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Resettling in Bulgaria

As a company with more than 14,000 Ukrainian team members, EPAM understands the challenges faced by millions of people across Ukraine, including the many who have been forced to leave the country. Our teams on the ground and around the world have been doing everything possible to support our Ukrainian colleagues and their families. Their safety is our top priority.

In supporting our colleagues, we have collected a vast amount of information about arriving and resettling in a new country, either temporarily or permanently. We are now sharing it here in the hope it could be valuable to you or someone you know.

Please note that the information is subject to change at any given time due to rapidly changing circumstances.

On this page, you can find information about the following

Entering the Country
Rights as a Refugee from Ukraine
Banking
Finding Accommodations
Medical Care
Working in Bulgaria
Schools and Kindergarten
Getting a Local Phone Number
Free Legal Services
Utility Services
Useful Contacts

ENTERING THE COUNTRY

DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Biometric foreign passport

Due to the emergency, the following forms of identification are also acceptable:

An old passport format without biometric data.
An ID card.
Driving license.
Birth certificate – for children up to 14 years.
None of the previous documents have other official documents that indicate their identity – for example, certificates, passes, diplomas, membership cards, bank cards, employment records, property documents, and the like.
No documents – exceptions can be made after an inspection by Border Police officers.

ENTERING BY CAR

You are allowed to enter Bulgaria by car, regardless of whether or not you have international insurance. More information about car insurance after entering Bulgaria can be found here: http://guaranteefund.org/en/contacts .

ENTERING WITH PETS

You are allowed to enter Bulgaria with pets, regardless of whether they have identification with a chip accompanying passports or vaccination certificates. The relevant Bulgarian authorities have adopted a simplified procedure for these cases. More information on this issue, see: https://www.bfsa.bg or write to e-mail: [email protected].

REGISTRATION IN BULGARIA

The Bulgarian government has adopted an act determining where and how people running from the war in Ukraine will be able to register in Bulgaria and obtain their Bulgarian residence documents as refugees under temporary protection. This document is called “Registration card of a foreigner who has been granted temporary protection.”

There is a working border system for registration of people escaping conflict on:

Border checkpoint “Ruse”
Border checkpoint “Durankulak”

The pre-admission points will be open 24 hours a day while the temporary protection regime is in force.

After the expiration of one year, the term of temporary protection may be extended.

This period could be terminated earlier if the war is over, and peace and independence are restored in Ukraine.

The government advises the citizens of Ukraine to wait for the announcement of the rules for registration in Bulgaria as people under temporary protection instead of applying for international protection in the territorial divisions of the State Agency for Refugees (SAR).

More about the procedure for submitting, examining and resolving individual applications for international protection can be found here: https://asylum.bg/bg/home-dashboard-bg

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RIGHTS AS A REFUGEE FROM UKRAINE

After the registration in Bulgaria and the receipt of the Registration Card of a foreigner who has been granted temporary protection by law, several important rights arise, without the need to obtain other registrations or permits. These rights apply for the duration of the temporary protection granted to them.

Right to remain on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria
Right to work and vocational training
Right to appropriate accommodation or means of accommodation, if necessary

Right to social assistance
Right to medical care in emergencies
Right to return freely to their country of origin.

The government announced that from March 7, 2022, it will provide a fixed amount of money per day for each Ukrainian citizen accommodated in private hotels, as well as in holiday resorts and bases of municipalities and government agencies.

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BANKING

The country’s legislation allows Ukrainian citizens to open a bank account for basic operations. This account is opened in BGN and through it many payment operations can be performed – depositing, withdrawing money at a cash desk or ATM, transfers, including online. According to the law, banks offer payment services on this account free of charge or for a reasonable fee, regardless of the number of services provided through the account. Ukrainian citizens can use their Visa or MasterCard debit and credit cards within the daily limit set by Ukrainian banks and up to the guaranteed limit for the specific card.

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FINDING ACCOMMODATIONS

At https://ukraine.gov.bg/properties-list/ you can browse through different accommodation options and connect with volunteers, hotels, and state facilities that can host you temporarily. Some of the accommodation options on this platform have not been vetted or verified. Please exercise caution when communicating with the hosts. In case of issues please contact our support center hotline. 

