The information on this page was collected from public resources and does not constitute legal advice.
General information on border crossing?Bulgaria, as a member state of the EU, has a visa-free agreement with Ukraine. It guarantees Ukrainians the opportunity to enter Bulgaria only on the basis of a biometric passport and to stay in the country without processing documents for up to 90 days. Therefore, it is not necessary to obtain a visa before traveling. Chatbot to help Ukrainians around the world from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine The chatbot can simultaneously serve several users and provide advice on the most common questions, namely:
You can get help through the chatbot at the link In addition to the chatbot, citizens can also contact the call center at +38 (044) 224-57-20. |
What documents do I need to enter?You can enter Bulgaria with any of the following documents:
In order to prove family/marital status, birth certificates and a marriage certificate are required. The telephone number of the DPSU hotline ("Trust" Service) is 1598. You can use it for questions of a consultative nature within the competence of the State Border Service of Ukraine. For more information about the documents with which you can cross the border, and about the categories of citizens who are allowed to travel outside Ukraine, see here |
What happens after a border crossing?Ukrainians who have obtained temporary protection status can stay in Bulgaria. In the country, such a document is called "Registration card of a foreigner granted temporary protection". The maximum period of stay in the country was extended To apply for the status of temporary protection, it is necessary to apply to the Border Police, the State Agency for Refugees or other bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (migration, police). The full list of institutions is at the link Ukrainians in Bulgaria can also apply for refugee status. A person decides on the appropriateness of this procedure independently. You can learn about the difference between temporary protection status and refugee status here After the registration in Bulgaria and the receipt of the Registration Card of a foreigner who has been granted temporary protection by law, several important rights arise, without the need to obtain other registrations or permits. These rights apply for the duration of the temporary protection granted to them:
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How can I get from the border to the capital (a certain town)?You can get to the capital or other major city by bus, car or train. Free trains in BZD in Bulgaria have been cancelled. |
How can I travel to another (specific) country?You can also travel by airplane, bus, car or train to different countries. |
How long can I stay?Currently, you are free to stay in Bulgaria without a visa for up to 90 days within a six-month period. Furthermore, you can request temporary protection, which is valid until March 2024. Those eligible for temporary protection include:
The EU migration calculator |
Where can an unaccompanied minor get help?Children under 18 years of age, who are travelling alone or with other adults with whom they have no family relationship, and who declare at the Bulgarian border that they wish to enter and seek international protection must be admitted in Bulgaria and handed over to the social services. The asylum and protection application may be submitted to any Bulgarian public authority, including border police officers. The Bulgarian border police is obliged to provide information on how to submit such an application. |
Are there any Covid-related requirements and if yes, what are they?There are no restrictions on entry to the Republic of Bulgaria due to the COVID-19 epidemic. |
Where do I register for temporary protection?Ukrainians who have obtained temporary protection status can stay in Bulgaria. In the country, such a document is called "Registration card of a foreigner granted temporary protection". The maximum period of stay in the country was extended To apply for the status of temporary protection, it is necessary to apply to the Border Police, the State Agency for Refugees or other bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (migration, police). The full list of institutions is at the link Those eligible for temporary protection include:
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If my family member has foreign citizenship, can he/she get temporary protection in this country with me?In accordance with Article 2 of the Implementing Decision of the Council of the EU, temporary protection applies to family members of Ukrainian citizens who lived in Ukraine until February 24, 2022. At the same time, the citizenship of such a family member does not matter. The Decision directly states that for the purposes of temporary protection, the family should have already existed and lived in the territory of Ukraine until February 24, 2022. At the same time, the concept of "family member" is defined quite broadly in the Decision, in particular:
Thus, family members can include not only the official husband/wife, but also civil partners who lived in the same family with a citizen of Ukraine at the time the war began and got married after 02/24/2022 (or continue to live in a civil partnership). However, the provision of temporary protection for this category of persons remains at the discretion of each EU country, depending on its family legislation. Similarly, in the national legislation of Bulgaria, "family members" for the purposes of temporary protection include cohabitants with whom a citizen of Ukraine has a confirmed stable long-term relationship, as well as their unmarried minor children. |
How to extend the status of temporary protection?Refugees from Ukraine must submit an application for reissuance of a registration card with an up-to-date address of residence by March 31. You can re-register:
Find out more detailed information on the spot in the centers. |
What are my rights while I wait to get temporary protection?After the registration in Bulgaria and the receipt of the Registration Card of a foreigner who has been granted temporary protection by law, several important rights arise, without the need to obtain other registrations or permits. These rights apply for the duration of the temporary protection granted to them:
