Yemen
Last update 15 January 2025Diplomatic missions
Risk index
Level 5: Leave immediately/ avoid all travels
5
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Republic of Yemen
Due to the ongoing situation of insecurity in the Republic of Yemen, the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Sana’a temporarily suspended its activities. Embassy activities will resume once the security situation in the capita of Yemen has returned to normal. For consular and visa services, citizens may address the Embassies of the Republic of Bulgaria in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Doha (State of Qatar) or the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Republic of Yemen
Address: Area ‘Asr’, 4th Str., Residence No 5, Sana’a, Yemen; P.O. Box 1518
Telephone: +967 1 208469
Fax: +967 1 207924
Out-of-hours hotline:
+ 967 733255591 ; + 967 737700114
Working hours: Sat – Wed, 9:00 – 13:30
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.bg/embassies/yemen
Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Sofia
Address: Sofia 1784, Mladost 1, 50 Andrei Sakharov Blvd.,
Telephone: +359 2 974 55 46; +359 2 974 56 39
Fax: +2 974 34 63
Working hours: 09:00 – 15:00
Е-mail: [email protected]
General information
Security level:
Yemen is facing an acute internal political and economic crisis. Large areas of the country, including the capital Sana'a, are outside the control of the internationally recognised government. A number of areas of Yemen are experiencing full-scale fighting and are de facto an area of armed conflict. The power vacuum favours the expansion of criminal and radical groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). Alongside major security risks, Yemen is facing a devastating humanitarian crisis. There is an extreme shortage of essential commodities, fuel, drinking water and water for household use. Electricity is supplied only within 3—4 hours a day. Three quarters of the country's population is in need of humanitarian assistance.
Healthcare:
As a consequence of the acute crisis, Yemen's health system is collapsing. The epidemiological situation in the country is extremely complicated. New cases of cholera infection are reported in World Health Organization bulletins.
Specifics of the local legislation:
Pay special attention to and observe local rules on the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages and psychotropic substances. The sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Yemen. It is not considered acceptable to consume food, water and drink or smoke in public during the holy month of Ramadan.
Customs requirements:
Foreign currency up to USD 5,000 shall not be declared.
It is strictly forbidden to import weapons, pornographic materials and drugs.
The import, sale, distribution and consumption of alcoholic beverages is not officially permitted. Foreign nationals are allowed to import up to 2 bottles of hard liquor upon entering the country.
Import of up to 3 packs of cigarettes are allowed.
Import of medicines for personal use is allowed.
There is no restriction and no registration regime for the import of electronics, clothing, products and items for personal use in non-commercial quantities.
The export of objects of archaeological, historical and numismatic value is prohibited.
Customs requirements for Yemen can be downloaded from HERE.
Practical advice:
At present, travel to Yemen is not recommended. If you still need to travel to the country, please check in advance the telephone numbers and addresses of the Embassies of the Republic of Bulgaria in Riyadh, Doha or the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Dubai.
It is not mandatory, but it is advisable to register at one of the above mentioned diplomatic missions. This would facilitate getting in touch with you in case of emergency or if necessary.
It is recommended that military units escort tourist groups visiting archaeological and tourist sites in Marib, Jawf, Ataq, Shibam, Seiyun, Mukalla.
If you are detained by the local authorities for any reason, require to get in touch with the Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Riyadh, Doha or with the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Dubai. The consular officer will contact you as soon as possible.
In the event of theft of your identity documents, cash, travel tickets, etc., immediately notify the nearest police office in person and in writing and ask for a copy of the record establishing the event. Contact our diplomatic mission in order to make arrangements for obtaining the necessary documents to continue your trip or return to your home country.
We advise you to conclude a contract for health, travel, travel or other insurance in advance.
In cases of death of Bulgarian citizens in Yemen, the embassies of the Republic of Bulgaria in Riyadh, Doha or the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Dubai will provide assistance and help in settling the formalities without any obligation to pay the fees required by the Yemeni authorities.
You can receive direct financial support from the diplomatic or consular mission only if your relatives or close persons deposit the amount you need with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Budget and Finance Directorate.
Interesting facts:
Yemen has tourist areas along the coast of the Red and Arabian Seas and the Indian Ocean. The most famous are the islands of Kamaran, Hanish Al-Kubra, Zuqar in the Red Sea, Socotra with unique flora in the Arabian Sea, Mayyun in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, the resorts of Al-Hudaydah, Al-Khokha, Al-Mokha, Aden. There are numerous archaeological sites and cultural monuments, among which the most famous are the remains of the capital of the Queen of Sheba, the ancient cities of Marib, Shibam, Damar, Jawf the clay skyscrapers of Shibuya and Hadramaut, the terraced gardens of Ibb and Taiz. The rocky plateaus and massifs with altitudes from 2500 to 4000 m above sea level offer excellent conditions for hang gliding.
