USEFUL INFORMATION

State system of Bulgaria: Parliamentary Republic

Capital: Sofia (1.2 mil. Inhabitants)

Official language: Bulgarian, alphabet – Cyrillic

Religion: Orthodox /85%/, Muslim /8%/, others /7%/

Time zone: GMT /London/ + 2 hours, East- European time /Germany/ + 1 hour

Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz

Entrance in the country: Foreign citizens enter Bulgaria with their international passport, which shall be valid for at least three more months.

Custom’s formalities and limitations: Upon crossing the state border of the Republic of Bulgaria passengers may import and export commodities that in type, quantities, and value are not of a commercial nature. These do not include objects the passenger carry for personal use and consumption objects. Passengers have the right to import at no custom duty or import fees the objects necessary to the foreign individuals for their stay in the country, which in their type and quantity correspond to both purpose and the duration of their stay, as well as consumption objects: - tobacco products (passengers over 16 years of age) - cigarettes - 200 items, or other tobacco products - 250 gr.; - alcoholic beverages (passengers over 16 years of age) - wine - 2 litres, and alcoholic liquors - 1 litre; - other drinks: coffee - 500 g. or coffee extract - 200 g. tea - 100 g. or tea extract - 40 g.; - perfumes - 50 ml. and toilet water - 250 ml. Passengers who are under full 16 years of age are not entitled to duty-free import of the commodities listed above, except for medications.

Money exchange: The Bulgarian Lev is pegged to the Euro. 1 EUR = 1.955 BGN. You may exchange money in banks and in any of the numerous exchange offices. Some of those offices are opened during the holidays. Euro-checks may be cashed on a lot of banks.

Credit cards: Most of the biggest hotels work with VISA or Master Card. American Express is less widespread.

Medical service: Foreign citizens entering the Republic of Bulgaria are not required to have compulsory immunizations.

Taxi-cabs: In towns and resorts there are taxicabs situated in the respective taxi ranks.

Urban transport: In towns there is urban transport: buses and mini-buses. In Sofia there are trams, trolley busses and underground. Tickets are usually bought before getting on the vehicle.

Post offices and telecommunication: Working time of post offices is from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Postage stamps and postcards may be bought from the desks in the post office or from pavilions selling newspapers. There are a lot of internet-cafes from which you may talk cheap or send e-mails and use internet (most of them work night and day).

Important phones:
Dialling code for Bulgarian from abroad +359
Fire-brigade 160
First aid 150
Police 166
Traffic police – car accidents 02/982 72 823, 02/ 866 50 60
Road aid 02/962 54 12, 02/962 52 99
Airport 02/937 22 13
Central railway station in Sofia 02/931 11 11
International airport 02/952 50 04