Bulgaria’s humanitarian program for accommodation of Ukrainian refugees will be expanded to include hotels. The new humanitarian program for accommodation of displaced persons from Ukraine starts on June 1, 2022, and provides two options – BGN 15 for a bed and food or BGN 10 for a bed only. The program does not cover additional services such as room cleaning and laundry. Additional information about the program will be made available here as the program is launched: https://ukraine.gov.bg/bg/2022/05/20/the-humanitarian-program-for-accommodation-of-ukrainian-refugees-after-may-31-will-be-open-to-hotels/

Full conditions and details of the program after May 31 can be found here – https://ukraine.gov.bg/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Програма-20.05.2022.pdf

*The government is responsible only for municipal and government-owned properties.

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MEDICAL CARE

FREE MEDICAL CARE

At https://ukraine.gov.bg/get-medical-help/ you will find hospitals and doctors offering free medical care for everyone fleeing from the war in Ukraine. 

The doctors listed below speak Ukrainian or Russian and are volunteers from the National Association of Volunteers of the Republic of Bulgaria. 

If you are a doctor and you want to join as a volunteer, please contact NAVRB - https://navrb.bg/.

SOFIA

FREE OF CHARGE MEDICAL CHECK-UPS	PRIVATE HOSPITALS
UNIVERSITY MULTIPROFILE HOSPITAL FOR ACTIVE TREATMENT "SVETA ANNA", 1 Dimitar Mollov Str., Telephone number: +3592 9759329 http://sveta-anna.eu/bg/	ACIBADEM CITICLINIC Tokuda Hospital 51B Nikola Vaptsarov Blvd. Telephone number: +3592403 4000 https://acibademcityclinic.bg/tokuda/
Lozenetz University Hospital; 1 Kozyak Str., 1407 Yuzhen, Sofia; Telephone number: +359296 07 681 https://www.lozenetz-hospital.bg/bg	University Hospital SOFIAMED 16 G.M. Dimitrov blvd. Telephone number: +359 895 555 444 https://www.hospitalsofiamed.bg/index.php
Women Healthcare/Pregnancy care:
First Gynecological Hospital "St. Sofia" 2 Mihalaki Tashev Str. Telephone number: +3592 447 0211 http://1agb.com/	Shterev Hospital 25-3 Hristo Blagoev Str. Telephone number: +3592 920 0901 https://www.shterevhospital.com/
Second Gynecological Hospital Sheynovo 19 Sheynovo Str.; Telephone number: +3592 965 9481 https://sheynovo-ag.eu/	Nadezhda Hospital 2 Blaga Vest Str. Telephone number: +359882 193

VARNA

FREE OF CHARGE MEDICAL CHECK-UPS	PRIVATE HOSPITALS:
Medical Center "Sanita", Mladost 163 Telephone number: +35952 571 818 ; +359884571818; http://sanita-plus.com/bg/contacts.html	ACIBADEM CITICLINIC 1 Bregalnitsa Str. Telephone number: +359700 33 900 https://acibademcityclinic.bg/varna/
St.Anna Hospital 100 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. Telephone number: +359895/084219. Coordinator: Sonya https://svetaanna-varna.com/	Mother's Home - Varna Mir Street No. 1 Telephone number: +35952 38 38 58 https://www.maichindom-varna.com/
All the polyclinics in the town provide free consultations and check-ups according to their schedule.

