Security Alert – Drifting Mines in the Black Sea

Security Alert: Drifting Mines in the Black Sea Location: Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Black Sea, Azov Sea Event: Drifting Mines in the Black Sea There are confirmed reports of an undetermined number of drifting mines in the western Black Sea, at least four of which Turkish and Romanian authorities have intercepted. Drifting mines pose a ...
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Alert: Extension of Use of Certain Expired U.S. Passports for Direct Return to the United States

Message to U.S. Citizens: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (April 1, 2022) Location: Bulgaria Subject: Extension of Use of Certain Expired U.S. Passports for Direct Return to the United States If you are overseas and your passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired passport to return directly ...
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Health Alert: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (April 1, 2022)

Health Alert: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (April 1, 2022) Location: Bulgaria Event: Ministry of Health Order Update As of April 1, 2022, the color zones that have dictated the procedure for entering Bulgaria, are abolished. All travelers arriving to Bulgaria, regardless of the country of departure or their citizenship, can enter without quarantine if they ...
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Health Alert: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (March 11, 2022)

Health Alert: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (March 11, 2022) Location: Bulgaria Event: Ministry of Health Order Update and Extension Under the Bulgarian Ministry of Health order, countries are classified as green, orange, or red zones based on their COVID-19 risk. As of March 10, 2022, the United States will be considered an Orange Zone country. ...
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Health Alert: New COVID-19-related Embassy access requirements valid from January 18, 2022

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (January 14, 2022) Location: Bulgaria Event: Health Alert: New COVID-19-related Embassy access requirements valid from January 18, 2022 The U.S. Embassy Sofia follows local guidelines for entry into public buildings. Any individual seeking to enter the Embassy, including for consular services, must present a valid digital or paper ...
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Persons arriving from United States must meet an exception to enter Bulgaria as of January 7, 2022

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (January 12, 2022) Location:  Bulgaria Event: Health Alert: Persons arriving from United States must meet one of the exceptions listed below to enter Bulgaria as of January 7, 2022 Under the Bulgarian Ministry of Health order, countries are classified as green, orange, or red zones based on their ...
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Travel to the United States on Expired U.S. Passports

Message to U.S. Citizens: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (January 6, 2022) Location:  Bulgaria Subject: Travel to the United States on Expired U.S. Passports If you are overseas and your U.S. passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired passport to return directly to the United States until ...
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Alert – Holiday security notice for U.S. citizens

Alert: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (December 10, 2021) Location:  Bulgaria Event: Alert – Holiday security notice for U.S. citizens The U.S. Embassy takes this opportunity to remind all U.S. citizens to remain vigilant this holiday season. Historically, transnational terrorist organizations and individuals inspired by extremist ideology in Europe have focused on tourist locations during the ...
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Health Alert: Updated Pre-departure Testing Requirements for Air Travelers to the U.S.

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (3 December 2021) Location:  Worldwide Event: On December 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will implement a one-day COVID-19 testing requirement for air travelers over age two coming to the United States. Regardless of vaccination status or nationality, any individual coming to the United States ...
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Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (November 2, 2021)

Location:  Worldwide Event: On October 25, President Biden announced the United States will adopt a global air travel policy. This policy prioritizes public health, protecting U.S. citizens and residents as well as those who come to visit us. Effective November 8 all non-citizen, nonimmigrant ((not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident (LPR), or ...
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Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (August 31, 2021)

Location:  Bulgaria Event: Health Alert: Ministry of Health Order Update and Extension Under the Bulgarian Ministry of Health order, countries are classified as green, orange, or red zones based on their COVID-19 risk. As of September 1, 2021, the United States will be considered a Red Zone country. That means persons arriving from the United ...
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Message for U.S. Citizens: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (May 25, 2021)

Message for U.S. Citizens: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (May 25, 2021) Location: Bulgaria Event: U.S. citizens may directly return to the United States with certain expired U.S. passports. If you are overseas and your passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired passport to return directly to ...
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Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria (January 28, 2021)

