If necessary, our compatriots can contact the Bulgarian Embassy in Kiev at the following numbers: +380 44 246 72 37 and +380 44 246 76 72.
Alerts and requests for assistance in disaster situations of Bulgarian citizens are accepted around the clock on the telephone lines of the Situation Centre Directorate: +359 2 948 24 04; +359 2 971 38 56 or email: [email protected] .

Security level:

The military-political situation in Ukraine after the beginning of the full-scale military aggression by the Russian Federation (24 February 2022) continues to be unstable and extremely dynamic. Periodically, major Ukrainian cities are subjected to rocket fire and attacked by drones, which poses a serious risk to the life and health of the population. Martial law has been declared throughout the country, so most civil rights are restricted. We advise Bulgarian citizens not to travel to Ukraine until the conflict in the country is resolved and in case of impossibility to postpone the trip to take the following actions:
- to register on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at Bulgarian diplomatic missions, indicating the period and place of residence and leaving an up-to-date contact telephone number;
- under no circumstances to travel to areas where active hostilities are taking place;
- to avoid areas where demonstrations and protests are taking place, as well as participation in such actions;
- to constantly monitor the surrounding situation and the media to obtain up-to-date information on what is happening;
- to follow the instructions of local authorities, including police and military authorities.

In the last few years, and especially after 24 February 2022, the crime situation has worsened, and the risks to life and health have increased many times.
At present, air raid alerts are frequently declared throughout the country, during which the population must take shelter in specially designated shelters and facilities. During declared alerts, commercial establishments suspend their operations.
There has been some deterioration in the crime situation, which is characterised by an increase in robberies, burglaries, fraud and domestic crimes. There are registered cases where foreigners crossing or staying briefly in Ukraine are subject to fraud, theft or robbery of documents, money and valuables.
In this regard, we advise Bulgarian citizens who, despite the recommendations to refrain from travelling to Ukraine, need to visit the country:
- in connection with the current martial law, to take into account the additional checkpoints organised at the entrances and exits of major cities. Strictly observe the instructions of the servicemen when passing.
- carry a valid passport at all times, and under no circumstances leave their belongings and documents unattended;
- when travelling by car, stop only at well-lit and busy places on the road and do not leave attractive and expensive items in the cabin of the car after leaving it, as well as their documents and money;
- in most cases, criminal groups create a situation (staging a fight, accident, fainting or other unfortunate event) to dull the attention of the foreigner and to steal unnoticed belongings, money and documents, therefore, Bulgarian citizens should be vigilant and cautious in such a situation;
- it is advisable that Bulgarian citizens have the duty numbers of the Consular Office - Kiev registered before visiting the country;
- travellers with private vehicles on the Kiev - Odessa highway should be more vigilant when travelling, given the recorded thefts from trucks during traffic;
- stretches of the Odessa - Reni road are used for unauthorised car races, which create the conditions for serious traffic accidents;
- due to the significant increase in the number of various types of crime in Odessa, visitors to the city should move with caution in both daylight and darkness. Citizens should be particularly alert to street crime and petty theft as foreigners are always perceived as wealthy by criminals; - when visiting nightclubs, do not leave food and drink unattended as a common tactic of groups committing robberies and muggings is to add intoxicants to the food/drinks consumed. Drinks should not be accepted from strangers;
- Fraud by Ukrainian criminal groups through internet dating is on the rise. In the most common case, an attractive girl contacts a Bulgarian and invites him to visit Ukraine, where he is subsequently robbed. In other such cases the ‘lady’ offers to visit her new friend in Bulgaria asking him to send her money for a visa, plane ticket, etc.;

Customs requirements:

Any natural person who is 18 years of age or older crossing the border of Ukraine is entitled to import/export the following goods for personal use, including excise goods, without completing a customs declaration:
- Tobacco products: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco;
- Alcoholic beverages: up to 1 litre of hard liquor or up to 2 litres of wine.
- Foodstuffs with a customs value of up to EUR 50 and a total weight of up to 2 kg, where no two packages of the same product are allowed;
- Other goods with a customs value of up to EUR 200;
- Works of art — if you have a title deed. When leaving the country, you must also have an export certificate for the relevant art object;
- Medicines, in quantities required for personal use together with the relevant doctor's prescription.

