Covid-19 in Bulgaria: New rules regarding red zone countries from July 29
Bulgaria’s caretaker Health Minister Stoicho Katsarov has issued a new order, that takes effect from July 29, regarding arrivals from foreign countries classified as Covid-19 red zones.
From that date, Bulgarian citizens, those with permanent or long-term residence and their family members, as well as citizens of European Union and European Economic Area countries, who arrive from red zone countries may be allowed into the country provided that they present a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate of vaccination, or a similar document containing the same data, as well as a negative result of a PCR test done up to 72 hours before entry into Bulgaria, also certified by a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate of testing or a similar document containing the same data.
The Health Ministry emphasised that both these requirements must be met.
Further, citizens of EU and EEA countries as well as citizens of Switzerland and their families arriving from an EU member state, the EEA and Switzerland and who have travelled from a country in the red zone who do not present a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate or similar document containing the same data may be admitted to Bulgaria on presentation of a negative result of a PCR test done up to 72 hours before entry into the country. This result must be certified by a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate or similar document with the same data. They will then go into 10-day quarantine.
Bulgarian citizens, permanent residents and long-term residents and their family members who do not present a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate of vaccination or a similar document containing the same data, as well as a negative result of a PCR test done up to 72 hours before entry into the country will be allowed into Bulgaria, but placed in 10-day quarantine.
The current list of countries classified by Bulgaria as red zones includes Malta, Georgia, Andorra, the Netherlands, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma), Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Seychelles, Namibia, Zambia, Tunisia, Oman, Malaysia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kirgizstan, Mongolia, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Surinam, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Cyprus, UK, Spain, Fiji and Kuwait.
The Bulgarian Health Ministry’s criteria for classifying a country as a Covid-19 as a red zone may be found in English here.
As a general rule, arrivals in Bulgaria from red zone countries are not allowed, with the exceptions for Bulgarian citizens, permanent residents and others as listed above.
The same order issued by Katsarov on July 27 allows children up to the age of 12 to enter Bulgaria without the need to present Covid-19 documents, regardless of the area they are coming from.
(Photo: Apostoloff)
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