REGIONAL INFORMATION
.:TOPIC
INDEX:.
[ Climate ] [ Communications ] [ Currency ]
[ Customs
Regulations ] [ Electricity ] [ Embassies of Bulgaria ]
[ Geography ] [
Government ] [ Health Care/Hospitals ]
[ Language ] [ Holidays ] [ Religion ]
[ Transportation ]
[ Telephone numbers/codes ] [ Time Zones ] [
Visas/Passports ] [ Working Hours ]
»CLIMATE
Winter
temperatures in the country vary between 0 and –7° C. Very rarely temperatures
may drop down to – 20° C. In spring, the climate is continental. Summers are hot
and humid, especially in Northern Bulgaria, along the Danube. Summer
temperatures in Southern Bulgaria are close to those of the Mediterranean –
about 28 – 30° C. Autumns in Bulgaria are mild and pleasant. Rainfalls are most
frequent in May, October and November.
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»COMMUNICATIONS
Bulgaria has a well-developed
telecommunications network. Each town and city has telephone lines but the
quality of service may vary. There are two mobile operators - M-Tel and GloBul
using the GSM standard and Mobicom using the analog standard. Both GSM operators
offer a prepaid card system - Prima (from M-Tel) and b-connect (from GloBul),
which can be purchased from newspaper kiosks or mobile phone shops. There are
numerous street phones for which you need phone-cards for long-distance calls.
Internet is becoming an increasingly popular mean of communication. All cities
and towns, and some villages have Internet clubs, where you can use the web for
e-mail or long-distance calls for a minimal charge.
Postal Services
To send a letter within the country, you
can send a post card or envelope, affix the necessary stamp and write the name
and address of the recipient in the bottom right corner and sender's details in
the top left. This can be done at any post office. As a rule, post offices are
open for letters and parcels from Monday to Friday. To send a letter abroad, the
envelope should be weighed and charged according to its weight in grams. Parcels
and small packages (not exceeding 2 kg) are subject to mandatory customs
control. Registered, express and special deliveries are charged under a higher
tariff.
Telephone
The
International dialing code for Bulgaria is 359. To place a direct international
call from Bulgaria you will have to place 00 in front of the country code you
are dialing. If the country you are trying to reach is not one of the lucky 36
that can be reached directly from Bulgaria, you will have to place a call
through an operator by dialing 0123. If you are placing an international call
from a private house in Bulgaria, a telephone operator will always have to
arrange the call and telephone you when the lines are available. This sometimes
takes up to half an hour, especially if you are not in a major city. Direct
telephone communication from Bulgaria to countries in Europe, Asia and Africa is
possible from Betcom or Bulgarian Telecommunication Company phone booths, with
phonecards. Phone calls, telegram and telefax services in the country and abroad
are offered by the Sofia Central Post Office and by Post Offices in the capital
and the country.
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»CURRENCY
The
Bulgarian currency is the Bulgarian Lev (BGN). One Lev is equivalent to 100
Stotinki. Notes are available in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 2.
Coins are in denominations of 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 Stotinki, plus there is a
one Lev coin. The exchange rate of the Lev is pegged to the Euro. One Euro is
equal to 1.95583 BGN or 1 BGN is equal to 0.51129 EUR.
The following credit cards are accepted in many hotels, restaurants and shops
in Bulgaria: Diners Club, American Express, Mastercard, Carte Blanche,
Balkanamericard, Visa, Eurocard, etc. They can be used for the payment of all
standard services, but smaller towns may not be able to accommodate taking
payment by this method. Travellers Cheques are only accepted in the larger
banks, hotels, shops and restaurants.
Exchange of foreign currency takes place in all banks in Bulgaria or in the
network of change bureaus in the towns and resorts. Banks and some exchange
offices charge commission fees and will not accept damaged or defaced notes.
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»CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
When crossing the state border of
the Republic of Bulgaria, passengers may import and export non-commercial goods,
in terms of quality, kind and value. These do not include consumption goods and
personal belongings. Tobacco articles (for passengers over 16) - cigarettes -
200 items or other tobacco products - 250 grams. Alcohol (for passengers over
16) - 2 litres of wine, 1 litre of alcoholic beverages; Other beverages: coffee
- 500 grams; instant coffee - 200 grams; tea - 100 grams; instant tea - 40
grams; perfumes - 50 ml., l'eau de toilette - 250 ml. Passengers under 16 are
not allowed to import the above commodities, unless they are medically
prescribed. The personal belongings, needed by passengers for daily use during
their stay are considered temporary imports, and are duty and charge free.
