Key facts
Bulgaria is a member state of the European Union located in Eastern Europe. There are 5 countries (Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey) that Bulgaria shares its borders with. The official language of Bulgaria is Bulgarian. Although English is not the official language, a large number of people in Bulgaria are fluent English speakers.
In the EF English Competency Index (EF EPI), which assesses the language proficiency of non-native speaking countries, Bulgaria was ranked 23rd out of 100 countries in 2021.
The national currency in Bulgaria is Bulgarian lev (BGN). The lev (лв) is subdivided into 100 stotinki (стотинки).
Bulgarian
Banknotes
лв2лв5лв10лв20лв50лв100лв1
Bulgarian
Coins
стотинки1стотинки2стотинки5стотинки10стотинки20стотинки50
Check with your bank before your trip to find out if there are any fees for using your card abroad. Some banks do not charge fees when you use a foreign ATM or pay in foreign currency, but others may charge a fixed cost for each transaction or allow a limited number of free withdrawals. The travel card provided by Wise.com, Revolut or Monose might be an excellent option to cut down on transaction fees.
Ookla® Speedtest The average fixed internet speed in Bulgaria is 144.48 Mbps and mobile is 214.77 Mbs.The global average is 194.02 Mbps and 126.09 Mbps respectively.
ATM Density Bulgaria has more ATMs than most other countries.89.18 ATMs per 100,000 people.The global average is 39.49.
SIM Registration In order to purchase a SIM card in Bulgaria, a passport or ID is required as identification.
Socket types
There are 2 socket types used in Bulgaria. Type C is a popular socket type throughout Europe (except the United Kingdom), Russia, and certain Asian countries.
The sockets’ shapes and voltage differ from country to country and a travel plug adapter may be required. Portable devices, such as phones, notebooks or tablets, usually handle the entire range of voltages used across the world (110-240V).
Public holidays
In the year 2024, Bulgaria will celebrate 14 national public holidays. The next one Christmas Eve will take place on December 24.
| Date | Holiday name | |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2024Moving holiday | New Year’s DayНова година | |
| March 4, 2024Moving holiday | Liberation DayДен на oсвобождението на България от Oсманско робство | |
| May 1, 2024Moving holiday | International Workers’ DayДен на труда и на международната работническа солидарност | |
| May 3, 2024Moving holiday | Good FridayРазпети петък | |
| May 4, 2024Moving holiday | Holy SaturdayВелика събота | |
| May 5, 2024Moving holiday | Easter SundayВеликден | |
| May 6, 2024Moving holiday | Easter MondayВелики понеделник | |
| May 24, 2024Moving holiday | Saints Cyril and Methodius DayДен на Българската просвета и култура и на славянската писменост | |
| September 6, 2024Moving holiday | Unification DayДен на съединението | |
| September 23, 2024Moving holiday | Independence DayДен на независимостта на България | |
| December 24, 2024Moving holiday | Christmas EveБъдни вечер | |
| December 25, 2024Moving holiday | Christmas DayРождество Христово | |
| December 26, 2024Moving holiday | Second day of ChristmasРождество Христово |
Sources
- EF English Proficiency Index (EF Education First)
- Speedtest Global Index® (Ookla®)
- Automated teller machines (ATMs) (per 100,000 adults) (The World Bank Group)
- Registration Policies Per Country (Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki)
Tourism
What hotel chains are present in Bulgaria?
There are no Mariott hotels in Bulgaria.
The Hilton hotel chain operates in Bulgaria.
The IHG hotel chain operates in Bulgaria.
The Best Western hotel chain operates in Bulgaria.
There are Radisson hotels in 2 cities: Plovdiv and Sofia.
The Accor hotel chain operates in Bulgaria.
What fast food chains are present in Bulgaria?
The McDonald’s chain operates in Bulgaria.
The KFC chain operates in Bulgaria.
The Burger King chain does not operate in Bulgaria.
The Subway chain operates in Bulgaria.
The Domino’s Pizza chain operates in Bulgaria.
The Starbucks chain operates in Bulgaria.
Sources
- Country by National Dish (Samson Daniel)
Weather
What is the weather like in Sofia?
Weather data for Sofia (capital city) by Open-Meteo.com
Transport
Railways There are passenger trains operating between some cities.
Subway Systems The subway system is available in Sofia.
Sources
- List of high-speed railway lines (Wikipedia)
- List of metro systems (Wikipedia)
- Left- and right-hand traffic (Wikipedia)
- The Global Enabling Trade Report 2016: Road connectivity (World Economic Forum)
Safety
Emergency phones in Bulgaria
Sources
- Bulgaria Travel Advisory (United States: Department of State)
- Travel Advice for Bulgaria (United Kingdom: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)
- Mortality caused by road traffic injury (The World Bank Group)
- Corruption & Economic Crime (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Smoking & Alcohol
Smoking ban Smoking is forbidden in all public indoor locations, with limited exceptions.
Cananbis legality Both recreational and medicinal use of cannabis is prohibited.
You are not entitled to a duty-free allowance for tobacco or alcohol if you are under the age of 17.
Alcohol allowance
Travellers from EU countries:
- 90L of still wine (60L of sparkling wine)
- 110L of beer
- 10L of alcoholic beverages stronger than 22%
- 20L of fortified or sparkling wine or other liqueurs up to 22%.
Travellers from non-EU countries:
- 4L of wine
- 16L of beer
- 1L of spirits over 22% volume or 2L of alcoholic beverages less than 22% volume
Tobacco allowance
Travellers from EU countries:
- 800 cigarettes or 400 cigarillos or 200 cigars or 1kg of tobacco
Travellers from non-EU countries:
Your tobacco allowance is determined on your form of transportation.
If you are travelling by air:
- 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
If you are NOT travelling by air:
- 40 cigarettes or 20 cigarillos or 10 cigars or 50g of tobacco
Sources