The traveller must complete a customs declaration in the following cases:
- Carriage of goods intended for commercial purposes;
- When travelling with a pet animal - a veterinary passport is required;
- When bringing in or taking out funds in cash exceeding EUR 10,000 or their equivalent in another currency, a document certifying that the funds have been withdrawn from a bank account at an accredited bank must be presented. No fees are payable for the transfer of funds below the specified limit, but under Ukrainian law citizens must verbally declare to the relevant customs authorities the amount of funds they are transferring.
Filling in false data in the customs declaration is punishable under Ukrainian law (with a fine or imprisonment).
The import and export of narcotic and psychotropic substances, toxic, radioactive and explosive devices, substances and precursors, firearms, etc. is prohibited. The transfer of such materials is punishable under Ukrainian law.
The transportation and trade of goods produced in the separatist-controlled territory (the Joint Forces Operation Zone (J.F.O.Z.) covering part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions) through the territory of the Russian Federation is a direct violation of the legislation and customs regime of Ukraine. In this regard, it is advisable for Bulgarian traders and carriers transiting goods purchased in the RF and transiting through Ukraine to verify/demand accurate information on the origin of the goods.

Practical advice:

Work in Ukraine:
Bulgarian citizens who have concluded employment contracts in Ukraine or who reside in Ukraine under the 1994 Agreement between the Ministry of Education of Ukraine and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Bulgaria, after entering the country with a type ‘D’ visa, are obliged to apply to the territorial subdivisions of the State Migration Service for a residence permit.
Pursuant to the ‘Law on Employment of the Population’ of Ukraine, foreigners who have entered into employment contracts in Ukraine may exercise employment activities only in accordance with the employment permit obtained in accordance with the established procedure, unless otherwise provided for in the international treaties of Ukraine.
In order to enter the territory of Ukraine, foreign citizens whom a Ukrainian employer intends to hire must have a type ‘D’ visa, which is issued by the diplomatic and consular missions of Ukraine.
The residence permit is valid for up to one year with the possibility of extension by one year. The documents for the extension of its validity shall be submitted to the offices of the Migration Service of Ukraine in the respective regions no later than 15 days before the expiry of its validity.
If the residence permit expires, the holder must terminate his/her address registration and leave the country within 7 days.
The following penalties shall be imposed in case of employment of a foreign national by an employer without the permission of the authorities:
- the foreign national is immediately expelled from the country;
- the employer is fined 50 times the minimum wage.

Local currency:

Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH).

All payment transactions on the territory of Ukraine must be made only in local currency. Currency exchange should only take place at designated points.

A foreign citizen who does not have a residence permit on the territory of Ukraine cannot open a bank account and use banking services in the country. According to the decision of the National Bank of Ukraine, all foreign citizens as individuals may make bank transfers from Ukraine abroad in the amount of no more than USD 5,000 (or equivalent) per calendar month.

Visa regime with Ukraine:

The visa regime for short-term stay of Bulgarian citizens in Ukraine is determined on the basis of the current EU-Ukraine Agreement on the facilitation of issuance of visas. According to this agreement, all citizens of EU member states can stay on the territory of Ukraine WITHOUT a VISA for up to 90 days within 6 months. It is important to know that you must present your passport at the entrance to the country, which should be valid at least until the end of your stay in the country. There is no requirement for the number of blank pages. You will not be allowed to enter Ukraine with an identity card.
For stays longer than 90 days, it is mandatory to obtain a visa and register with the relevant territorial subdivision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
As of 14 December 2014, Ukraine has introduced a requirement for all foreigners, except for certain categories of persons such as diplomats, official delegations, etc., to prove minimum financial means upon entry into the country. These conditions apply both to short-term residents and to those foreigners in transit through the country. The foreigner must prove the availability of funds in the amount of EUR 50 for each day of stay plus 5 days.

The terms of the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (CMU) No 884/04 December 2014, which introduced the requirement of proof of minimum means, are as follows:

1. Amount of minimum funds required
The amount is 20 times the approved for Ukraine financial minimum for 1 person for 1 month, which is annually set in the state budget law. Specifically, the amount the foreigner must have for one day of stay is equal to the Living Financial Minimum (LFM) for 1 month divided by 30 and multiplied by 20, i.e. SUM = LFM /30 x 20. According to the decree, the foreigner must have funds for the planned days of stay + 5 days, i.e. for a planned stay of 2 days, funds for 2+5= 7 days must be proved.

2. Possession of the necessary means can be verified/proven in the following ways:
- cash in Ukrainian currency or in a foreign convertible currency (preferably US dollars or Euros);
- a document confirming that the required amount can be obtained from a banking institution in Ukraine;
- an international debit/credit card accompanied by a document from the bank confirming the availability of the required funds in it;
- a document for pre-paid accommodation and meals in Ukraine;
- a contract for tourist services (voucher);
- a confirmation letter from the person at whose invitation the foreigner is visiting Ukraine confirming that he/she undertakes to cover the costs of stay and departure from the country;
- a travel ticket for the foreigner's return to the country of permanent residence or to a third country.

