The completion of a vaccination course is considered to be the administration of the appropriate number of doses of a vaccine against COVID-19, specified in Annex № 3 of the order and the expiration of a 14-day period from the date of administration of the last dose.

The combination of one dose of Vaxzevria / AZD1222 with one dose of Comirnaty / BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine) is also considered a complete vaccination course.

The document must contain the names of the person, written in Latin, according to the identity document with which he travels, date of birth, date on which the last received dose of COVID-19 vaccine was given, serial number of the dose, and the total number of doses in vaccines that are given twice, the trade name of the vaccine against COVID-19, the name of the manufacturer / marketing authorization holder, the country of issue and the name of the issuing competent authority and, for the EU certificate, its unique identifier.

6. What are the requirements to the document that the persons, who have recovered from COVID-19, can submit to the border health control in order to enter the country?

"Valid EU digital COVID certificate of recovery" is a document certifying that a person has suffered from COVID-19 and which is valid for the period from the 11th to the 180th day from the date of the study entered in the document. The certificate must contain the names of the person, written in Latin, according to the identity document with which he travels, date of birth, date of the first positive result of the NAAT test and a positive result (Positive), details of the issuing authority, country, which the study was done and its unique identifier. 'NAAT assay' means a molecular assay for nucleic acid amplification, such as polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcriptase (RT-PCR), cyclic-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) techniques used to detect the presence of ribonucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 (RNA).

A document analogous to the EU digital COVID certificate is a document certifying that a person has suffered from COVID-19, and which is valid for the period from the 11th to the 180th day from the date of the test entered in the document. The document must contain the names of the person, written in Latin, according to the identity document with which he travels, date of birth, date of the first positive result of PCR test or rapid antigen test and positive result (Positive), data about the medical institution, carried out the test (name, address or other contact details) or the issuing authority and the country in which the test was performed.

7. What are the requirements for the document showing a negative result of a test that persons arriving from countries in the green or orange zone can provide to the border health control to enter the country?

"Valid EU digital COVID test certificate" or a similar document is a document showing a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction test performed up to 72 hours before entry into the country or a negative result from a rapid antigen test performed up to 48 hours before entry into the country as of the date of sampling entered in the document. The document must contain the names of the person written in Latin, according to the identity document with which he travels, date of birth, type of test, written in Latin method (PCR or RAT) and negative result (Negative), date and time of collection of the test sample, trade name and manufacturer of the test (mandatory for rapid antigen tests), name of the laboratory / medical establishment that performed the test, country in which the test was performed and authority that issued the certificate / document, and for the EU certificate - and its unique identifier.

8. What are the requirements for the document showing a negative result of a test that persons arriving from countries in the red zone can provide to the border health control to enter the country?

A valid EU digital COVID test certificate or similar document, which must be submitted by persons arriving from countries in the red zone, must certify a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction test conducted up to 72 hours before entry into the country from the date of sampling entered in the document. The document must contain the names of the person written in Latin, according to the identity document with which he travels, date of birth, type of test, written in Latin method (PCR) and negative result (Negative), date and time of collection of the test sample, name of the laboratory / medical establishment that performed the test, country in which the test was performed and authority that issued the certificate / document, and for the EU certificate - and its unique identifier.

!For equal to the EU digital COVID certificatesare also considered COVID-19 certificates issued by a third country in accordance with standards and technological systems that are interoperable with the trust framework for EU digital COVID certificate. The list of countries whose COVID-19 vaccination, testing and recovery certificates are considered equivalent to the EU digital COVID certificate is given in Annex № 4.

9. Which are the countries whose COVID-19 vaccination, testing and recovery certificates are considered equivalent to the EU digital COVID certificate?

The list is set out in Annex 4 to the Order.  