Location:  Bulgaria Event: Health Alert: Ministry of Health Order Update and Extension The January 26, 2021 Ministry of Health announcement revises and extends entry restrictions and quarantine requirements through April 30, 2021, and introduces a negative PCR test requirement for persons entering Bulgaria. Entry restrictions: U.S. citizens are still prohibited from entering Bulgaria unless they ...
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Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria

Location:  Bulgaria Event:  Alert – Updated COVID-19 Advice for U.S. Citizens COVID-19 advice: As hospitals accommodate a heavy burden of COVID-19 patients, individuals seeking medical care may encounter delays or require transport to alternate facilities.  Please continue taking precautionary measures of social distancing, wearing masks, and avoiding unnecessary travel.  You should consult available medical resources ...
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Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria

Mask Requirement and Reduction in Consular Services   Consular services:  The U.S. Embassy Sofia will return to more limited consular services effective Monday, October 26.  We will continue to provide Emergency American Citizen Services, passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad services, voting assistance, and some limited visa services. U.S. Embassy Sofia has no higher priority ...
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Message for U.S. Citizens – Don’t Let the Elections Pass You By

If you plan to vote in the November 2020 election, it is important to ACT NOW!  Don’t wait!  Return your voted ballot right away!  Remember U.S. embassies and consulates are not polling places; same-day in-person voting is not available outside the United States—but you can get assistance in requesting and returning your absentee ballot.  Many states require voted ballots to reach local ...
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Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria

Location:  Bulgaria Event:  Health Alert: Ministry of Health Order revises and extends entry restrictions and quarantine requirements. Entry restrictions:  U.S. citizens are still prohibited from entering Bulgaria unless they meet one of the exceptions to entry restrictions found in the current Ministry of Health Order.  The entry restrictions apply to all persons, regardless of their citizenship, through all ...
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Message for U.S. Citizens: Voting 2020

Location: Bulgaria Event: August 1, 2020 is the Recommended Deadline to Request Ballot The Federal Voting Assistance Program recommends requesting your ballot by August 1. To vote in the November 2020 elections, all overseas U.S. citizens must complete a  Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)  or request a ballot through your state’s portal in 2020.  Whether you are a first-time voter or have ...
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Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria

Location: Bulgaria Event: Air Travel: Sofia flights information for  April 3-4, 2020 International commercial flight options currently exist in Bulgaria. U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States should make commercial arrangements as soon as possible unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. The U.S. government does not anticipate arranging repatriation flights in Bulgaria ...
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Demonstration/March Alert – February 16, 2019

Location: Downtown Sofia Lukov March Route:  beginning at the National Palace of Culture and proceeding to Ulitsa Trakia 1. Anti-Lukov March Route:  beginning at ‘Tsentralna Banya’ Park and proceeding to the Sofia Municipality building. Event: A march on Saturday, February 16, 2019 starting at 5:30 pm at the National Palace of Culture.  Approximately 1,500 participants are expected.  ...
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Security Alert

Location:  Bulgaria, countrywide Event:  During the holiday season, there are ongoing threats posed by transnational terrorist organizations and individuals inspired by extremist ideology throughout Europe, including in Bulgaria. Extremists continue to focus on tourist locations such as Christmas holiday markets, shopping malls, airports, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, transportation hubs, and other soft targets frequented ...
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Overseas U.S. Citizen Voters Should Vote Now

For U.S. voters living abroad, receiving and sending back an official ballot can be a challenge to successfully voting absentee. October 1 to 8 is Absentee Voting Week and U.S. embassies, consulates and overseas citizens groups are reminding overseas citizens and their families to vote now — and helping them do so from anywhere in ...
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Demonstration Alert: U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria

Location: Sofia University, downtown Sofia Main entrance of Sofia University at the junction of boulevards “Tsar Osvoboditel” and “Vasil Levski.” Event: A protest on Thursday, February 15, 2018 between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm. The protest is organized by the Lukov March organizers to take place during a human rights forum that will be held at the university. U.S. ...
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Voting in 2018 U.S. Elections

Your vote counts!  Did you know that many U.S. elections for house and senate seats have been decided by a margin smaller than the number of ballots cast by absentee voters?  All states are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it is valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot ...
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