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What documents will I receive once I get temporary protection?Ukrainians who have obtained temporary protection status can stay in Bulgaria. In the country, such a document is called "Registration card of a foreigner granted temporary protection". |
May I temporarily return to Ukraine? What will happen to my protection status?If you have received temporary protection, you can return to Ukraine for a short period of time without any negative consequences. Before leaving the country that has given you temporary protection, we recommend that you notify the state social security authorities. All citizens of Ukraine who have a biometric passport can travel freely to the EU, observing the rule of 90 days within 180 days. |
What should be done before coming to Ukraine?Relinquish temporary protection status: Regardless of the country of residence, temporary protection must be waived. Your status will be revoked by the state body or institution where you issued the documents. However, citizens of Ukraine can re-obtain this status if they decide to return abroad. Make sure your documents are valid: Citizens who left Ukraine with a valid foreign passport will not face any difficulties. The expired document can be extended in diplomatic institutions for another five years - this decision was made by the Cabinet of Ministers, because it is not possible to issue biometrics abroad. You can also add a child's data to an adult's passport. Ukrainians who have only an internal passport or who left Ukraine without documents should also contact the embassy or consulate. Employees of the institution will issue a special document - an identity card for returning to Ukraine (it is not necessary to pay the consular fee during martial law). Cancel receiving cash assistance abroad: When returning home, refugees cannot receive state benefits. If you do not notify the relevant institution about your departure from the country, it will be considered an offence. In such a case, a Ukrainian may be fined or even banned from entering the country. By the way, it is not necessary to declare cash payments received abroad in Ukraine. |
Can I move around the country and the European Union freely while under temporary protection?If you hold a biometric passport, you will be able to travel within the EU countries. You can also stay in any city in Bulgaria for as long as your temporary protection status lasts. |
Can I apply for asylum while under temporary protection? What is the difference?Ukrainians in Bulgaria can also apply for refugee status. A person decides on the appropriateness of this procedure independently. You can learn about the difference between temporary protection status and refugee status here |
How and where can I apply for the residency?Ukrainians who have obtained temporary protection status can stay in Bulgaria. In the country, such a document is called "Registration card of a foreigner granted temporary protection". The maximum period of stay in the country was extended To apply for the status of temporary protection, it is necessary to apply to the Border Police, the State Agency for Refugees or other bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (migration, police). The full list of institutions is at the link |
How long I need to wait to get the residency?The registration procedure lasts from 5 to 15 minutes. The document "Registration card of a foreigner granted temporary protection" will be issued within a few days. |
What if I don't have the international passport?Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Bulgaria has greatly simplified the requirements for documents. Ukrainians can enter the country on the basis of any document confirming their identity: an old-style international passport, a passport of a citizen of Ukraine, a driver's license, and for children under 14 - a birth certificate. |
How to issue a foreign passport while abroad?In order to issue a foreign passport, you need to contact the Ukrainian Embassy A foreign passport is issued to a person who has reached the age of 16 on the basis of an application-questionnaire submitted by him personally. At the same time, the issuance of a foreign passport to a person who has been recognized by the court as having limited legal capacity or incapacity is carried out on the basis of an application-questionnaire of the guardian or other legal representative. The following are attached to the application:
In case of loss or theft of the previous passport, a document (report, certificate, etc.) issued by the competent authority of the state in which the passport was lost or stolen is attached to the application, confirming the fact of the owner's application regarding its loss or theft. Such a document is submitted without legalization and translation into Ukrainian. In the case of issuing a passport in connection with a change in personal data (surname and/or first name), a document confirming such a change (marriage certificate, divorce certificate, court decision, etc.) is attached to the application. When issuing a foreign passport with a new surname and/or first name, the "domestic" passport (ID card) must be reissued. In the event that the applicant has not previously been issued with an identity document, confirming Ukrainian citizenship and/or granting the right to leave Ukraine and enter Ukraine, a certificate of registration of the person as a citizen of Ukraine is provided (with the exception of cases when the person's parents at the time of his were citizens of Ukraine at birth). |
How can a Ukrainian refugee register a newborn in this country?You can register the birth of a child only at the consulate. There, the determination of his origin and the assignment of his surname, first name, and patronymic are carried out. The application for registration must be submitted immediately, but no later than one month after the birth of the child, and in the case of a stillborn child - no later than three days. The registration process takes place at the place of birth or at the place of residence of the child's parents or one of them (with a written application). At the same time, in case of illness, death of the parents or for other reasons it is impossible to register the birth - the application can be submitted by relatives or other persons authorized by the representative of the health care institution in which the child was born or is currently. What is required for registration?
