01Free
The 30-second card
Emergency · tap to call
Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Visa · United States passport
No visa needed · up to 90 daysSource: U.S. Department of State · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗SIM and eSIM
Three mobile networks, A1, Yettel and Vivacom, all offer at least 4G.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Apps locals use
Taxi Maxim: call taxis in Burgas, Plovdiv, Sofia and Varna.OsmAnd: a map app built on OpenStreetMap data.Google Translate: translate spoken conversations and the text on signs.
Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Cards or cash
Mostly cashMostly cards
Step 3 of 5: Cash and cards are both widely used.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Money in Bulgaria
Euro · € · EUR
Change money at a bank rather than at a street exchange office.
At an exchange office, ask exactly how many euros you will get before handing over cash.
Pay taxis in euros; a driver who asks for another currency is likely running a scam.
A return train ticket costs less than two singles.
Collect Euro in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpenPublic holidays in the next 12 months
Thu, 24 Dec 2026 · Christmas Eve Бъдни вечер
Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day Рождество Христово
Sat, 26 Dec 2026 · Second day of Christmas Рождество Христово
Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day Нова година
Wed, 3 Mar 2027 · Liberation Day Ден на oсвобождението на България от Oсманско робство
Fri, 30 Apr 2027 · Good Friday Разпети петък
Sat, 1 May 2027 · Holy Saturday Велика събота
Sat, 1 May 2027 · International Workers' Day Ден на труда и на международната работническа солидарност
Sun, 2 May 2027 · Easter Sunday Великден
Mon, 3 May 2027 · Easter Monday Велики понеделник
Thu, 6 May 2027 · Saint George's Day Гергьовден, ден на храбростта и Българската армия
Mon, 24 May 2027 · Saints Cyril and Methodius Day Ден на Българската просвета и култура и на славянската писменост
Mon, 6 Sept 2027 · Unification Day Ден на съединението
Wed, 22 Sept 2027 · Independence Day Ден на независимостта на България
02Free
Safety today
Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Bulgaria say, side by side, checked daily.
German Foreign Office says
No travel warning
Calm ●
Caution
Serious
Don’t go
Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
U.S. Department of State says
Exercise normal precautions
Calm ●
Caution
Serious
Don’t go
Level 1 of 4
Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 8 Oct 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 8 Oct 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
UK Foreign Office says
No advice against travel
Source: GOV.UK
Updated 11 Aug 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 11 Aug 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Scams to know
Club overcharging
Ask the hotel or other travellers which bars to use; keep the card in sight when paying.
Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Card payment tricks
Keep the card in view until the payment is done; be wary if asked for the PIN again.
Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Unlicensed airport taxis
Book at the official taxi desk in arrivals and check that the meter is running.
Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Flat tyre distraction
After a puncture or if waved down, keep the boot locked and bags secure.
Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.
03Free
Health
Routine vaccines should be up to date. Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of the country.
Vaccinations
Have your routine vaccines up to date before you travel.
Altitude
Altitude sickness can affect visitors in some parts of the country.
Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.
Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.
04Travel layer
In the app: the travel layer
The travel layer
Read a country like someone who’s been there.
What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use
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Deep facts
| GDP | ≈ $130.8 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Per person | ≈ $20,328Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Top exports | refined petroleum, garments, refined copper, wheat, natural gas (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Population | 6.4 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 45.5 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Life expectancy | 76.1 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Religions | Christian 64.7%, Muslim 9.8%, other 0.1%, none 4.7%, unspecified 20.7% (2021 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2021 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Area | 110,879 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Climate | temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summersSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Terrain | mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeastSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Type of government | parliamentary republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Calling code | +359Source: libphonenumber · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
About the data
Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.
From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.
CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗
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