Central Customs Office: (02) 931 15 12
Sofia Customs Office: (02)
931 41 91 (2,3); 931 51 52
Sofia Airport: (02) 71 70 51
Plovdiv Customs
Office: (032) 22 01 30
Varna Customs Office: (052) 22 55 32
Bourgas
Customs Office: (056) 4 23 01
Rousse Customs Office: (082) 44 99 98
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»ELECTRICITY
The voltage is 220v and, as in most European
countries, use the two pin plugs. You may need adapters and converters for your
appliances and suggest these are brought with you as they are not widely
available.
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»EMBASSIES OF BULGARIA
in the UK www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk
in
the rest of the world -www.bcci.bg/services/info/embassy_bg.htm
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»GEOGRAPHY
Bulgaria is situated in the South-East part of
Europe. Area: 110,993 km2, of which 360km2 is water. Land boundaries total:
1,808 km
Borders: Romania 608 km to the north, Greece 494 km and Turkey 240
km to the south, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Serbia and
Montenegro 318 km to the west and the Black Sea 354km to the
east.
Population: around 8 million
Capital City: Sofia - population:
1,122,302 (27 September 2005) The capital city Sofia is situated in the Western
part of the country, at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, the plain is 550m
above sea level.
Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E.
Lowest point:
Black Sea 0 m and the highest point: Musala 2,925 m
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»GOVERNMENT
http://www.government.bg/
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»HEALTH CARE/HOSPITALS
Emergency Medical Phone
Number 150
Foreign citizens visiting Bulgaria as tourists or guests
may be insured in Bulgaria. Those who are staying temporarily in the country use
“Accident and medical costs” and “Hotel guests” insurance bill, if they are
staying in a hotel. Emergency medical care is rendered to all persons by the
closest health-care institution. Foreigners pay to the healthcare institution
for the rendered health-care services, except for the citizens of the countries
with which Bulgaria has bilateral agreement on rendering free medical services
in emergencies. Foreigners pay for the medical services in exchange of an
invoice in Bulgarian Leva in cash at the cash desk of the medical establishment
or else with a bank transfer from abroad.
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»LANGUAGE
The official language is Bulgarian, and the
official alphabet is Cyrillic. The Bulgarian language belongs to the group of
the Slavonic languages. The languages most similar to it are Russian and
Serbo-Croatian. English is the most common foreign language. Almost all young
people in the cities speak English. French, German and Russian are also
spoken.
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»OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS
January 1 - New Year; March 3 -
National Day of the Liberation from Ottoman Yoke; Easter - Two days (Sunday and
Monday) according to the Orthodox Calendar (a week after the Catholic Easter);
May 6 - St. George’s Day; May 24 - Day of the Bulgarian Culture and Slavonic
Letters; September 6 - National Day of Bulgaria’s Unification; September 22 -
Bulgaria’s Independence Day; November 1 - Day of the National Revival Leaders;
December 25/26 - Christmas; December 31 - New Year’s Eve.
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»RELIGION
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»TRANSPORTATION
Taxis
Taxis, which are usually bright yellow and have an
oval sticker on the windscreen, are sufficient in number in the big cities,
but there may be a shortage in some frequently visited tourist
towns. Rates are paid per kilometer and they differ widely. For this
reason passengers should look at the price list on the sticker placed on the
screen. It is recommended to avoid hiring taxis at railway stations and airports because
their prices are much higher. Always insist on the meter being switched on
and do not accept a bargain price set in advance. A tip
of 10-15% is common practice and receipts are usually given. Not many drivers
speak any foreign language.
Trains
Trains for small railway
stations are not very frequent, typically once a day. Tickets are available from
the ticket desks at the railway stations. If you get on the train at a small
station without a ticket desk, you can buy your ticket from the ticket
collector. www.bdz.bg
Buses
Local bus
services cover most directions, with express buses linking the country’s major
towns. Long-distance and local bus lines reach nearly 90 per cent of
Bulgaria’s settlements. Exceptions are made for high-mountain villages and quarters accessible only along truck
roads. International bus lines are maintained with most European capitals and major cities. Via
Turkey there are connections by road to the Middle East and Egypt. Bus
tickets are purchased from specialised bureaus, at bus stations and from transport
and tourists agencies in the larger towns. A number of foreign travel agencies
also offer these services.
