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Information for Seafarers

BULGARIA

Map location

Countrywide Info
Universal Time Zone (+/- GMT, CET, UTC)	2
International Country Code	359
IDD International Prefix	0
NDD National Prefix	0

Country Currency

Lev (BGN) = 100 stotinki. Notes are in denominations of BGN50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 stotinki.
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted in large cities. However, Bulgaria is still a country that operates mainly on cash, rather than credit cards.

Currency Restrictions

The import and export of local currency is prohibited. The import of foreign currency is unlimited, provided declared on arrival. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.

Public Holidays Observed

New Year's Day - 1 January
National Day (Day of Liberation) - 3 March
Easter (2 days)
Labour Day - 1 May
St George's Day (Day of Bulgarian Army) - 6 May
St Cyril and Methodius Day (Day of Culture and Literacy) - 24 May
The Unification of Bulgaria - 6 September
Day of the Bulgarian Revival Leaders - 1 November
Christmas Eve - 24 December
Christmas Day - 25 December
New Year's Eve - 31 December

Main Religions

Eastern Orthodox, Muslim and Catholic minorities. Small Jewish community.

Languages Spoken

Bulgarian. English is spoken by many in the cities and resorts, plus Turkish, Russian, German and French

Customs Allowance
and Regulations

The nationwide alcohol limit is 0.5%, On-the-spot fines of between Lev50 and Lev150 are imposed for offences whilst driving.
The following goods may be taken into Bulgaria by all persons irrespective of age without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1l of spirits and 2l of wine; 50g of perfume and 100g eau de toilette; reasonable amount of gifts.

Health Information

Rabies is present and immunisation against Hepatitis A is recommended. Immunisation against Diphtheria and Tuberculosis is also sometimes recommended. Up-to-date immunisations of Tetanus and Measles-Mumps-Rubella are advised. Bacillary Dysentery and Typhoid Fever are common, especially in summer.

What to Wear	Conservative, but casual
Countrywide Communications	Telephones: Public phones are numerous but system is somewhat antiquated. Three mobile operators - Globul, Mtel and Vivatel - provide almost 100% coverage. Every town and many villages have internet access.
Tourist Information	Normal courtesies should be observed and handshaking is the normal form of greeting. If invited to the home, a small souvenir from one’s homeland is an acceptable gift. Do not give money. Remember that a nod of the head means ‘No’ and a shake means ‘Yes’. Smoking: Since 1 January 2005, Bulgarian restaurants, cafes, nightclubs etc have zones for smokers and non-smokers. There is no smoking in public places.
Embassies	Indian Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria 31 Patriarch Evtimii Blvd 1000 Sofia Telephone: +359 2 986 77 72 Fax: +359 2 980 12 89 Email: india@inet.bg skb@inet.bg Embassy of Poland in Sofia, Bulgaria Ul. Chan Krum 46, 1000 Sofia Telephone: +359 2 987 2610 and/or 987 2660. Fax: +359 2 987 29 39 Embassy of Greece in Sofia, Bulgaria 33 San Stefano St., Sofia Telephone: +359 2 946 1027 and/or 946 1030 Fax: +359 2 9461249 Email: sofia@greekembassy.bg Embassy of Romania in Sofia, Bulgaria Mihai Eminescu Avenue 4, Sofia Telephone: +359 2 9712858 and/or +359 2 9733081 Fax: +359 2 9733412 Email: ambsofro@vip.bg Embassy of Croatia in Sofia, Bulgaria Veliko Trnovo 32, 1504 Sofia Telephone: +359 2 943 3225 and/or 943 3226 Fax: +359 2 946 1355 Email: dkp_rh@infotel.bg There are also embassies from other top 20 seafaring labour nations represented in Brazil. These are Netherlands and Italy. If you wish contact details on these embassies, please contact the ICSW office.
ITF Contacts	Federation of Transport Trade Unions in Bulgaria 106 Maria Luiza Boulevard 1233 Sofia Tel: +359 29 318001 Fax: +359 28 317124 Email: stsb@einet.bg Seafarers' Trade Union P. O. Box 262 9000 Varna Tel: +359 52 630 601 Fax: +359 52 635 450 Email: stunion@varna.net Seamen's Syndicate 17 Panaguriste Street 9000 Varna Tel: +359 52 601 114 Fax: +359 52 601 114 Email: ssb@navbul.com
STCW Contact	Executive Agency “Maritime Administration” 9 Dyakon Ignatiy Sofia 1000 Tel: +359 2 930 0910 Fax: +359 2 930 0920 Email: bma@marad.bg
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