Best time to go to Bulgaria

Along Bulgaria's Black Sea Coast, temperatures can soar to a toasty 30°C in summer, and the water temperature's only a couple of degrees cooler. It’s not wildly different if you’re coming in spring or autumn – expect temperatures somewhere between 20°C and 25°C. Evenings are a bit cooler, though, so you might want to bring a light jacket. And rain-wise, you’re looking at just a couple of showers a month.

Passports and Visas

British citizens don’t need a visa to enter Bulgaria but must have a valid passport. You can check your passport’s valid for Bulgaria using our handy tool. For the most up-to-date passport and visa info, visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bulgaria/entry-requirements.

Don't forget to arrange your travel money and insurance before you go.

Health and safety

You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance to cover you while you’re away. If you’re travelling to the EU and you apply for a card now, you'll get a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) instead of an EHIC. This entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Bulgarian nationals. It won’t, however, cover you for medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment or non-urgent treatment. Visit www.nhs.uk/ehic for full details on what it covers. You do not need to apply for a GHIC if you already have an EHIC. Your EHIC remains valid in the EU until it expires. An EHIC or GHIC is free of charge. For the latest health and safety information, visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bulgaria/health

Further Reading

  • Overview
  • Things To Do
  • Key Facts

    • Capital - Sofia
    • Language - Bulgarian
    • Timezone - GMT +2
    • Population - 7,543,325
    • Currency - BGN:Bulgarian Lev
    • Flight Time - 3 hours 15 minutes from Gatwick

    Travel Aware

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    Travel Aware – Staying Safe and Healthy Abroad
    The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and National Travel Health Network and Centre have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad.

    See gov.uk/travelaware and follow @FCDOtravelGovUK on Twitter and Facebook.com/FCDOtravel – for the latest general FCDO travel advice, including coronavirus travel guidance, security and local laws, and passport and visa information.

    See gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice – for FCDO travel advice about individual destinations.

    Sign up for FCDO travel advice email alerts, so you automatically receive the latest travel advice updates and travel requirements for the destinations you want to know about.

    See Travel Aware page – for travel advice from First Choice.

    See travelhealthpro.org.uk – for current travel health news.

    The advice can change so check regularly for updates.