List of countries whose COVID-19 vaccination, testing and disease certificates are considered equivalent to the EU digital COVID certificate:

Republic of Northern Macedonia, Republic of San Marino, Swiss Confederation, Republic of Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican City State (only in respect of vaccination certificates issued), Principality of Andorra, Republic of Albania, Faroe Islands, Principality of Monaco, Republic of Panama, Kingdom of Morocco, Israel, Armenia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Kingdom of Norway, Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Singapore, the Togolese Republic, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and New Zealand.

10. Which persons can be admitted to the territory of the country without the need to submit documents for COVID-19, regardless of the area from which they arrive?

On the territory of the country are admitted, without the need to present documents for COVID-19, persons arriving from countries other than those under item 4.6. (the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of Botswana, the Republic of South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, the Republic of Namibia and the Republic of Zimbabwe), which are:

- bus drivers and stewards performing international passenger transport - truck drivers who perform or complete international transport of stocks and goods upon entering the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria;

- members of the crews of vessels and the persons engaged in the maintenance of the vessels, who upon entering the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria perform their official duties;

- members of the crew of an aircraft that operates flights to and from airports for public use on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and the persons engaged in maintenance of aircraft;

- frontier workers (persons living in the Republic of Bulgaria and traveling daily or at least once a week to a Member State of the European Union, the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Serbia or the Republic of Northern Macedonia, for the purpose of pursuing an employed or self-employed activity , as well as persons who live in the indicated countries and travel daily or at least once a week to the Republic of Bulgaria for the purpose of exercising activity as an employed or self-employed person);

- pupils, students and doctoral students living in the Hellenic Republic, the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Northern Macedonia and Romania and traveling daily or at least once a week to the Republic of Bulgaria for educational purposes, as well as pupils, students and doctoral students living in the Republic of Bulgaria and travel daily or at least once a week to the Hellenic Republic, the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Northern Macedonia and Romania for educational purposes;

- persons passing in transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, in the cases when the immediate departure from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria can be guaranteed;

- children up to the age of 12, regardless of the area in which the country from which they come falls;

- persons arriving from countries with which the Republic of Bulgaria has reached an agreement on a reciprocal basis for free movement of their citizens and persons with the status of permanent, long-term or continuous residence and members of their families, upon arrival from the other country. There are currently no such countries;

- citizens of the Hellenic Republic, Romania, the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Northern Macedonia who have been admitted to higher education in the territory of the country, certified by a document from the respective higher education institution.

11. Is it necessary for the children to present a document showing a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction test or a negative result from a rapid antigen test before entering the country?

For children up to the age of 12, regardless of the area in which they come from, it is not necessary to present a document showing a negative result from a polymerase chain reaction test or a negative result from a rapid antigen test before entering the country.

12. Who is a member of the family of a Bulgarian citizen?

The Law on the entry, residence and departure of the citizens of the European Union and the members of their families shall apply to the citizens of the Member States of the European Union and the countries of the EEA and Switzerland.

According to § 1, item 1 of the Additional Provisions of this law, a family member of a citizen of the European Union is a person with whom the citizen of the European Union has married or has a de facto cohabitation, descending to a citizen of the European Union and has not reached twenty and one year or is a dependent, ascending, dependent on the citizen of the European Union, as well as on his / her spouse or a person with whom he / she is actually living.

This provision also applies to the family members of a Bulgarian citizen who are citizens of the European Union and citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria applies to third-country nationals (countries outside the European Union, the EEA and Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland).

According to Art. 2, para. 6 of the Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, members of the family of a Bulgarian citizen are the persons who live with him in one household and are a spouse, descendants who have not reached the age of twenty-one and have not married, descendants who have reached the age of twenty-one, but do not have their own income due to the fact that they are not able to provide for themselves or serious health reasons require the Bulgarian citizen to take personal care of them, ascending to the Bulgarian citizen or his spouse, as and other members of his household who were wholly dependent on him in the country of origin or in the country of their habitual residence or serious health reasons require the Bulgarian citizen to take personal care of them.

In view of this provision, third-country nationals who are in actual cohabitation with Bulgarian citizens when arriving from countries in the red zone are not allowed to enter the country.

