Security level:
Domestic and street crime is not an isolated phenomenon in the French Republic. Street theft and pickpocketing, phenomena that French police and judicial institutions are systematically combating, are a serious problem.

Healthcare:
The level of healthcare in the French Republic is one of the highest in the world. In order to benefit from its services, Bulgarian citizens must obtain the necessary health insurance documents, insurance and/or financial means in advance. The possession of a European Health Insurance Card or a replacement certificate does not fully exempt Bulgarian citizens from paying fees for medical services on the territory of the French Republic. For this purpose, they must have additional financial means or appropriate insurance. In case of medical emergency, Bulgarian citizens should call the European emergency number 112.

Specifics of the local legislation:
The French Republic is among the countries that tolerate the admission of EU and third-country nationals to their national territory. The rights of foreigners are respected to a very high degree, and they are equally required to comply with French laws and regulations.

Customs requirements:
When entering the French Republic, Bulgarian natural and legal persons must strictly comply with the customs requirements of the country. In case of transfer or transport of goods for which a special permit is required — weapons, ammunition, narcotics, etc., it is mandatory to obtain the relevant international permit documents in advance.
Undeclared currency can be worth up to EUR10,000. No more than one litre of alcohol over 22 degrees per person and up to 3 litres of wine are allowed. The quantity of cigarettes per person that can be imported duty-free and without the need for declaration is 200 pieces. French legislation is particularly strict when importing products under counterfeit trademarks — clothes, shoes, music CDs, machinery, etc. The penalties for such offences are particularly severe. Customs requirements for France

Road traffic:
Road traffic, vehicular and pedestrian, is subject to general international rules. Control is strict and effective, and fines and penalties are appropriate to the size and seriousness of the infringements.

Practical advice:
It is advisable for Bulgarian citizens to travel with two valid identity documents — identity card and passport, carrying and storing them in different places in order to minimize the negative consequences in case of theft or loss.
In the event of loss or theft of a Bulgarian identity document on the territory of the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco, to contact the nearest police commissariat or territorial gendarmerie brigade in order to report the theft or loss of the Bulgarian identity document. Once such a document has been issued, the injured Bulgarian citizen or his/her legal representative should contact the Consular Office with the Embassy in Paris to report the loss or theft of the identity document(s). In case of need for an Emergency Travel Document, Bulgarian citizens should apply directly to the Consular Office with the Embassy in Paris.
We would like to inform the Bulgarian citizens who purchase old cars and wish to transport them through the Republic of Austria that there are cases in which in the Republic of Austria these Bulgarian citizens are sanctioned by the Austrian police authorities by having their French registration plates confiscated and fines of about EUR 500 imposed. The reason, according to the Austrian authorities, is that after the sale, the car's tags are crossed out by the seller with two stripes and become invalid — with invalid registration and insurance.
It is recommended that Bulgarian citizens travelling in such vehicles through the Republic of Austria re-register the vehicle with short-term transit plates. In the Republic of Austria it is possible to obtain this type of transit number with a three-day validity. Another option for the passage of such vehicles through the territory of the Republic of Austria is transport by road.

Important phone numbers:
Police emergency number - 17;
General European emergency number - 112;
Fire Service - 18;
Samu Emergency Medical Service - 15;
Social Affairs Service Samu - 115;
SOS Medical Aid - 36 24;
Emergency Medical Service in Paris - 01 53 94 94 94;
Emergency Medical Service /Paediatrician/ - 01 44 09 84 85;
Emergency dental care - 01 43 37 51 00;
Emergency psychiatric care - 01 47 07 24 24 or 01 40 47 04 47;
In cases of missing under-aged persons - 116000;
Reports of cases of abused under-aged persons - 119.

Local currency:
The local currency in the French Republic is the euro.

Bulgarian citizens can enter France only through the border crossing points. The country borders only with Schengen member states and there are no permanent border controls at its land borders. This also applies to the Principalities of Monaco and Andorra. At the air and sea borders, however, Bulgarian citizens are subject to passport control. Bulgarian citizens may enter and leave the territory of France and the Principality of Monaco only with valid identity cards, passports or Emergency Travel Documents.

A Bulgarian citizen cannot enter or leave French territory with a driving licence.

No immunisations are required for Bulgarian citizens entering French territory.

Where available, people should travel with two valid identity documents – an identity card and a passport and keep them in different places, in order to minimise the negative consequences of any theft or loss.

