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Language: Bulgarian is the official language, which uses the Cyrillic alphabet, but English, German and French is spoken in resorts, hotels and restaurants.
Currency: The official currency is the Lev (BGN), which is divided into 100 stotinki. The Lev is tied to the Euro at a fixed rate of EUR1 = 1.955 lev. Bulgaria has strict currency regulations. If you enter Bulgaria with cash of any currency amounting to the equivalent of 8,000 leva or more, you must declare it to customs officials. Foreign currency may be exchanged in banks, hotels or at one of the numerous bureaux de
change, however due to a common practice of misleading rates of exchange it is better to go to banks or hotels to change money. A receipt called a bordereaux is issued when exchanging currency, indicating the amount that will be given, and it must be kept until departure. Not all banks accept travelers cheques and those that do usually charge a 5% commission. Major international credit cards are increasingly becoming accepted by tourist hotels, upmarket shops and restaurants, travel agents and car rental agents, but Bulgaria is still largely a cash economy. There are ATMs in the main cities and at Black Sea resorts.
Time: Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. European two-pin plugs and schuko plugs are in use.
Communications: The country dialing code for Bulgaria is +359, followed by the relevant city code. The city code for Sofia is (0)2. Bulgaria offers a direct dialing service to 58 countries, which can be reached by adding the prefix 00 to the country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). Calls to countries that cannot be accessed by direct dialing must be placed through an operator at 0123. Betcom or Bulgarian Telecommunication Company phone booths require a special card available from kiosks. Telephone offices are also available and are attached to post offices. Bulgaria is one of the few countries in Europe that has no peak or off-peak call times. The country has mobile GSM operators, and several Internet Service Providers. Internet cafes are on the increase in the big cities.
Duty Free: Travelers to Bulgaria, aged 17 and older, do not need to pay customs duty on 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1 liter of spirits and 2 liters of wine; 50g of perfume or 100g of eau de toilette; and gifts. Allowances are larger for goods purchased within the EU. Prohibited items include arms and ammunition, narcotics and pornography.
Tourist OfficeBulgarian Tourist Authority, Sofia: + 359 (0)2 987 9778 or www.bulgariatravel.org
EmergencyEmergencies: 166 (police); 150 (medical)
Embassies
Bulgarian Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 387 0174.
Bulgarian Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7584 9400.
Bulgarian Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 789 3215.
Bulgarian Embassy, Canberra, Australia: +61 (0)2 6286 9711.
Bulgarian Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: + 27 (0)12 342 3720/1.
Bulgarian Embassy, Dublin, Ireland: +353 (0)1 660 3293.
United States Embassy, Sofia: +359 (0)2 937 5100.
British Embassy, Sofia: +359 (0)2 933 9222.
Canadian Consulate, Sofia: +359 (0)2 969 9710.
Australian Consulate, Sofia: +359 (0)2 946 1334.
South African Embassy, Sofia: +359 (0)2 981 6682.
Irish Embassy, Sofia: +359 (0)2 985 3425.
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