13. What documents prove actual cohabitation?

The documents that can be accepted as such, certifying actual cohabitation, and should be presented at the border checkpoint upon entering the country are:

- an address registration document issued by a competent authority of the country concerned, proving that the persons live at the same address;

- birth certificate of children born during the actual cohabitation;

- documents proving the care of the two partners for each other or for their common household (document of ownership or lease of real estate, tax accounts, common accounts, common bank accounts, etc.).

It is not allowed to prove actual cohabitation with a personal declaration of intent (declaration) of the person.

14. When are there humanitarian reasons?

According to § 1, item 16 of the additional provisions of the Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, “humanitarian reasons” exist when the non-admission or leaving the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria of a foreigner will create a serious danger to his health or life due to objective circumstances, or for the integrity of his family, or the best interests of the family or the child require his admission or stay in the territory of the country.

The journey should be taken in exceptional circumstances of an urgent nature in order to protect the health or life of the traveler or his relatives.

15. Which authority can provide me with information on what documents are needed to prove citizenship, acquired status, the status of a family member or the existence of humanitarian reasons?

On these issues you should contact the border control authorities at the Ministry of Interior.

16. To which border crossing points should the persons be directed in case they fall under the requirement to present a document for COVID-19?

The border health control is carried out only at the following border checkpoints:

∙ Border Checkpoint "Burgas Airport";

∙ Varna Airport Border Checkpoint;

∙ Plovdiv Airport Border Checkpoint;

∙ Sofia Airport Border Checkpoint (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2);

∙ Border Port of Burgas;

∙ Port of Varna border checkpoint;

∙ Vidin border checkpoint;

∙ Vrashka Chuka border checkpoint;

∙ Durankulak border checkpoint;

∙ Gueshevo border checkpoint;

∙ Zlatarevo border checkpoint;

∙ Ilinden border checkpoint;

∙ Kalotina border checkpoint;

∙ Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint;

∙ Captain Petko Voivoda border checkpoint;

∙ Kulata border checkpoint;

∙ Lesovo border checkpoint;

∙ Makaza border checkpoint;

∙ Malko Tarnovo border checkpoint;

∙ Oltomantsi border checkpoint;

∙ Oryahovo border checkpoint;

∙ Ruse border checkpoint;

∙ Stanke Lisichkovo border checkpoint;

∙ Somovit-Nikopol border checkpoint;

∙ Strezimirovtsi border checkpoint.

List of countries by color zones, countries for which there is information about a significant negative change in the epidemic situation and countries with a reciprocal basis

Green zone:

Vatican City State

Orange zone:

All countries outside the green and red zone

Red zone:

People's Republic of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Kingdom of Bhutan, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Republic of Maldives, Republic of South Africa, Republic of Botswana, Lesotho, Kingdom of Eswatini, Republic of Zimbabwe, Republic of Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Namibia, Republic of Zambia, Sultanate of Oman, Turkmenistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Chile, Eastern Republic of Uruguay, Federal Republic of Brazil, Republic of Paraguay, Multinational State of Bolivia, Republic of Suriname, Republic of Panama, Republic of Costa Rica, Republic of Guatemala, Belize, the Republic of El Salvador, the Republic of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Saint Lucia, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Singapore, Brunei, Jordan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Georgia, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Estonia, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Slovak Republic, Republic of Austria, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ireland, Czech Republic, Kingdom of Belgium, Hungary, Kingdom of Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Federal Republic of Germany, Principality of Liechtenstein, Principality of Andorra, Republic of Poland, the Swiss Confederation, San Marino, Luxembourg, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Cyprus, Principality of Monaco, France.

SOURCE: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria 

*****

Laboratories for PCR tests in Bansko:

- at the parking lot at the bottom station of the gondola lift, with working hours from 10 am to 6 pm
- at the Strazhite Hotel

- at 26 Tsar Simeon Street in Bansko

Soon a laboratory will open at the upper station of the gondola lift, at Banderishka Polyana.
Prices:
Antigen test BGN 20
PCR test BGN 90