Entry restrictions for UK nationals travelling to Bulgaria have been eased

From October 10, 2021, entry restrictions for UK nationals travelling to Bulgaria have been eased. UK nationals (and their family members) travelling from the UK, a European Union member state, the European Economic Area and Switzerland can now enter Bulgaria easier. They must provide the following COVID-19 documentation:

a negative PCR test performed within 72 hours before entry in Bulgaria

AND

a certificate showing that the vaccination cycle has been completed at least 14 days before entry, OR
a certificate of recovery from COVID-19

It is possible to travel with just a negative test taken within 72 hours of arrival, but there would be the additional requirement to undertake 10-day quarantine.

However, there are certain requirements that have to be met for the documents. The PCR document must contain all of the below-mentioned information in English – the names of the person, date of birth, type of test (PCR) and the words ‘Negative’, details of the medical institution that performed the test (name, address and/or other contact details), date and time of the test sample, the country in which the test has been performed and the authority that issued the document.

The vaccination document can be in the format of an EU Digital COVID certificate or a similar document containing the same information in English. This should include the name of the person, date of birth, date of the last administered dose, serial number of the dose, and the total number of doses administered, as well as the name of the vaccine, batch number of dose(s), the manufacturer’s name, the country and name of the organization that issued the certificate.

The COVID recovery document showing a positive result from a PCR or rapid antigen test must be dated at least 11 days, but no more than 180 days before arrival into Bulgaria. The document must contain the name of the person, date of birth, date of the first positive result of the PCR or rapid antigen test, details of the medical institution that performed the test, the authority that issued the document, the country in which the test has been performed, and ‘Positive’, all written in English.

People who do not provide any of the above-mentioned documents will be required to complete a mandatory 10-day quarantine.

Moreover, as of Sunday, France, Monaco, Portugal, Cyprus and Iceland are on the Bulgarian list of countries in the green zone. Malaysia, Eswatini, Iran, Macedonia, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, the United States and Ireland are in the orange zone. As of October 13, 2021, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and Singapore enter the red zone.

The following countries are added to the list of countries whose COVID-19 vaccination, testing and disease certificates are considered equivalent to the EU digital COVID certificate: Andorra, Albania, the Faroe Islands, Monaco, Panama and Morocco.