The Bulgarian authorities have published the updated list of epidemiologically safe and unsafe countries, which determines what entry rules apply to travellers from certain countries.
According to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the majority of countries are placed on the red list, meaning that travellers from there are subject to more stringent entry rules, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The red list consists of:
EU Member States: (except for Vatican City and Romania), the United Kingdom, Georgia, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Isle of Man, Gibraltar
Asia: Mongolia, North Korea, Myanmar, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Oman, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Brunei, Jordan, Bangladesh
South America: Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Uruguay, Suriname, Brazil, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Argentina, Curacao, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Sint Eustatius, Saba, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Saint Lucia,
North America: United States of America, Canada, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Bermuda,
Oceania: Fiji, Australia
So, arrivals from countries in the red category cannot enter Bulgaria unless they belong to one of the following categories:
Bulgarian citizens, permanent residents, or their family members
EU, EEA, Switzerland, or UK citizens
Holders of a medical, diplomacy, humanitarian, agricultural, or tourism worker permit issued by the authorities
Holders of special permission issued from the Ministry of Health or hold a type D visa
Those falling under the last category can enter the country by presenting a PCR test performed within three days before departure, in addition to presenting a certificate of vaccination, recovery, or the EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate.
On the other hand, the green category, which represents epidemiologically low-risk countries, currently includes only Vatican City and Romania. Arrivals from this category are exempted from testing and quarantine requirements provided they present a vaccination, recovery, or a test certificate, Schengev visa info reported. ■