In case of loss or theft of a Bulgarian identity document in France and Monaco, contact the nearest Commissioner of Police or the territorial brigade of the gendarmerie, in order to declare the theft or loss of a Bulgarian identity document. After receiving a protocol of the event, the Bulgarian citizen or his/her legal representative should contact the Consular Section at the Embassy in Paris, or the Bulgarian honorary consuls in Lille, Marseille or Monaco, in order to report the loss or theft of their personal ID document. If in need of a temporary passport, Bulgarian citizens must contact the Consular Section at the Embassy in Paris directly.

Bulgarian citizens must have sufficient funds for their intended stay in France. It is strongly recommended that these funds are kept in different forms - in cash and in bank cards, as travellers checks, and they should be transported and stored in such a manner, as to minimise any negative effects if they’re lost or stolen.

Rules for admission to the Consular Office:
Admission to the Consular Office is by appointment only by telephone: 0033 /0/ 1 45 51 85 90. Persons will not be admitted to the Consular Office without a pre-arranged appointment, except in cases of urgency, in which case the consular officer will make the determination.

No appointment is required in advance to receive the finished ID documents. Receipt is carried out within the reception hours of the Consular Office — from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 13:00, excluding weekends and holidays.

The Consular Office is guarded by a physical security officer of the Embassy. His instructions shall be binding on all persons present in front of or in the reception areas of the Consular Office. Accompanying persons shall not be admitted to the reception areas except in cases of proven extreme necessity and only with express permission.

Certifications and legalizations:
At the Consular Office of the Embassy you can have the date, content and signatures of private documents not subject to registration and submitted by Bulgarian or foreign citizens certified, as well as the authenticity of copies and extracts of documents submitted by Bulgarian citizens. The certification of the date, content and signature of a private document which is not subject to registration and is presented by a foreign citizen shall be carried out only if the document is intended to produce its effect on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. You can have an interpreter’s signature certified at the Consular Office of the Embassy.

Legalization of public documents issued abroad:
Between the Republic of Bulgaria and the French Republic there is in force a Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Civil Matters between the Government of the People's Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the French Republic, in force since 1 Octoer 1989. According to Article 23 of the Treaty, official documents drawn up in the territory of one of the Contracting Parties shall be exempt from legalization or any other similar formalities when they have to be presented in the territory of the other Party. These are considered official documents: documents issued by a court, a public prosecutor's office, a bailiff and a clerk of court; documents issued by administrative authorities; notarial deeds; official certifications such as entries in registers, certification of certain dates and certification of signatures on private documents.
This means that the documents cited in the Legal Aid Treaty are directly recognised in the other country without the need for an Apostille.
In order to be used in Bulgaria, it is recommended that documents issued by the competent French authorities be translated into Bulgarian in one of two ways:
- in France - by a sworn translator of the Courts of Appeal in France and included in the list of the Embassy - in this case the translation shall be certified by the Consular Office with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in France;
- in Bulgaria - by a person included in the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of natural persons who translate documents and other documents from a foreign language into Bulgarian on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria - in this case, if the document is intended for use in the Republic of Bulgaria, it is necessary that the signature of the translator, affixed in the translation made by him, be notarized in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Translation into French of documents issued by the competent Bulgarian authorities may be carried out in one of two ways:
- in France - from a sworn translator to the Courts of Appeal in France;
- in Bulgaria - by a person included in the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of natural persons who translate documents and other documents on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria — in this case, if the document is intended for use abroad, the signature of the translator, affixed in the translation made by him, is certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sector ‘Certifications and Legalizations’ of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2 Alfred Nobel St., 1040 Sofia), if such certification is required or accepted by the country in which it is to be used. Before doing so, the interested parties should consult the institution in France, where the translated document will be presented, whether the latter would accept a translation made and certified in Bulgaria.
Issuance of a certificate of compatibility with Bulgarian law (Certificat de coutume) required for the conclusion of a marriage or a civil contract of solidarity (Pacte Civile de Solidarité) on the territory of France.
Bulgarian citizens can marry each other, French citizens or third-country nationals in French municipalities according to their place of residence in France. For the conclusion of such marriages, in addition to the documents required by the French civil status offices, Bulgarian citizens need a certificate of compatibility with Bulgarian law (Certificat de coutume), which is issued by the Consular Office with the Bulgarian Embassy in France.
In order to obtain a certificate of compatibility with Bulgarian law (Certificat de coutume) for the conclusion of a civil marriage or a civil contract of solidarity (Pacte Civile de Solidarité), the Bulgarian citizen(s) must provide the following documents:
1. Application, in free text, for the issue of the relevant certificate;
2. A photocopy of a valid Bulgarian identity document - passport or identity card;
3. Original birth certificate issued by the Civil Registry Office of the City Hall of the Bulgarian citizen's permanent address (the permanent address is in Bulgaria and, as a rule, is written on the back of the identity card);
4. Original Certificate of marriage of a Bulgarian citizen abroad issued by the Civil Registry Office of the City Hall of the permanent address of the Bulgarian citizen. The certificate must be issued no earlier than 6 months from the intended date of marriage in France. It must certify that the person is not in another marriage and that it serves to marry in France. As a general rule, this certificate states the name, nationality, date of birth and marital status of the person to be married in France.
Fee of EUR 10, payable in cash or by bank card. In case the documents are sent by post, the payment of the fee shall be by cheque issued in the name of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Paris.
If the person(s) concerned wishes to have the completed certificate of compatibility with Bulgarian law (Certificat de coutume) required for the conclusion of a marriage or of a civil contract of solidarity (Pacte Civile de Solidarité) in the territory of France sent to him/her/them by post, he/she/they must provide a postage-paid envelope with the exact address of receipt in France and with sufficient stamps. In addition to the certificate, the birth certificate and the certificate of current marital status, as well as a receipt for the fee paid, shall be returned in the envelope.