Waterways
Water transport for
tourist passengers and cargo is available along the entire length of the River
Danube and the Black Sea coast. Tourist services are effected by river and sea
vessels; both the tickets for them and their timetable depend on the season, the
type of vessel and its class.
Also available are numerous
private boats, yachts and motorboats, which offer tours to local sites of
interest and cruises on clients’ wishes. As a rule, water transport costs about
twice than bus ride.
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»TELEPHONE NUMBERS/CODES
0123 - operator
for international calls (if no direct phone call is possible)
1286,
983 308 - Road Assistance
75 361 - Institute for
Treatment of Foreign Citizens
112 -
Emergency
121 - operator for long-distance calls within the
country
140 - sending of telegrams
142 –
Road Aid
144 - telephone information service for office
phone numbers
145 - telephone information service for home
numbers
146 - Emergency Road Service
150
- Emergency Medical Aid
160 – Fire
Brigade
166 - Police/Road patrols
175 -
weather forecast
180 - exact time (speaking clock)
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»TIME ZONES
GMT + 2
Bulgaria's time zone lies two hours
ahead of Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT). Along with most of Europe, Bulgaria
institutes it's Summer Time. Summer Time is three hours ahead of GMT and is
instituted from the last Sunday in May to the Saturday before the last Sunday in
September.
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»VISAS/PASSPORTS
Foreign citizens need a valid
international passport and a visa to enter the country. Visas are issued by the
Bulgarian Consular Services with the Bulgarian Embassies abroad. Bulgaria has
signed visa-free agreements with a number of countries, mainly from Central and
Western Europe. EU citizens, as well as citizens of Andorra, the Vatican,
Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, Japan, may enter the country for a stay of up to 30 days only with a
valid international passport.
LONG TERM STAY CERTIFICATE
New rules came into effect on 1st January 2007 allowing EU citizens to stay
for longer periods in Bulgaria without the need for a D Visa, or any other
visas, and the lengthy application for a Lichna Karta.
Every citizen of the EU can enter the Republic of Bulgaria with a Passport or
Personal Identity Card. They will have the right to stay for a period of up to 3
months without obtaining a Long Term or Permanent Stay Permit.
The former 'Lichna Karta' will be replaced with a 'Certificate for a Long
Term Stay' and will be issued after completing an application at the National
Police Service. This must be applied for within the three month period after
entering Bulgaria.
The necessary documents to be submitted, depending on which conditions apply
to the individual, will include a copy of their passport, a document proving up
to date, fully paid, state charges and proof of accommodation (title deed).
Applicants can apply as:
1) A self-employed or employed person. The
authorities do not say at this stage what they consider evidence as being self
employed.
or
2) Financially secure. They should have health insurance and
prove they have sufficient funds to support themselves. A figure of how much
this sum will be has yet to be determined by an Act of the Council of
Ministers.
or
3) Student. The conditions of 2) will apply.
The fee for the application has not been confirmed at the time of publishing,
but have been advised it will be around 10 Leva.
The certificate will be valid for a period of up to 5 years. It is also
possible for the applicant to specify a particular term (but no more than 5
years) and may depend on the time left in the applicant's passport.
An EU citizen will be entitled to receive a 'Permanent Stay Certificate' if
they have stayed in the country for five years without interruptions (it is
considered interrupted if they have stayed in the country for less than 6 months
every year or have not had a justified reason to leave Bulgaria for up to 12
months) and complies with certain additional conditions.
Permanent stay is tied exclusively with the working activity of the foreigner
and if they do not comply with any of the above requirements they can only
reapply for a new certificate for another 5 years Long Term
Stay.
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»WORKING HOURS
Working hours of state institutions,
offices and departments: 9.00 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. Banks and financial institutions
are open from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Most stores are open from 9.00/10.00 a.m.
to 7.00/8.00 p.m. Offices are closed on weekends, though some shops are open on
Saturday and Sunday. Food and beverage stores are open from 9.00 a.m. to
8.00/9.00 p.m., though some are open 24 hours.
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