Customs rules: cash, goods, medicines

There are no customs checks on your personal belongings between Bulgaria and other EU countries. The limits apply when you cross the EU’s external border — for example with Turkey, Serbia or North Macedonia, or on a flight from the UK, the US or another non-EU country. Cash of €10,000 or more must be declared when entering or leaving the EU.

cash

€10,000

declared at the external border

goods

€430

by air and sea; by land — €300

by land

40 cigarettes

by air — 200

age

17

below it — no alcohol or tobacco

Cash

The threshold covers all currencies you carry together. Cash also includes cheques and other bearer instruments, as well as gold coins (at least 90% gold) and gold bars (at least 99.5%). The declaration is free and forms are available at every customs point. Where there are two channels, use the red one.

If you take a large amount to a non-EU country — according to the Customs Agency, BGN 30,000 (€15,338.76) or more — you must have no unpaid debts to the National Revenue Agency (NRA). If your public debts exceed BGN 5,000 (€2,556.46), customs will not let the cash leave.

Goods from outside the EU

You can bring goods for personal use or as gifts free of duty and VAT up to a certain value, and tobacco and alcohol up to certain quantities. The value of a single item cannot be split between travellers. Travellers under 17 get no allowance for tobacco or alcohol.

The alcohol allowance is the same for all means of transport:

• 1 litre of spirits over 22% or 2 litres of drinks up to 22% (including sparkling and fortified wine);
• plus 4 litres of still wine;
• plus 16 litres of beer.

Fuel in the car’s standard tank and up to 10 litres in a portable container are also duty-free.

Travelling within the EU

Goods bought with VAT paid in another EU country are not declared and have no value limit. For excise goods Bulgarian law sets quantities for personal use, up to which no Bulgarian excise duty is due:

• cigarettes — 800, cigarillos — 400, cigars — 200, smoking tobacco — 1 kg;
• spirits — 10 litres, intermediate products (such as port or sherry) — 20 litres;
• wine — 90 litres, of which up to 60 litres sparkling; beer — 110 litres.

Medicines

You can carry medicines for personal use in quantities that match your treatment. Keep them in the original packaging, with a prescription or a medical document. They do not count towards the €300 or €430 limit.

Medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances require a certificate under Article 75 of the Schengen Convention when travelling within the Schengen area. It is issued by the competent authority in your country of residence on the basis of a prescription, for up to 30 days and separately for each medicine. When travelling outside Schengen, check the rules of your destination country with its embassy.

Food

Meat, milk and dairy products may not be brought in personal luggage from outside the EU. Allowed are:

• infant milk, baby food and special medical food — up to 2 kg, in sealed branded packaging, if they need no refrigeration;
• fish and fishery products (gutted) — up to 20 kg or one fish, if heavier;
• other products without meat or milk, such as honey — up to 2 kg;
• plants and plant products — only with a phytosanitary certificate.

Undeclared food is seized and destroyed, and you may be fined. Within the EU (and from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland) meat and dairy for personal consumption can be carried freely, unless restrictions apply because of a disease outbreak. The competent authority in Bulgaria is the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency.