GENERAL INFO

Full country name: Republic of Bulgaria
Area: 110,910 sq km
Population: 7.35 million
Capital City: Sofia
People: 88% Bulgarian, 8% Turkish, 3% Roma, 1% Armenians & Russians
Language: Bulgarian, Russian, English, French
Religion: 85% Bulgarian Orthodox, 13% Muslim
Government: parliamentary democracy
GDP: EUR 19.5 billion
GDP per capita: EUR 2650
Annual Growth: 3.0%
Inflation: 4.0%
Major Industries: Tourism, Food processing, Information Technology, Chemicals, Ferrous and nonferrous metals
Major Trading Partners: Italy, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Russia, USA
Member of EU: yes
Member of NATO: yes

Bulgaria is located in the Balkan peninsula and has 385 kilometers (240 miles) coastline on the Black sea. The area is 110,910 sq km (42,855 sq miles), the climate is temperate, with nice summer and snowy winter. Amplitude in summer to winter temperature averages is -15 to 30 C (41 F to 86 F). Bulgaria boarders the Black sea, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro.

Having achieved social and political stability and located at crossroads of trade routes to Western Europe, Russia and the Middle East Bulgaria is a suitabIe stepping-stone for distributing operations.
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EU nationals, Schengen Area nationals, US and Canadian citizens, as well as citizens of a number of other nations can enter the country without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. Please, check the current travel regime that applies to you with the Bulgarian embassy/consulate in your country.

When you arrive, take notice of the customs regulations and items that need to be declared. Usually thresholds for declaring money, alcohol, cigarettes and other declarable goods with are posted at the customs checkpoint. If any apply to you, fill in a customs declaration form and keep it.

The currency in Bulgaria is the lev (plural: leva). A lev consists of 100 stotinki. At present the exchange rate is pegged to the Euro at a rate of 1.95583 leva for 1 Euro. Exchange bureaus are plentiful and generally offer fair rates, but there are also cheats. It’s best to exchange money in banks until you find an exchanger you can trust. Banking hours are 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays.

ATMs are quite widespread especially in cities, and most international cards can be used. Paying with credit cards is not as easy, and only a few stores accept them, so always bring cash.

Accommodation is mostly in apartment buildings. Detached and semi-detached houses are also available, mainly in the suburbs.

Commuting means 5-10 kilometers from suburbia to downtown. Rents are moderate. The highest are in the capital city of Sofia. Furnished and unfurnished flats are available both short and long term. Bear in mind that legal proceedings and liabilities may differ from those at home. You should take independent legal advice when signing contracts and buying real estate.

The main international gateway to Bulgaria is the Sofia airport. It also services the two and only domestic lines – to the seashore cities of Varna and Bourgas. Both cities are international sea-ports.

Bulgaria has an extensive, although obsolete railway system. There are trains to almost every town in the country, and fares are quite reasonable. Private bus lines link the major cities.

Though roads are not always in good condition most Bulgarians prefer car travel. Speed limits are 50 km/h in cities, and between 90 and 120 km/h on intercity roads. Foreigners are expected to carry the driving license they have obtained in their home country. Gas stations are plentiful, and fuel is slightly cheaper than in most European countries.
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EMPLOYMENT

Foreigners must obtain a work permit. Exempt are aliens owning a Bulgaria-registered company. Aliens must obtain work permits from the National Employment Office before applying for a job in Bulgaria.

TAXATION

The Bulgarian tax system is complicated. Taxation depends on individual case and independent advice should be sought. However, for the past years the Personal Income tax is fixed to flat 15 per cent, not depending on the yearly size of income. VAT is 20%. Customer prices in stores, restaurants etc. should include VAT. Business to business or bulk prices, are usually quoted before VAT.

ELECTRICITY GAS

Power is single phase, 220-240 volts, 50Hz. Some electrical appliances will need transformers/adapters if not provided with built-in switches. There is no central gas supply system in Bulgaria. Gas is available in only a few areas, or by delivery of gas barrels.

The Bulgarian Posts are generally reliable, but sending valuables or sensitive materials is not recommended. There are a number of private courier services, which deliver countrywide. Fees are reasonable.

Fixed telephone lines could be obtained from various providers. There are three GSM operators – MTel, Globul and BTC operating at GSM 900/1800 frequencies. Mobikom is the only provider of the obsolete NMT 450 mobile service. In general GSM networks cover almost 100 % of the territory of Bulgaria.

International calls can be made trough all operators directly by dialing “00″ followed by the country and area codes, and the telephone number. Independent VoIP operators offer lower cost International calls.

INTERNET

Quality of access to the Internet will depend largely on your location. In the capital Sofia, and in larger cities Internet connectivity can be obtained trough optics and cable. In the rest of the country 4G operators, mobile phone operators (with both both prepaid and post-paid service) could be a viable solution. Some companies offer ADSL.

Overall, Bulgaria is one of the countries with fastest Internet on the Planet.

Business hours are generally 9 AM to 6 PM, Mondays to Fridays. On Saturdays most shops are open until noon or 2 PM. In major cities there are several non-stop retailers, shops, department stores and drugstores.
Most towns have a shopping centers or a mall(s). Food and drink is generally purchased from supermarkets, but there is also a wide variety of smaller shops and delicatessen.

EMIGRATION

Aliens planing to stay longer than 6 months have to apply for residence permit. For more details contact “Passport Department of National Police Force” .

EMERGENCY CALLS

Police: 166
Fire: 160
Ambulance: 150

HEALTH SERVICES

Government run hospitals offer healthcare to locals and foreigners. A number of private clinics are also available. Should you need a dentist, contacting a private dental office or clinic is recommendable. Quality of dental services in private clinics is good to excellent, and prices are several times lower when compared to Western Europe or the USA.

IMPORT OF GOODS/HHE

Your local Allied Pickfords Office will organize all aspects of the packing and shipping of your goods and effects to Bulgaria. This includes advising you what documents have to be obtained, assistance with Customs clearance and final delivery to your door. If delivery has to be delayed, then Allied Pickfords can arrange temporary storage in our warehouses.

Most pets, including dogs, cats, birds etc., can be brought if an original signed and stamped veterinary health certificate is presented, stating that the animal has been vaccinated against rabies not more than 1 year before arrival. Pets have go through medical check-up with local veterinary authorities.