BURGAS

FREE OF CHARGE MEDICAL CHECK-UPS	PRIVATE HOSPITALS:
Burgas Main Hospital , 73 Stefan Stambolov Blvd. Telephone number: *7070 http://www.mbalburgas.com/bg	Life Hospital Dimitar Dimov Str. Telephone number: +359 56 875 050 https://www.lifehospitalbg.com/
Medical Center Oxъcom 28-A Izgrev Telephone number: +359056 860 210 Медицински център Оксиком - Бургас (mcoxycom.com)	Medical Center St.Sofia 13 Vazrazhdane Str. Telephone number: +35956 845 083 http://www.saintsofia.com/
	Virgin Mary Hospital Vetren, Al. Stamboliiski str Telephone number: +359888 97 67 67 http://www.devamaria.com/en/

PLOVDIV

FREE OF CHARGE MEDICAL CHECK-UPS	PRIVATE HOSPITALS:
Medicus Alfa Clinic ; 21 Veliko Tarnovo Str. Telephone number: +359 32 634463; +359 32 624881 +359 896661171 https://medicusalpha.com	Kaspela Hospital 64 Sofia Str. 4001 g.k. Hristo Smirnenski Telephone number: +35932645 997 https://kaspela.com/contact/
	Eurohospital 79 Komatevsko Shosse Telephone number: +35932 20 70 26 http://www.eurohospital.bg/home#contacts
	University Hospital "St Ivan Rilski" 144 Vasil Levski Blvd. Telephone number: +35932674112

FREE TELEMEDICINE SERVICES

Telemedicine services can be accessed at: https://nadrb.setmore.com/

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory immunizations in Bulgaria are similar to the immunization requirements in the Ukraine and are mandatory for all children. Vaccines are administered according to the National Immunization Calendar.

Every child from Ukraine who has received temporary protection in Bulgaria, as certified by the received Personal Number of a foreigner, has the right to immunizations. Parents who would like to visit their child at a nursery or kindergarten school must also be vaccinated.

A doctor from the regional health inspectorate in the area where you and your child reside or the general practitioner you choose for your child will prepare an individual immunization plan for the necessary immunizations by type of vaccine and number of doses. For this purpose, it is necessary to bring all available medical documents certifying the vaccines given to your child so far.

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WORKING IN BULGARIA

Ukrainians and their family members who have received temporary protection, asylum or international protection in Bulgaria have the right to work in the country without a permit. Persons with refugee or humanitarian status can register as jobseekers with the Labor Office at their permanent or current address.

The hotline of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy at 0800 88 001 provides free consultations in Bulgarian, Russian and English to Ukrainian citizens on access to the labor market in Bulgaria and opportunities for social support for children and families.

Ukrainian citizens under temporary protection have the right:

to remain on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria
to work in Bulgaria without a permit for access to the labor market, as well as to take language training courses
to appropriate accommodation or to means of accommodation, if necessary
to social assistance
to medical aid in case of emergency
to return freely to their country of origin

The Asylum and Refugees Act introduces the requirement of Art. 12 of Council Directive 2001/55/EC of July 20, 2001, on minimum standards for the granting of temporary protection that aliens enjoying temporary protection have the right to work and vocational training. It follows that Ukrainian citizens enjoying temporary protection could work in Bulgaria without a work permit, register as jobseekers at an employment office at their permanent or current address and benefit from employment services. and vocational training.

Citizens of Ukraine can gain access to the Bulgarian labor market in order to work under the following simplified procedures:

Ukrainian citizens who have the necessary documents proving Bulgarian origin can start working immediately (even before they have received a residence permit) only by registering with the Employment Agency. For this purpose, they must have an employment contract with a local employer for a period of at least 6 months. Additional information about the procedure can be found here: https://www.az.government.bg/pages/zaetost-na-lica-ot-bulgarski-proizhod/.
Ukrainian citizens have the right to seasonal work of up to 90 days in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, hotels and restaurants in Bulgaria without interruption for 12 months. For this purpose, registration with the Employment Agency is required on the basis of a declaration submitted by the employer. Additional information about the procedure can be found here: https://www.az.government.bg/pages/sezonna-zaetost-do-90-dni/.
Ukrainian citizens who have applied for international protection and the proceedings have not been completed within three months of submitting the application for reasons beyond their control have the right to work in Bulgaria without a work permit until the procedure is completed. Declaring the employment of Ukrainians in these cases is done by the local employer, who hired them under an employment contract. Additional information can be found here: https://www.az.government.bg/pages/4ujdenci-po-chl29-bejanci/.
Ukrainians and members of their families granted asylum or international protection in Bulgaria have the right to work in Bulgaria without a permit to access the labor market. People who have refugee or humanitarian status can register as jobseekers with the Labor Office at their permanent or current address

LABOR RIGHTS IN BULGARIA

Ukrainian citizens can email the General Labor Inspectorate at [email protected] for further labor rights information. Ukrainians can ask questions related to Bulgarian labor legislation and file a notice if they are already employed and believe their rights have been violated.

