Bulgaria lifts ban on entry of citizens from EU and Schengen area

Late in the evening on May 21, Bulgaria’s Minister of Health, Kiril Ananiev, issued an order allowing representatives of firms and companies registered in the EU and the Schengen area to enter Bulgaria without the requirement for 14-day quarantine as of tomorrow, May 22.

The lifting of the ban also covers San Marino, the Principality of Andorra, Monaco and Vatican City State.

The ban on entering Bulgaria does not apply to Bulgarian citizens, members of their families, as well as to persons who are in civil partnership with a Bulgarian citizen. There is no ban on entering the country for the persons with the status of permanent or long-term residence in Bulgaria and the members of their families.

The following are also allowed to enter Bulgaria:

• Medical professionals, medical researchers, social workers, and their supervisors, when the purpose of the trip is related to the profession they practice;
• Workers involved in the supply of medicinal products, medical devices and personal protective equipment, medical equipment, including its installation and maintenance;
• Transport staff engaged in the international transport of passengers and cargo, crews of commercial aircraft and other transport staff as required, including vessel crews and persons involved in the maintenance of vessels;
• Foreign officials (heads of state, members of governments, etc.) and members of their delegations, as well as diplomats, employees of international organizations, servicemen, members of the security and public order services and humanitarian workers in the performance of their duties;
• Persons travelling for humanitarian reasons;
• Representatives of the trade, economic and investment activities and persons directly related to: construction, maintenance, operation and ensuring the safety of the strategic and critical infrastructure of the Republic of Bulgaria, implementation of projects certified under the Investment Promotion Act, analyses of projects of potential investors and other activities of importance for the country's economy, including persons engaged in shipbuilding and ship repair, certified by a letter from the Minister of Economy or another minister responsible for the respective activity;
• Seasonal agricultural workers and workers in the field of tourism;
• Workers in border areas.

Upon entering the territory of Bulgaria, the requirement for 14-day quarantine is not applicable to Bulgarian citizens and citizens of EU Member States who are:

• Persons travelling for humanitarian reasons;
• Representatives of the trade, economic and investment activities and persons directly related to: construction, maintenance, operation and ensuring the safety of the strategic and critical infrastructure of the Republic of Bulgaria, implementation of projects certified under the Investment Promotion Act, project analyzes of potential investors and other activities of importance for the country's economy, including persons engaged in shipbuilding and ship repair, certified by a letter from the Minister of Economy or another minister responsible for the relevant activity.

The requirement for 14-day quarantine also does not apply to the following persons, regardless of their citizenship:

• Medical professionals, medical researchers, social workers, and their supervisors, when the purpose of the trip is related to the profession they practice;
• Workers involved in the supply of medicinal products, medical devices and personal protective equipment, medical equipment, including its installation and maintenance;
• Foreign officials (heads of state, members of governments, etc.) and members of their delegations, as well as diplomats, employees of international organizations, servicemen, members of the security and public order services and humanitarian workers in the performance of their duties;
• Workers in border areas;
• Bus drivers performing international passenger transport services;
• Lorry drivers performing or completing international deliveries of freight and goods.

The requirement for a 14-day quarantine is not applicable to members of the families of Bulgarian citizens, as well as persons in civil partnership with a Bulgarian citizen, when the term of their stay in Bulgaria is up to 7 days.

All other persons are required to comply with a 14-day quarantine at their home or accommodation specified by them.

The provisions for transit through the territory of Bulgaria do not change.