Registration is free, and based on its results, parents are issued a birth certificate. How to return to the homeland with a child born in the Bulgaria? In order for Ukrainians to return home with a child born in the Bulgaria, they must have with them:
Is the status of a citizen of Ukraine preserved during the birth of a child in the Bulgaria? A newborn Ukrainian in the Bulgaria retains the status of a citizen of Ukraine. Data on citizenship and nationality in the act record of birth and certificate are not filled in, which is why a corresponding entry is made in the column "For marks". In addition, a person whose parents or one of his parents were citizens of Ukraine at the time of his birth is a citizen of Ukraine. The place of birth of the baby does not affect the possibility of him acquiring Ukrainian citizenship. |
Where to apply in case of death of a Ukrainian abroad? How to repatriate the deceased to their homeland?There are several steps involved in the process of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine: 1. Notify the authorities. The first step of body repatriation from abroad to Ukraine is to contact the local authorities in Bulgaria, so you can register the death. Ukrainian embassy 2. Arrange the correct documents. Youโll need to have all the right paperwork before you can repatriate your loved one home from abroad to Ukraine. If you are repatriating a body to Ukraine for burial or cremation, the documents you will need include:
All the mentioned documents should be authenticated, legalized and translated into Ukrainian by the certified translator. The originals of abovementioned documents and notarized translations, must accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine. The passport of the deceased person should be sent to the Embassy of Ukraine along with a notarized and authenticated copy of the Certificate of Death, and a translation from Bulgarian to Ukrainian. The Embassy is to make correspondent procedures with the passport and can forward it back if it is required to accompany the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine. The Embassy is to be informed of the date, time, and the place of delivery of the casket containing the deceased, or urn with ashes, to Ukraine. Only the next of kin relatives of the deceased, or persons correspondingly authorized by them, can receive the casket or urn. 3. Transport the deceased to Ukraine. The casket containing the body, or urn with ashes, must be sealed by the Funeral Home. There are no strict requirements with respect to the urn with ashes; however, the body should be transported in a metal casket, made of zinc-plated steel or tinplate not more than 0,4 thick. For the air cargo transportation, it is necessary to specify a cemetery in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian Funeral Home which will take care of the casket, or the urn with ashes, in Ukraine. Both are a subject of private choice by the relatives or friends of the deceased person. Source |
Where can I take a photo for my documents?There are numerous shops that offer such services. Look for photo studio & copy centers as they can provide you with this. |
Where can I translate my documents?You can translate your documents at any translation agency in your city. Search for ยซะฟัะตะฒะพะด ะฝะฐ ะดะพะบัะผะตะฝัะธยป on Google. |
How do I get Mobile phone/internet services?A1 Bulgaria is donating prepaid cards with mobile internet to refugees from Ukraine. More information here Yettel Bulgaria provides free calls to Ukraine and free roaming to its customers in Ukraine. Also Yettel is donating prepaid cards with included mobile internet to refugees from Ukraine residing in Bulgaria. More information here |
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