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Helping Ukrainian IT Professionals Find Work Opportunities with EPAM in Bulgaria

As a company with more than 14,000 Ukrainian team members, EPAM understands the challenges faced by millions of Ukrainians, and the hurdles ahead. If looking for your next work opportunity is one of them, we are ready to support you.

EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES

SCHOOLS

The country’s regional education departments accept applications from Ukrainians seeking or receiving international or temporary protection who want to enroll their children in kindergarten or school. Depending on the age, the class completed so far, the location and the desire of the parents, the refugee children and students are directed to a specific educational institution. The aim is to complete this preparatory work as soon as possible so that refugees can join the training as soon as they receive official legal status in Bulgaria.

Children of parents with dual citizenship can be admitted to a kindergarten or school without going through the procedures for refugees who have only a Ukrainian passport.

For more information on where and how to apply for school enrolment – read more here: https://mon.bg/bg/news/4708

For more information on where and how to apply for enrollment in free kindergarten for children ages 6 and under – read more here: https://mon.bg/bg/news/4708

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GETTING A LOCAL PHONE NUMBER

Information about obtaining a local phone number and/or SIM card can be found here: https://ukraine.gov.bg/phone-services/

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FREE LEGAL SERVICES

Ukrainian citizens seeking protection on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria can receive free legal aid.

Advice on the provision of protection, including assistance in completing documents, is provided by lawyers registered in the National Register of Legal Aid in all regional counseling centers opened with the relevant bar associations in the country. In Varna, Ukrainian citizens seeking protection can receive legal assistance from the Regional Counseling Center at the Bar Council – Varna:

Address: ul.“Pirot“№ 8А

Telephone: 0879838917.

Bulgarian citizens coming from Ukraine may be provided with legal aid by the National Legal Aid Bureau if they meet the conditions set out in the Legal Aid Act.

Ukrainian citizens seeking protection on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as Bulgarian citizens coming from Ukraine, can also use the National Legal Aid Telephone 0700 18 250 every weekday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

More information can be found here: https://ukraine.gov.bg/legal-services/

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UTILITY SERVICES

It is standard for the utility services to be installed and functioning in the accommodation you are staying at. You are expected to receive monthly mail regarding payment arrangements. You can learn more here: https://ukraine.gov.bg/utility-payments/

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USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS

Humanitarian services: https://ukraine.gov.bg/volunteer-initiatives/

National Hotline: 02 90 55 555 and +380 322 465 075
Crisis line of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Phone:+35929482404
[email protected]

Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria
Hotline of the Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria – +359 878 015 102
[email protected]
Working hours: Every day from 8:00 AM TO 10:00 PM
The hotline is staffed in 3 languages by a team of over 20 people.

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Click ANOTHER Country to Read Our Latest Information and Updates

Please note that the information is subject to change at any given time due to rapidly changing circumstances.
Information varies by country.
Information for additional countries will be listed soon.

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LEGAL STATEMENT

All information provided on this website directly by EPAM or its affiliates or employees is deemed reliable at the time of posting but is not guaranteed to be accurate. None of the information provided on this website by third-parties is verified for accuracy. None of the information provided on this website constitutes legal advice, medical advice, or immigration advice and is provided solely for your information and to assist you to locate resources where you can obtain such advice. EPAM is not responsible for the content provided by third parties, the security of third party websites or links to those websites, or any typographical errors, misinformation, or misprints. Some third party websites linked to from this website are not secure and any information transmitted by you to the third party website can be intercepted and read. You should use such third party websites with caution and should not provide any information, including credentials or login information, to unsecure websites. All information is subject to change and EPAM is under no obligation to update information if it changes. Information is provided for personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any other purpose.