Important!
Interested parties should be aware that the form of legal cohabitation - a civil contract of solidarity (Pacte Civile de Solidarité) - has no legal force and value in Bulgaria. According to the Bulgarian Family Code, only a civil marriage gives rise to legal consequences arising from the marriage.
The marital status of Bulgarian citizens who have concluded a civil solidarity agreement (Pacte Civile de Solidarité) on the territory of France remains unchanged on the territory of Bulgaria.

Issuance of Bulgarian identity documents
Any Bulgarian citizen residing in the country may submit an application to the Embassy for the issuance of a passport, identity card or an Emergency Travel Document. When issuing an identity card, passport or Emergency Travel Document to an under-aged person, the original of the birth certificate shall be presented in case the minor does not have a valid identity document to identify him/herself. In case of loss, theft, damage or destruction of the identity card and/or passport, a document of these circumstances prepared by the local police shall be presented.
Obtaining Bulgarian identity documents using the transport services of the courier company DHL

Bulgarian citizens who wish to receive their passport or identity card from the Consular Office with the Embassy of Bulgaria in France in an expedited manner (up to 60 days) must pay the sum of EUR 38.84 in advance to the following DHL bank account:

Beneficiary:                        DHL EXPRESS BULGARIA EOOD
Beneficiary’s IBAN No:         BG40UNCR70001523563800
Beneficiary’s Bank:              UniCredit Bulbank AD
BIC/SWIFT Code:                UNCRBGSF
Beneficiary’s Bank Address:        7, Sveta Nedelya square, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

In the payment order, the applicant must enter:
- the initials BDS
- the name of the city in which the mission is located where the document will be received, in this case - Paris
- the full name of the person to whom the identity document will be issued:
Example: BDS Paris Ivan Petrov Ivanov

It is not necessary to list more than one person on the payment order if more than one person's identification documents will be delivered in one shipment /e.g. a family of four/.
The applicant signs a declaration provided by the consular officer that he/she is informed that the Consular Office with the Embassy as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are not responsible in case the documents are lost or damaged during transportation by the transport company.
The amount paid to DHL's account is for the faster delivery of the documents to the Consular Office with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Paris, but not for the faster issuance of the documents.
When requesting the issue of an identity card or passport at the Consular Office, the payment order for the fee paid to the DHL account must be presented.
Fees for the issuance of a passport or identity card are payable on the spot at the Consular Office in cash or by bank card.

Civil status:
The competent French civil status offices shall send to the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria the birth, marriage or death certificates of Bulgarian citizens drawn up in France. Civil status acts received ex officio shall be sent to the competent Bulgarian civil status offices for entry in the Bulgarian registers.
It is possible for the person, after obtaining the relevant local civil status document, to present it in person at the Consular Office, translated and certified in accordance with the established procedure, for forwarding to the municipality of residence in Bulgaria for registration of birth, civil marriage or death.
Where the person concerned is able and willing to carry out the registration in person, he/she shall present the relevant local civil status document, translated and certified in accordance with the established procedure in the relevant municipality in Bulgaria:
- for the birth of a child - in the municipality at the permanent address of the mother, and if she is a foreign citizen - in the municipality at the permanent address of the father;
- for a civil marriage performed before the local authorities - in the municipality of the husband's permanent address, and if he is a foreign citizen - in the municipality of the wife's permanent address;
- for death - in the municipality at the place of the permanent address of the deceased.