Southeast Europe · UN member
Bulgaria: Travel Guide & Requirements
Republic of Bulgaria · Република България
Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe with its capital in Sofia. It has a population of 6.4 million (#111 in the world) and covers 110,879 km². The official language is Bulgarian. The currency is the Euro (EUR, €).
Where is Bulgaria? Map of Bulgaria
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey.
- Region
- Southeast Europe
- Coordinates
- 43° N, 25° E
- Neighbours
- 5 — see list
- Coastline
- 354 km
- Bulgaria
- Neighbours
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Bulgaria showing Sofia (capital) and the largest cities: Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Ruse, Pleven, Sliven and Shumen.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Bulgaria
- Passport
Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry says visa applicants need a passport valid for at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from Bulgaria, issued within the last 10 years and with at least 2 blank pages.
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 93 need no visa, 105 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Bulgaria entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
No official requirement. The Schengen Borders Code (Annex I) lists a return or round-trip ticket among the supporting documents that may be used to verify that entry conditions are met.
- Proof of funds
The European Commission's table of reference amounts set by national authorities lists Bulgaria at EUR 50 per person per day, and EUR 500 per stay.
- Travel insurance
Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry asks visa applicants for medical insurance valid in the EU for the whole trip, covering repatriation, urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment, of at least EUR 30,000, as the EU V…
- Arrival card
Non-EU travellers arriving at a Schengen border crossing point for the first time since the EU Entry/Exit System started have a photo of their face taken and/or their fingerprints scanned, and passports are not stamped.
- Customs allowance
The EU says cash of €10,000 or more (or the equivalent) must be declared when entering or leaving the EU.
- Travel advice
Safe to visit — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
10 things to know before you travel to Bulgaria
- Safety: Yes — Bulgaria is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Bulgaria Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
- Best time to go: June to September — when daytime highs in Sofia are around 23–28°C.
- Money: the Euro (EUR) — 1 US dollar is about 0.8911 EUR.
- Plugs: type C and F, 230 V, 50 Hz — standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
- Emergency numbers: Police 112 / 166, Ambulance 112 / 150, Fire 112 / 160.
- Language: Bulgarian is official.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 120 km/h on expressways and 140 km/h on motorways.
- Time zone: UTC+2 in Sofia.
- Capital: Sofia. About 6.4 million people live in Bulgaria.
- Outdoors: 3 national parks and 12 ski areas.
Key facts
Bulgaria at a glance
Languages spoken: Bulgarian (official) 77.3%, Turkish 7.9%, Romani 3.5%, other 1%, unspecified 10.4% (2021 est.)
Geography & history
About Bulgaria
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began…
Read the full history
The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Climate
temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Highest point
Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources
bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Natural hazards
earthquakes; landslides
National symbols
lion
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Bulgaria
The default speed limits in Bulgaria are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 120 km/h on expressways and 140 km/h on motorways. The legal alcohol limit for drivers is 0.5‰. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 2020 km/hResidential zonesLiving streets & residential areas
- 5050 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and cities
- 9090 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roadsWith a trailer: 70 km/h
- 120120 km/hExpresswaysDual carriageways & expresswaysWith a trailer: 90 km/h
- 140140 km/hMotorwaysMotorways / freewaysWith a trailer: 100 km/h
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1968 Vienna, 1949 Geneva, 1926 ParisCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
- Alcohol limit0.5‰ blood alcohol (0.05% BAC)
- Seat beltsRequired by law
- Child seatsRequired by law
- Motorcycle helmetsRequired for riders
- Road deaths (2021)8.4 per 100,000 peopleSafer than most countries (median 12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0). Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Bulgaria safe to visit?
Yes — Bulgaria is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Bulgaria Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Updated information on European Entry-Exit System (EES) (‘Entry requirements’ page).
Updated 11 Aug 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Bulgaria
The best time to visit Bulgaria is June to September, when daytime highs in Sofia are around 23–28°C. May is also a good time to go. August is the warmest month (28°C by day), January the coldest (-6°C at night), and June the wettest with about 85 mm of rain.
- Jan2°C-6°C
- Feb4°C-5°C
- Mar9°C-1°C
- Apr14°C3°C
- May20°C9°C
- Jun24°C13°C
- Jul28°C15°C
- Aug28°C15°C
- Sep23°C10°C
- Oct16°C5°C
- Nov10°C0°C
- Dec4°C-5°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Bulgaria
Plugs & sockets
230 V, 50 Hz · Standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ski resorts
12 ski resorts in Bulgaria
- 148 km of slopes
- 71 lifts
- up to 2,537 m
Biggest: Borovets · Bansko · Pamporovo
National parks
3 national parks in Bulgaria
- 1,911 km² protected
- oldest from 1962
Largest: Rila National Park · Central Balkan National Park · Pirin National Park
Currency · 26 October 2026
Euro exchange rates today
Bulgaria uses the Euro (EUR, €). One US dollar buys 0.8911 EUR; over the last 30 days the EUR has lost 1.5% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in EUR
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Bulgaria ranks
How Bulgaria compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Bulgaria
120 airports and airfields — 4 large, 5 medium and 99 small, plus 11 heliports. 4 have scheduled passenger flights.
Borders
Neighbouring countries
Bulgaria borders 5 countries along 1,806 km of land borders. Coastline: 354 km.
Military
Bulgarian armed forces
Bulgaria ranks #59 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with a defence budget of $2.6 billion (2025).
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: Sofia (1.3 million)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel; outsourcing centers
Export partners
Germany 14%, Romania 11%, Italy 8%, Greece 6%, Turkey 5% (2023)
Top exports
refined petroleum, garments, refined copper, wheat, natural gas (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Bulgaria
Next public holiday
Christmas Eve — Thursday, 24 December 2026. Then Christmas Day (25 Dec).
Bulgarian passport
Ranked #29: 118 countries visa-free, 35 with visa on arrival, 7 with an eTA and 21 with an eVisa.
Bulgarian passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Bulgaria's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Bulgaria
Dial +359 before the local number. Internet domain .bg.
Climate footprint
31.6 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 4.68 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Bulgaria: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Bulgaria
Travellers to Romania: EU weighs Black Sea naval mission after coastal strikes
The European Parliament has called on the EU to consider a naval operation in the Black Sea after deadly strikes off the coasts of Romania and Bulgar…
Turkish truckers hold Kapıkule sit-in over Schengen visas and border queues
Turkish truck drivers held a five-hour sit-in at the Kapıkule crossing into Bulgaria on 21 October, protesting Schengen visa appointment shortages an…
Tel Aviv-Vienna flight diverted to Bulgaria after bomb threat
An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Bulgaria after a bomb threat, disrupting passengers on the route. Few details on …
Frequently asked questions about Bulgaria
What do I need to travel to Bulgaria?
How long must my passport be valid for Bulgaria?
Where is Bulgaria?
What is Bulgaria known for?
What is the capital of Bulgaria?
What language is spoken in Bulgaria?
What currency does Bulgaria use?
What is the calling code of Bulgaria?
Which countries border Bulgaria?
How strong is the Bulgarian passport?
What is the speed limit in Bulgaria?
Is Bulgaria safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Bulgaria?
What plug type does Bulgaria use?
How many airports does Bulgaria have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.