The minister of health of Bulgaria issued a new order defining who can enter Bulgaria in December 2020 and January 2021

Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Bulgaria the minister of health defines all anti-epidemic measures by ministerial orders on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, including the entry requirements for foreign nationals. According to the latest published ministerial order РД-01-680/27.11.2020 г. the minister of health has defined some of the following categories of citizens allowed to enter Bulgaria in the period between 01.12.2020 and 31.01.2020:

• Bulgarian citizens, citizens of any EU or Schengen member state (incl. San Marino, Andorra, Monaco, The Vatican), citizens of the United Kingdom as well as their family members / partners (civil partnership);

• citizens of Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, UAE, Ukraine, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, Israel, Kuwait, Belarus and Turkey;

• holders of all types of Bulgarian residence permits or residence permits for any EU or Schengen member state (incl. San Marino, Andorra, Monaco, The Vatican) and for the United Kingdom and their family members;

• holders of valid and already issued visa “D”;

• medical workers, transport personnel, government officials;

• humanitarian cases;

• representatives of trade and investment related activities, certified by an invitation letter issued and signed by the minister of economy of Bulgaria;

• students;

• attendees of cultural or sport related activities, certified by an invitation letter issued and signed by the respective minister in Bulgaria;

• foreign nationals that have been granted Bulgarian citizenship and need to collect citizenship documents, certified by a letter issued and signed by the minister of justice of Bulgaria;

There is no need to quarantine and to present a negative PCR test result if the travel originates from an EU or a Schengen member state (incl. San Marino, Andorra, Monaco, The Vatican), the United Kingdom or from Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, UAE, Serbia, Belarus and Turkey. Medical workers and government officials also do not need to present a negative PCR test result.

Arriving from a country (initial place of departure) other than the above mentioned would mean that the travelers need to present a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to their arrival. The test should clearly indicate in Latin letters the names of the traveler as written in their travel document, the date, name, address and contact details of the medical institution where the test was taken as well as the words “PCR – negative”, all other information can be in any other language and does not need to be translated. Holders of Bulgarian residence permits and their family members who are unable to present a negative PCR test result will be required to undergo a 10-day home quarantine.

For more detailed information, please refer to the authentic text of the ministerial order available on the webpage of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Note: Holders of prolonged stay residence permits (продължително пребиваване) that have an expiring validity within the period 13.03.2020 – 14.02.2021 can enter Bulgaria without having to apply for a new visa D. Such cases should contact the Bulgarian Embassy or the Consulate General in China in order to apply for a certificate that can be presented by the travelers to the immigration authorities and airlines when leaving China.