Travel Information Bulgaria

• Pay attention to the toll regulations. If necessary, purchase a digital vignette.

• Find out about the applicable traffic rules.

• Since 1 January 2026, the euro has been used for payments in Bulgaria.

• Check your vaccination protection before your trip. No special vaccinations are required for Bulgaria. However, certain vaccinations are recommended depending on your stay.

• Keep an eye on your luggage! In Bulgaria, pickpockets are especially active in busy places such as airports and train stations.

Entry requirements

To enter Bulgaria, EU citizens only need a valid identity card or a passport. For your children, you need a child ID card or child passport. A temporary identity card or a temporary passport is also sufficient. There is no visa requirement for EU citizens, which makes entry easier. Nevertheless, travellers should find out about the current entry requirements. Depending on the situation, short-term changes may occur, particularly with regard to health regulations or security policy measures for the respective country.

Currency

Since 1 January 2026, the euro has been the currency in Bulgaria. Travellers from the eurozone therefore no longer need to exchange money. The Bulgarian National Bank continues to exchange old lev banknotes and coins for euros free of charge.

Driving in Bulgaria

Traffic rules

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There are certain traffic rules in Bulgaria that you must observe during your holiday in Bulgaria. The blood alcohol limit is 0.5 per mille, even for novice drivers. You can find further information on traffic rules, such as speed limits, the requirement to use headlights, traffic light regulations, tyre requirements and what to do in the event of an accident, in our guide.

Toll: vignette, distance-based toll and special toll

The toll can be collected in various forms. These include the vignette requirement, the distance-based toll and the special toll routes.

With the vignette requirement, toll charges are levied that are not calculated based on kilometres, but correspond to a flat amount and vary depending on the length of your trip. Accordingly, you purchase a vignette before your trip and choose between the various validity periods. The price depends only on the validity period, as the same rate applies in Bulgaria for all vehicles subject to the vignette requirement (more on this under vehicle classes). The vignette requirement generally applies to vehicles up to 3.5 t GVW (GVW: gross vehicle weight), although there are also exceptions. You can find further information in our article on the vignette requirement in Bulgaria.

Unlike the vignette requirement, the distance-based toll is not a flat amount, but is based on the kilometres driven, the vehicle class (number of axles) and the emissions class (pollutant levels). Accordingly, the amount of the toll charge can vary considerably. In Bulgaria, the distance-based toll applies to commercial vehicles such as trucks over 3.5 t GVW. You can find further information in our article on the distance-based toll in Bulgaria.

The special toll is levied for certain routes that are subject to neither a vignette requirement nor a distance-based toll. Accordingly, you must pay an additional fee to use a special toll route, even if you have already purchased a vignette or are paying the distance-based toll. You can find further information in our article on the special toll in Bulgaria.

Charging and refuelling

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• Refuelling in Bulgaria is easy: the country has a well-developed network of petrol stations that covers both cities and rural areas.

• Electric cars in Bulgaria: the network of charging stations is not yet as dense as in other European countries, but it is constantly being expanded.

• Petrol prices in Bulgaria: petrol prices are relatively low compared to other European countries, which makes travelling through Bulgaria particularly attractive.

• Since 1 January 2026, you have been paying with the euro in Bulgaria. Alternatively, you can use your credit card.

You can find more detailed information on the various petrol stations and charging points in our guide.

Safety and health

Crime

Just as in other countries, you should always keep an eye on your bags and luggage. Pickpocketing is not uncommon, especially in busy places such as airports and train stations. In addition, car theft is widespread in Bulgaria. Therefore, you should not simply get out of your vehicle without a second thought if you see a car with a flat tyre; instead, it is better to stay in your car and speak to the vehicle owner from there. Cars with foreign number plates in particular are favoured targets for car thieves.

Be aware that you should not pick up hitchhikers during your trip. This is due to the high number of refugees. Picking up hitchhikers can result in heavy fines if the offence of people smuggling is involved.

Vaccination protection

If you are travelling to Bulgaria, you do not need to worry about any special mandatory vaccinations. However, check in advance whether you and your children are covered by the standard vaccinations. In addition, various travel vaccinations are recommended, such as a vaccination against hepatitis A and, depending on the length of your stay, a vaccination against hepatitis B, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and rabies.

Medical care

Medical care in Bulgaria differs greatly from medical care in Germany. Modern medical equipment is often lacking in Bulgaria, even though the doctors are well trained. It should be noted, however, that you should be able to find all common medications from Germany in Bulgarian pharmacies as well. Nevertheless, people who regularly take certain medications are advised to bring them with them.

When visiting a doctor, you usually have to pay for treatment in cash. The costs can be relatively high, so you should definitely have a formal invoice issued. Please also note that private doctors on the Golden Sands coast usually charge particularly high fees. Therefore, it is often recommended that you take out travel health insurance for the duration of your stay.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant trip!

We wish you lots of fun on your tour of discovery in this wonderful country. Simply order your digital vignette for Bulgaria from us now, so that you can use the country's toll roads with peace of mind. We wish you a pleasant trip to Bulgaria and lots of enjoyment as you explore this diverse country. You can find further information on tolls in Bulgaria in our guide. Feel free to use our route planner as well to plan your trip optimally and see the suitable toll products displayed. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us via email.