Bulgaria as a holiday destination has been experiencing a renaissance for several years, but many tourists are still wondering what documents to take with them to legally cross the border with Bulgaria – ID or passport. Doubts may be raised by the fact that Bulgaria still does not belong to the Schengen area, which allows free movement of people and lack of control at borders.
However, this matter has been clear since 2007.
Do you need a passport for Bulgaria?
EU citizens may cross the Bulgarian border with a valid ID or valid passport, but it is important that both documents are valid for at least 3 months from the date of arrival. You can stay on the territory of Bulgaria for 90 days within half a year, without any additional formalities.
Traveling by plane to Bulgaria
When it comes to traveling by plane to Bulgaria, the matter is clear, you only need to show a valid ID card at the airport to undergo border control. When traveling by car to Bulgaria, you will easily pass through all EU member states and Serbia without a passport.
This makes things much easier and the journey is practically no problem. Of course, in terms of entry documents.
Now you know if you need a passport for Bulgaria!
Another issue is the issue of children under 18 years of age.
Power of attorney for the child
It is known that to cross the border they need only an ID card or passport. If they travel without legal guardians or parents, no written permission from them is needed in Bulgaria, however it is advisable to make one due to various random cases. When an accident or sudden illness occurs and, for example, surgery is needed, such authorization will facilitate the course of action. What should such a document look like? It is enough to provide the names of parents or legal guardians and their ID card identification numbers and exactly the same data of the child and the person under whose care the minor will be looked after. It doesn’t have to be written in Bulgarian.
Other useful documents for traveling to Bulgaria
When it comes to healthcare, EU health insurance is respected in Bulgaria. To use this, you need to obtain a free EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) entitling you to free medical care in Bulgaria.
However, as in the case of other countries, it is also worthwhile to insure yourself privately, so that in the event of more serious injuries or treatments, you will not be charged with a high bill. This type of additional travel policy often also allows visits to private offices. An important point in such insurance is medical transport to the country. If you need to be transported back to your home country, the transport costs will be covered by our insurer, and they are never the lowest.
The second argument to buy additional insurance are hiking in the mountains in Bulgaria. This country has introduced obligatory fees for providing assistance by the mountain emergency service. Then, in the event of an unfortunate accident, the salvage costs will be covered by your policy.
What documents for travelling by car to Bulgaria?
When traveling by car to Bulgaria, all you need is your driving license, which is normally respected. A Green Card is not required, but in case of any damage, it will definitely help you recover compensation. However, if you drive a car that does not belong to you, then you must have the power of attorney of its owner.
Of course, translated into Bulgarian or English, German or French by a sworn translator and notarized.
You should also remember that in Bulgaria driving on roads requires a vignette.