Bulgaria CUSTOMS REGULATIONS: Travelers should declare jewelry, cameras, computers, and other valuables upon arrival in Bulgaria in order to avoid difficulties when departing. Travelers entering Bulgaria with more than 8,000 Bulgarian Leva or the equivalent (around USD 5,400) in either foreign currency or traveler's checks must declare the money and/or checks to Customs officials upon arrival in Bulgaria.
Travelers entering Bulgaria with any amount of cut or uncut gems, unworked gold, or unworked silver must also declare these valuables.Americans intending to declare money or valuables who enter Bulgaria through Bulgarian Sofia Airport are strongly encouraged to use the red "Something to Declare" line and not the green "Nothing to Declare" line at Customs, even if specifically invited into the green line by a Customs official. The Bulgarian government considers entry through the green line to be a formal, irrevocable declaration that the traveler is carrying less than 8,000 Leva, and Bulgaria Customs authorities have sometimes confiscated travelers' entire funds if they are carrying undeclared cash in excess of that amount.
Travelers who attempt to leave Bulgaria with the equivalent of 25,000 Bulgarian Leva or more must complete a customs declaration on which they must state the origin of the money, and present a certificate from the Bulgarian regional internal revenue service proving they do not owe taxes, unless the sum is less than the amount originally reported when initially brought into the country. Please contact the Embassy of Bulgaria in Washington, D.C. or one of Bulgaria's consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs regulations.
Bulgaria's customs authorities encourage the use of an ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) Carnet for the temporary admission of professional equipment, commercial samples, and/or goods for exhibitions and fair purposes. ATA Carnet Headquarters, located at the U.S. Council for International Business, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, issues and guarantees the ATA Carnet in the United States. For additional information, please call (212) 354-4480, or send an e-mail to atacarnet@uscib.org, or visit http://www.uscib.org for details.
