General info

Do I need a visa to enter Bulgaria?
For residents of the EU and the USA, no visa is required for up to a 90-day stay in Bulgaria. For information about other countries, see the following site: www.mfa.bg/en

What currency is used for daily transactions in the country?
At present, only BGN (lev) is accepted. The official currency of the country is the lev, which is equal to 100 stotinki).

What is the best way to exchange currency?
All banks and licensed exchange offices are suitable for exchanging currency.

Where are the international airports in the country?
There are international airports in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. Direct charter flights are available to the Black Sea airports in Varna and Burgas during the summer season.

What are the speed limits for motor vehicles in Bulgaria?
50 km/h in populated areas; 90 km/h outside populated areas; 130 km/h on limited access highways.

What is the country’s emergency telephone number?
112.

Bulgaria is located in which time zone?
Bulgaria is located in the Eastern European Time Zone, which is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) +2 hours.

What is the electric voltage in the country?
220 V, 50 Hz.

Can I rent a car in Bulgaria?
Visitors can hire motor vehicles from one of the international rent-a-car companies such as Hertz, Budget, Eurocar, and others. Also, many hotels now offer this service through licensed Bulgarian car rental companies.

What is the climate in Bulgaria?
The climate in the country is temperate continental, with Mediterranean influence in the southern parts. The Black Sea influences the climate in the eastern part of the country. There are about 2,000 sunny hours from May to October. During the winter, the mountains are particularly suitable for winter sports.

Which season is best for visiting the country?
The most appropriate time for a visit depends on the reason for your trip. The most suitable months for skiing are December, January, February and March. If you are interested in visiting the Black Sea beaches – June, July, August and September. If you are a hiker or camper, the most appropriate times are the late spring, the beginning of summer and early autumn. Any time of year is a good time to visit one of Bulgaria’s many spa resorts.

Which are the largest sea resorts?
Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Albena, Dyuni, Elenite, MMC Primorsko, St. Konstantin and St. Helena and the cities of Varna and Burgas.
In Albena, tourists can enjoy beaches that are more than five kilometers long and an average water temperature of 24 ˚С during the summer.

The Golden Sands beach is 3.3-kilometers and up to 100 meters wide, with an average water temperature of 24 ˚С during the summer and an average summer air temperature of 27 ˚С.

The holiday club Riviera possesses a wonderful beach and is located in a park with centuries- old trees.

Saints Konstantin and Helena and Sunny Day are resorts distinguished by their mild climate and tranquility.

The largest of the Bulgarian Black Sea resorts is Sunny Beach. It has a beach that is 5.5 kilometers long and an average water temperature during the summer of 26 ˚С. The resort’s average summer air temperature is 28 ˚С. The resort of Saint Vlas is located nearby.

Villas built in the Mediterranean style villas predominate in the resort Elenite, and the resort of Dyuni is located amidst a pine forest overlooking the sea.

Many hotels at the Black Sea resorts work all year long and provide facilities for conventions and congresses. The Black Sea beaches are divided into large (over 100,000 square meters) – those at Durankulak, Albena-Kranevo, Golden Sands, Kamchia-Shkorpilovtsi, Obzor, Sunny Beach, Pomorie, Atanasovo, Alepu, Primorsko south beach; medium-sized (from 50,000 to 100,000 square meters) – those at Krapets, Shabla, St. Konstantin, the Varna city beach, Asparuhovo, Shorpilovtsi-south, Obzor-south, Irakli, Burgas, Kavatsi, Stomoplo, Nestinarka, Ahtopol, among others; and small (from 10,000 to 50,000 square meters) – those located mainly along the southern Black Sea coast.