The Minister of Health in Bulgaria issued several orders on 30.06.2020, which extended the state of emergency due to COVID-19 until 15 July 2020. The latest Order of the Minister in this regard introduces a temporary ban on entering the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria through all border crossings (by air, sea, rail and road). An exception to the ban on entering the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria is made in respect of the following persons:
(a) Bulgarian nationals, nationals of Member States of the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Schengen Parties (including the Republic of San Marino, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the Vatican City State), the Republic of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, the members of the families of Bulgarian citizens and the persons who are in de facto cohabitation with a Bulgarian citizen, the persons with the status of permanent, long-term or permanent residence on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and their family members, as well as the persons with a residence permit in a Member State of the European Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or in a Schengen country (including the Republic of San Marino, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the Vatican City State) and their family members;
(b) medical professionals, medical researchers, social workers and their supervisors, where the purpose of the journey is related to the profession they are pursuing;
(c) workers involved in the supply of medicinal products, medical devices and personal protective equipment, medical equipment, including its installation and maintenance;
(d) transport staff engaged in the international carriage of passengers and cargo, crews of commercial air transport aircraft and other transport staff as required, including vessel crews and persons involved in the maintenance of vessels;
e) officials (heads of state, members of governments, etc.) and members of their delegations, as well as diplomats, members of the administrative and technical staff of foreign missions of foreign countries in the Republic of Bulgaria, employees of international organizations, servicemen, employees of security and public order services and humanitarian workers in the performance of their duties, as well as members of their families;
(f) persons traveling for humanitarian reasons related to them or their spouses or persons living in de facto cohabitation, relatives in the direct line - without restrictions and in the collateral line - up to and including the second degree;
g) 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, analysis on projects of potential investors and other activities of importance for the country's economy, certified by a letter from the Minister of Economy or another minister responsible for the respective activity, as well as persons engaged in shipbuilding and ship repair, as well as their family members;
(h) seasonal agricultural and tourism workers;
(i) border workers;
(k) persons traveling for the purpose of training for the implementation of activities for the completion of the 2019/2020 academic year, as well as for practical training and practical examinations and for the preparation of the 2020/2021 academic year, when it is impossible to implement these activities from a distance.
An exception to the ban on entering the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria is also allowed with regard to transit through the country for the following categories of persons:
(a) nationals of Member States of the European Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Schengen countries including the Republic of San Marino, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the Vatican City State) and their family members in order to return to the country where they reside;
b) third-country nationals who are authorized for long-term residence in another Member State of the European Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or in a Schengen country (including the Republic of San Marino, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Monaco and the Vatican City State) and members of their families in order to return to the country of residence;
(c) citizens of the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Albania and Kosovo in order to return to the country of which they are nationals.