Bulgaria Places Greece on ‘Red Zone’ List for Travel

Source: Sofia Airport

Bulgaria has placed Greece on its list of “Red Zone” destinations for travel, after a rise of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the country. Greece is among the 14 countries to recently enter Bulgaria’s “Red Zone”, along with Germany, Austria, UK, Netherlands, Czech Republic and others.

Effective since November 23, the list bans entry to Bulgaria for travelers coming from Greek destinations. The Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Ministry,however, has announced a number of exemptions (see below).

The updated list includes the following countries:

People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Kingdom of Bhutan, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Republic of Maldives, Republic of South Africa, Republic of Botswana, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Namibia, Republic of Zambia, Sultanate of Oman, Turkmenistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Chile, Eastern Republic of Uruguay, Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of Paraguay, Multinational State of Bolivia, Republic of Suriname, Republic of Panama, Republic of Costa Rica, Republic of Guatemala, Belize, Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Cuba, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Saint Lucia, Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Barbados, Singapore, Brunei, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Georgia, Armenia, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Estonia, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Slovak Republic, Ukraine, Republic of Austria, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ireland, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Belgium, Hungary, the Kingdom of Denmark, Iceland, Greece, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Poland and the Swiss Confederation.

Red Zone Exemptions

Bulgaria has announced the following Red Zone entry ban exemptions:

• Bulgarian citizens (and their family members) and persons with the status of permanent, long term or continuous residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria

• citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area, the Swiss Confederation and citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and their family members arriving from a member state of the European Union, the European Economic Area, the European Swiss Confederation and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• medical workers (including professionals, researchers, suppliers of medical products and devices), state officials and diplomats, humanitarian workers, seasonal agricultural workers and workers in the field of tourism

• foreign students, holding a type “D” visa for long-term residence for study purposes

• persons, who have received approval from the Minister of Health or a Deputy Minister authorized by him, made on the basis of a motivated written proposal of a Minister, when this is required for particularly important specific reasons.

The persons falling under the exceptional categories listed above are allowed to enter the country after presenting  the following documents:
• a negative PCR test result conducted up to 72 hours before entering the country, certified by a valid EU digital Covid certificate for testing, or a similar document containing the same data as the EU digital Covid certificate for testing,
and
• a valid digital EU Covid-19 vaccination certificate, or
• a valid digital EU Covid-19 recovery certificate, or
• a similar document containing the same data as the EU digital Covid-19 vaccination or recovery certificate.

Children aged 12 – 18 years, arriving from a red zone country must present a negative PCR test.

Children up to the age of 12 are exempt from the requirement to present Covid-19 related documents irrespective which country they arrive from.

Persons transiting through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, in the cases when the immediate departure from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria can be guaranteed, are also exempt from the requirement to present Covid-19 related documents. In such cases all the travelers have to make sure that they comply with the Covid-19 travel restrictions introduced by the authorities in their final destination.

Promahonas checkpoint, Greece. Photo Source: @EODY

Who must quarantine

Persons exempted from the entry ban, who do not present a valid EU digital Covid certificate for vaccination or certificate of recovery or a similar document, may be admitted in the territory of the country only after presenting a negative PCR test result conducted up to 72 hours before entering the country, certified by a valid EU digital Covid certificate for testing, or a similar document containing the same data as the EU digital Covid certificate for testing, and must quarantine for a period of 10 days at home or in another place of accommodation in which the person has indicated that he/she will reside.

More information on Bulgaria’s Covid-19 travel restrictions is available here.