Local currency:
Yemeni Rial (YER). In the context of the ongoing acute crisis in the country, there are serious difficulties in transferring funds to Yemen and in exchanging local currency for convertible currency.
Climate:
Climatic conditions in Yemen are extremely diverse, ranging from a constant temperature of 28 degrees Celsius in the capital Sana’a (2,300 m above sea level) and the northwest part of the country, to a humid tropical climate in Aden and the southern coast, and extremely high temperatures in the desert areas bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Travel papers and visas
A valid passport with an affixed Yemen entry visa, which you can obtain at the Embassy of Yemen in Sofia.
Attention! You may be refused entry or transit through the country if your passport contains a valid or an expired visa for Israel or entry and exit stamps from an Israel border crossing point.
Yemen embassies require a medical certificate of an AIDS test undertaken.
The visa application must state the reasons for the visit — tourism, private visit, business visit, work.
— A private visit requires an invitation letter certified by the Directorate of Immigration Affairs and International Passports of the Ministry of Interior of Yemen.
— For business visits — a document certifying that the person is registered with the Trade Centre and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the country concerned.
— For visits for work purposes — a preliminary employment contract certified by the employer with the Ministry of Labour of Yemen
— For a tourist visa — only a declaration that the person has the necessary funds to cover the costs of staying in the country.
— For a long-stay visa — the validity of the national identity document should be at least 12 months.
All types of entry visas are valid for 1 month and can be extended by the immigration authorities for a period of 3 months to 1 year.
If the stay is up to one month, registration is not required on arrival.
An exit visa is required for foreign nationals on a resident visa when leaving the country.
No guarantee deposit regime applies.
As of 5 February 2010, the Government of the Republic of Yemen decided to suspend the issuance of entry visas at border crossing points for EU citizens, as well as for citizens of the eight major industrialised countries, the Nordic countries, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea. Bulgarian citizens wishing to obtain a visa for Yemen should apply at the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Sofia.
Entry visa — USD 50.00 (payable in the currency of the country where the Embassy of Yemen issuing the visa is located)
Attention!
Your passport must have at least one blank page so that the entry visa can be affixed to it. There should be no other visa stamps on the back of this page other than the border control stamps.
Consular service
Due to the ongoing situation of insecurity in the Republic of Yemen the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Sana’a temporarily suspended its activities. Embassy activities will resume once the security situation in the capita of Yemen has returned to normal.
For consular and visa services, citizens may address the Embassies of the Republic of Bulgaria in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Doha (State of Qatar) or the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
Certifications and legalizations
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Sana’a provides certification and legalization of private and official documents — powers of attorney, declarations, certificates, civil status documents, diplomas, translations, etc.
If the document requested to be certified and legalized is issued by a Bulgarian or Yemeni official authority, it must be certified by authorized persons of the Bulgarian or Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs, respectively.
In the case of certification of a private document – power of attorney, declaration, translation, etc., it is required that the original identity document be presented and the signature of the person be affixed in person before the consular officer.
Issuance of identity documents
Applications for passport, identity card and driving licence are not accepted!
At present, the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Bulgaria in Sana'a does not have the technical capacity to capture the applicant's signature, face and fingerprints with digital devices.
The Embassy in Sana’a is able to accept applications and issue Emergency Travel Documents to Bulgarian citizens. When submitting such applications for minors, the presence and written consent of both parents is required, and in the case of newborn children, prior application for a personal ID Number (PIN) for the child must be made with the municipality of the parents' permanent address.
Civil status
The diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Bulgaria abroad, including the Embassy in Sana'a, Republic of Yemen, carry out a number of civil status activities: recording in the Bulgarian registers of births, marriages and deaths of Bulgarian citizens occurring abroad.
In the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Bulgaria abroad, including the embassy in Sana’a, not only birth, marriage or death can be registered on the basis of documents issued by the local authorities, but also Bulgarian documents can be issued — birth, marriage or death certificates.
In these cases, it is required to present to the Embassy the local documents required by law confirming the event – a local birth certificate of a child, a death certificate issued by a Yemeni authority, a document confirming that the local legislation allows the performance of a civil marriage in the Bulgarian diplomatic mission of those wishing to conclude one, medical certificates, as well as a document on the civil status of the foreign spouse.
All the above documents should be legalized and certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Yemen.