How can you enter Bulgaria?
Since 2017, Bulgaria, as part of the EU, has an agreement with Ukraine on visa-free travel. It guarantees the opportunity for all Ukrainian citizens to enter the territory of Bulgaria only with their biometric passports and to stay for up to 90 days.
After Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian citizens automatically had the right to seek protection in Bulgaria without these conditions being met, that is, even if they do not have a valid passport to travel abroad.
Due to the emergency situation, the entry of refugees from Ukraine is allowed those who:
- have an old passport format without biometric data
- have an ID card
- have driving license
- have birth certificate – for children up to 14 years
- do not have any of these documents, but have other official documents that indicate their identity – for example: certificates, passes, diplomas, membership cards, bank cards, employment records, property documents and the like
- do not have absolutely any documents – exceptionally and after an inspection by Border Police officers
Stateless persons or nationals of third countries other than Ukraine residing legally in Ukraine who are unable to return in safe and durable conditions to their country or region of origin – such persons should in any event be admitted into the territory of the European Union on humanitarian grounds, without requiring, in particular, possession of a valid visa or sufficient means of subsistence or valid travel documents, to ensure safe passage with a view to returning to their country or region of origin.
After entering Bulgaria, Ukrainian citizens have the following three options:
- Receive temporary protection for at least 1 year
- Apply for refugee or humanitarian status
- Tourist stay for a period of 90 days
Specifically, below, we will focus on temporary protection.
After entering Bulgaria, which persons can benefit from temporary protection?
The following categories of persons:
а) Ukrainian nationals residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022
b) stateless persons, and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine, who benefited from international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022
c) family members of the persons referred to in points (a) and (b)
Here are included: the spouse, the unmarried partner (if such opportunity is included in the accepting country), the minor unmarried children, other close relatives who lived together as part of the family unit at the time of the circumstances surrounding the mass influx of displaced persons, and who were wholly or mainly dependent on a person referred to in paragraph 1, point (a) or (b) at the time
d) a specific category and under certain conditions (if the host country has no other adequate protection under its national law): stateless persons, and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine, who can prove that they were legally residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 on the basis of a valid permanent residence permit issued in accordance with Ukrainian law, and who are unable to return in safe and durable conditions to their country or region of origin
Those seeking to benefit from the protection should be able to prove that they fulfil these eligibility criteria by presenting the relevant documents to the competent authorities in the accepting country concerned.
In more specific cases:
Close relatives – if certificates are issued that they live at the same address;
Marriage partners – marriage certificates;
* These are examples, the competent authorities may require additional documents
Period of the temporary protection.
Due to Temporary Protection Directive refugees from Ukraine automatically receive temporary protection as refugees in the territory of the EU Member States for an initial period of 1 year. Depending on the continuation of the situation, there is a possibility to extend the period twice for 6 months.
Procedure and period for obtaining temporary protection.
Once you have entered Bulgaria and are within the scope of the persons who are granted temporary protection, you should apply to the State Agency for Refugees for registration for temporary protection.
If you need accommodation – they will take you to the nearest accommodation center or at your request – to another address at your expense.
A bill in Bulgaria (which to up-to-date (11.03.2022) has not yet been adopted) stipulates that the registration of persons seeking temporary protection will be carried out in a special manner determined by the Chairman of the State Agency for Refugees. In other words, it is not clear at this time how long the procedure will take, but it stipulates that the territorial divisions of the State Agency for Refugees will issue a registration card for temporary protection with priority.
In the next paragraph, we focus specifically on the topic of the right to work for persons, received temporary protection.
The same bill of Bulgaria provides for the mayors of the municipalities where the persons have settled to assist the persons in establishing contact with the relevant territorial unit of the Employment Agency for submitting a notification for exercising the right to work.
Ukrainians and their family members who have received temporary protection, asylum or international protection in Bulgaria have the right to work in the country without a permit to access the labor market.
In any case (whether you use the cooperation of the Employment Agency or you have managed to find a job yourself) you can start working from the moment you receive a registration card for temporary protection.
What is the obligation of employers when hiring persons who have received protection:
When hiring such persons – the persons must first have a registration card issued (the procedure and duration for the issuance of which has not yet been officially adopted), from which they must have issued a personal identification number. After the employment of such a person, the employment should be declared to the Labor Office and to the General Labor Inspectorate.
Ukrainians are granted quick access to basic banking services under relaxed price conditions, including opening an account for receiving funds and a debit card. In order to support citizens of Ukraine seeking refuge in Bulgaria, the bank accounts they have opened are exempt from opening fees and monthly maintenance. Bank accounts can be opened by presenting a valid international passport and filling in a standard set of documents. Currently none of the EU countries buys out Ukrainian currency and a pan-European solution to this issue is expected at an European Central Bank level.
