Bulgaria scraps ban on entry of citizens from EU, Schengen countries
Bulgaria is scrapping the ban on the entry to the country of citizens of European Union and Schengen visa zone countries with effect from May 22, the Health Ministry said.
Specifically, the lifting of the ban also covers San Marino, the Principality of Andorra, Monaco and Vatican City State, the statement said.
The Health Ministry’s earlier-announced ban on the entry to Bulgaria did not, in any case, apply to Bulgarian citizens, as well as to “persons who are in de facto cohabitation with a Bulgarian citizen”, nor to those with permanent or long-term residence status in Bulgaria and members of their families.
Also allowed into Bulgaria are medical professionals and social workers in the course of their duties, staff delivering medical supplies, foreign officials such as heads of state and members of governments “as well as diplomats, employees of international organisations, military personnel, members of the security and public order services and humanitarian workers in the performance of their duties,” the Health Ministry said.
No ban on entering Bulgaria applies to those travelling for humanitarian reasons, representatives of trade, economic and investment activities directly related to “construction, maintenance, operation and ensuring the safety of the strategic and critical infrastructure of Bulgaria, implementation of projects certified under the Investment Promotion Act, analysis of projects of potential investors and other activities relevant to 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”.
The ban also does not apply to seasonal agricultural worker and tourism employees and those working in border areas.
The Health Ministry said that the 14-day quarantine period will no longer apply to Bulgarian citizens and citizens of other EU countries who are travelling for humanitarian reasons and those who are “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, analyzes of projects of potential investors and other activities relevant to 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 Health Ministry statement said that members of the families of Bulgarian citizens, as well as those in actual cohabitation with a Bulgarian citizen, are not subject to 14-day quarantine, when the term of their stay in Bulgaria is up to seven days.
All other persons are placed under a 14-day quarantine in the home or accommodation specified by the person.
The provisions for transit through the territory of Bulgaria do not change.
(Photo: Apostoloff)
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