3. The requirement to possess financial means does not affect the following categories of foreign nationals entering Ukraine:
- foreigners holding a residence permit;
- heads of state and government, members of parliaments, technical personnel accompanying the delegation, family members of the above-mentioned persons who arrive at the invitation of the President of Ukraine, the Parliament of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, ministers and other central bodies of the executive power of Ukraine;
- UN officials and members of their families who enter Ukraine with foreign travel documents issued by the UN;
- foreigners and stateless persons under the age of 18;
- foreign tourists on cruise;
- crew members of warships and aircraft who reside in Ukraine according to the established order;
- crew members of foreign non-military ships and aircraft;
- crew members of civil aircraft of international airlines and members of train staff of international trains when they are at the airports and railway stations (stations) specified in the timetable;
- heads of foreign diplomatic and consular missions, members of the diplomatic staff, consular officials, administrative-technical and service personnel of diplomatic and consular missions, employees of the military attaché and trade missions and their dependent spouses, children and parents to the indicated persons;
- the employees of the MFA of foreign countries who visit Ukraine on business and have a diplomatic or service passport, and their family members;
- officials of international organizations who visit Ukraine on business, employees of the representative offices of such organizations in Ukraine, as well as employees of the representative offices of foreign countries of international organizations having a headquarters in Ukraine, who enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunity, and also their family members;
- foreigners and stateless persons under the protection of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Refugees and Persons in Need of Temporary Protection’.

- requirements for TRAVELLING CHILDREN - accompanied or unaccompanied:
Every child under 16 years of age must have a valid passport, original and copy of birth certificate upon entry to Ukraine. If the child is travelling with only one parent or with another accompanying person, a declaration of consent from the other parent or a declaration of consent from both parents to the accompanying person must be provided. If the child is travelling alone, there should be a declaration of consent from both parents. Declarations must be notarized and translated into Ukrainian by a sworn translator. In case one parent is deceased or deprived of parental rights, a certified and translated copy of the death certificate or the court decision terminating parental rights is required;

- vaccinations:
In Ukraine, there are no requirements for mandatory vaccinations for both adults and children entering and residing in the country;

- requirements for those travelling by car, tolls:
When entering Ukraine by car you should present:
- vehicle registration document (small);
- third party liability insurance valid on the territory of the country - certified by a Green Card.
If the vehicle is not owned by you, you must also provide a notarized power of attorney from the owner.
In Ukraine, there are no tolls for cars owned by foreign nationals entering the country. A car with Bulgarian registration, owned by a Bulgarian citizen can stay on the territory of Ukraine for up to 1 year (without being registered for customs import).

- traffic control authorities, fines, legal norms in case of traffic accidents:
In Ukraine, the traffic control authority is the ‘Patrol Police’ and the State Service for Transport Safety /for trucks/.
Fines for violation of traffic rules are imposed by the Patrol Police on the basis of a report signed by the relevant officials. The grounds and the amount of fines are determined by the Code of Administrative Offences of Ukraine. After receiving the penalty notice, you are obliged to pay the full amount of the fine within 15 days, which you can do at most bank branches by presenting the notice or just its number and date.

In case of a traffic accident on the territory of Ukraine you should know the following:
- under Ukrainian law, in the event of a traffic accident it is obligatory to notify and await the arrival of a Patrol Police officer who will draw up an accident report;
- all traffic accident reports in Ukraine are decided by the court after a short court procedure. The case will be brought before the court in whose territorial area the accident occurred;
- in case there is an injured person as a result of the accident, the Patrol Police may detain your vehicle for an investigative technical examination.

Important! The cases of legal violations committed by Bulgarian citizens, drivers of motor vehicles, are increasing. Non-payment of an administrative violation ticket/slip in due time leads to an automatic ban on the offender's entry into Ukraine for a certain period of time. Please note that the information systems of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Patrol Police) and the State Border Service are not linked, therefore even if you pay the relevant fine to the authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in a timely manner, a period of several days or a week is necessary for the information about the paid obligation to reach the border officials in order to lift the entry ban.

A VISIT TO THE TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORY OF UKRAINE - CHRIMEA

Pursuant to Resolution No 367/04 June 2015 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the entry of foreigners and stateless persons into and exit from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine shall be carried out through checkpoints, subject to a passport and a special permit issued by the territorial body of the State Migration Service of the place of residence of the foreigner or stateless person.

To obtain the special permit, the foreigner or stateless person shall submit:
- application;
- passport;
- document confirming legal residency in Ukraine;
- copy of the page of the document with personal data, as well as a translation into Ukrainian;
- document confirming the purpose of entry into the occupied territory;
- document confirming sufficient financial means for residency in Ukraine;
- three photos 3.5 x 4.5 cm.

Bulgarian citizens should bear in mind that the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia is Ukrainian territory, although it is not currently controlled by Ukraine. Under Ukrainian law, foreigners and stateless persons may visit Crimea only by passing through the territory of Ukraine. If a person has entered Crimea from the territory of the Russian Federation or through an airport or port that is not controlled by Ukraine, then that person has violated Ukrainian law, and if such a case is detected, the violators are usually included in the list of undesirable foreigners (banned from entering Ukraine). Also, if the person entered Crimea from the territory of the Russian Federation or an airport or port not controlled by Ukraine, he cannot enter Ukraine from Crimea.

VISIT TO THE JOINT FORCES OPERATION AREA — DONBAS (part of Donetsk and Luhansk region):
In connection with the ongoing conflict in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the regime of visits to this area (the Joint Forces Operation Zone — JFO) is specific and is implemented on the basis of the laws of Ukraine ‘On the peculiarities of the state policy for ensuring the state sovereignty of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions’, ‘On the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons’, ‘On the State Border of Ukraine’ and ‘On the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) of Ukraine’ and a directive of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on the ‘Procedure for the Control of Movement of Persons across the Line of Demarcation in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts’.
Due to the extremely risky situation in the combat zone, Bulgarian citizens are urged to avoid visiting this part of Ukraine except in urgent cases.

Opening hours of the Consular Office at CG-Odessa: Monday – Friday: 09:00 – 17:30
Opening hours for applicants: Monday to Friday, between 09:30 and 13:00.
Documents for ‘C’ visas are accepted from tourism companies accredited to CG-Odessa.
Consultations on all types of consular services and advance appointments are available by phone (+38 048 746 63 39), Monday to Friday, between 14:00 and 16:00.

1. Certifications and legalizations:
By virtue of a legal assistance treaty between Bulgaria and Ukraine, the need to legalize Bulgarian or Ukrainian documents in order for them to be recognized in Ukraine or Bulgaria, respectively, is eliminated. All that is needed is for the document to be translated and for the translator's signature to be authenticated.

2. Issuance of Bulgarian identity documents:
Any Bulgarian citizen residing in Ukraine can submit an application to the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Kyiv for the issuance of a passport, identity card, driver's license or Emergency Travel Document.
Please note that after the resumption of the activity of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Kiev (12 September 2022), the Consular Office accepts applications for the issuance of identity documents, but they can be obtained only in Sofia, Republic of Bulgaria.
We deem it necessary to remind you that in order to be issued a Bulgarian identity document, a Bulgarian citizen must be registered with a permanent address on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.

3. Issuing of a criminal record certificate:
The Consular Offices of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ukraine may issue criminal records to any Bulgarian citizen who requests this service. The necessary documents that the Bulgarian citizen should submit are:
- ID document;
- birth certificate;
- application form.
Due to the introduction of electronic data exchange with the criminal record bureaus, the issuing of the certificate usually takes no more than 5 - 10 days.

4. Civil status:
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Kiev carries out the following civil status activities:
- issuing of birth certificates to children of Bulgarian citizens on the basis of documents issued by local authorities. Since the birth certificates issued by Ukraine do not indicate the sex of the child born, for the issuance of a Bulgarian birth certificate based on the Ukrainian one or for the issuance of a Bulgarian Emergency Travel Document /identity document replacing the passport/ to the child, in addition to the Ukrainian birth certificate, the parents should also submit a complete record of the act of reference from the State Register of Civil Status Acts of Ukraine;
- issuance of a death certificate of a deceased Bulgarian citizen, based on documents issued by local authorities;
- issuance of marriage certificates based on a civil marriage certificate issued by Ukraine; When the primary Ukrainian civil status documents submitted by citizens are intended for the initial registration of the event (birth, marriage, death) in Bulgaria, our Consular Offices perform the translation and its certification free of charge.

5. Getting married in Ukraine:
According to the Consular Convention between the Republic of Bulgaria and Ukraine, only two Bulgarian citizens may marry in the Bulgarian consulates in Ukraine.
In this regard, a marriage between a Bulgarian and a Ukrainian citizen can only be concluded before the local civil status authorities - the Civil Status Registration Unit (CSRU). Ukraine does not require the foreign national to certify that he or she is not in another marriage. Instead, the foreigner signs a declaration of marital status. In the event of a false declaration, the marriage shall be deemed null and void.