Canada
Last update 22 May 2023Diplomatic missions
Risk index
Level 3: Increased level of risk (recommendation not to travel in certain areas of the country unless necessary)
3
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Diplomatic Representations of the Republic of Bulgaria in Canada
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ottawa, Canada
Address: 325 Stewart Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6K5, Canada
Telephone: +1 613 789 3215
Fax: +1 613 7893524
Out-of-hours hotline: + 1 613 316 1998
Office hours: 09.30 - 12.30 h
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.bg/embassies/canada
Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria
Address: 65, Overlea blv. Suite 230, Ontario М4Н 1Р1, Toronto
Office hours: 09:30 - 12:30
Telephone: +1 416 696 24 20; +1 416 696 27 78
Fax: +1 416 696 80 19
Out-of-hours hotline: +1 416 892 1738
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.bg/embassies/canadagc
Accredited to Bulgaria is the Embassy of Canada in Bucharest.
Embassy of Canada in Bucharest
Address: 1-3, Tuberozelor St., 011411 Bucharest, sector 1, Romania
Telephone: +40 21 307 5000
Fax: +40 21 307 5010
Office hours: Mon to Thu, 08.30 -17.00 h; Fri, 08.30 - 14.00 h
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.bucharest.gc.ca
Canada visa application centre, Sofia
Address: 77, Tsar Assen Str., 1st floor
1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Days of Operation: from Monday to Friday
Hours of Operation: 9:00-17:00
Acceptance of Application: 9:00-12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00
Passport Pass Back: 13:00-16:00
Helpline phone numbers and Email:
Tel.:+359 2 939 47 47
Email: [email protected]
On August 6th, 2013, Canada opened its new Visa Application Centre in Sofia located in the International Organization for Migration (IOM) building. Bulgarian citizens and foreign nationals residing in Bulgaria can now apply for Canadian visas at the Centre. More information you can find on the following internet address:http://www.vfsglobal.ca/Canada/Bulgaria/english/index.html
As before, Bulgarian citizens can also continue to apply through the Canadian Embassy in Bucharest.
General information
General Information
(1.) Security level:
(2.) Healthcare:
(3.) Recommended vaccines and personal hygiene advice:
(4.) Customs requirements:
(5.) Traffic on roads:
(6.) Practical advice:
(7.) Local currency:
(8.) Climatic characteristics:
(9.) Other:
Local currency
Canadian dollar (CAD)
Official languages: English and French.
Crime and security
Canada is a relatively safe country.
Visits should take the usual measures for their personal security.
Having large amounts of cash with you is not recommended.
If you happen to become the victim of crime in Canada, you must turn to the closest police station and to the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ottawa or the General consulate in Toronto.
Law specifics
During their stay on Canadian territory the Bulgarian citizens must abide by and respect the laws and traditions of the country. During your stay you will be under Canadian jurisdiction. We recommend that you inform yourself of the laws and respect them. The punishments for violation of the law could be much more severe than in Bulgaria for the same violations.
Special attention should be paid to the local rules for possession and consumption of alcoholic drinks and psychotropic substances. In Canada, the sale and consumption of alcohol in public places is prohibited.
Customs requirements
Personal items and belongings for personal use, if in normal quantities, do not need to be declared and are not subject to customs duties.
The following restrictions are active: import of weapons, munitions, explosive substances and narcotic substances, meat, dairy products, fruit and vegetables without the permission of the sanitary authorities is prohibited.
Passengers above 19 years of age are allowed to import duty-free 1.5 litres of wine, 1.14 liters of concentrated alcohol, 24 beers of 335 ml. each, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars and up to 200 g. of tobacco, individual gifts of up to 60 Canadian dollars each.
The import of medical substances is allowed only in the original packages with content description on the label.
Domestic animals are allowed for import only with a document from a veterinary doctor certifying they are healthy and vaccinated for rabies.
Road traffic
The road traffic is regular. The requirements are to follow strictly the road signs and indications.
Depending on the province, you can drive with a license issued by the Bulgarian authorities for a period of two to three months.
The car insurance is mandatory.
To rent a car you will need a credit card and a driving license.
Healthcare
The quality of healthcare is relatively good. Before you start your journey, you must have insurance for travel abroad issued. The fees for health services delivered to persons who are not Canadian citizens and do not reside permanently in Canada are extremely high, varying between 1000 and 2000 Canadian dollars for a day in hospital.
There are no infectious diseases necessitating obligatory vaccination.
Travel papers and visas
When travelling to Canada you must have a valid passport for at least six months after the date of entry and a visa.
Visas can be obtained from the Canadian embassy in Bucharest. The possession of a visa is not sufficient grounds for entry in the country. Upon arrival the immigration authorities will once again verify the reason for the visit (visiting people, tourism, study, work etc.) and determine the period of your stay, which in the case of visiting people and tourism cannot exceed six months. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or an authorised adult. It is recommendable to have a declaration from the other parent, especially in the case of divorce, permitting the child to travel with one parent only or another relative.
Canada has a visa regime for Bulgarian citizens with ordinary, diplomatic or official passports. Application for a visa should be submitted to the Embassy of Canada in Bucharest. For more information about the necessary documents, requirements and fees please turn to the Embassy of Canada in Bucharest.
Working in Canada
Persons with a short-term visa of a visitor are not allowed to be recruited for job or study at educational institutions.
Work permits are issued by the Ministry of citizenship and immigration and the application should be submitted to the respective Canadian embassy abroad. Those wishing to obtain a work permit must submit the following documents: job offer from a Canadian employer, proof of having the necessary qualification and professional experience and of their intention to work temporarily and not permanently in Canada. Illegally working citizens are fined and in the case of a repeated violation are deported from the country.
Bulgarian citizens wishing to work legally and emigrate to Canada should get informed about the details at the Canadian embassies.
Practical advice
It is not mandatory, but it is good to get registered at the embassy or the general consulate, especially if you travel to remote Canadian provinces. This will make contacting you easier in the case of emergency or necessity.
Before departure from the Republic of Bulgaria or immediately after arrival write down the address and telephone numbers of the Embassy and General Consulate in Canada. It is recommendable that the hotel administration, the travel agent arranging your stay and the local police office have this information.
If you happen to be detained by the local authorities for some reason, demand contact with the Embassy in Ottawa or the General Consulate in Toronto. An officer from the consulate will contact you in the shortest time possible.
In the case of stolen personal documents, money, travel tickets or the like you should immediately notify in person and in writing the closest police office and demand a copy of the protocol establishing the event. Get in touch with the Embassy in Ottawa or the General Consulate in Toronto to apply for issuing of the necessary documents to be able to continue your travel or return to Bulgaria.
You can get direct financial aid from the Embassy in Ottawa or the General Consulate in Toronto, provided your relatives or friends deposit the necessary amount with the Ministry of foreign affairs, directorate Finance and Maintenance.
We advise you to conclude prior to your travel a contract for health, tourist, travel or other insurance.
Keep all medicines in their original packages and check whether any of them are considered illegal narcotic substances abroad. If you use such substances, bring with you a copy of the medical prescription confirming the fact.
When crossing the border avoid carrying items of third persons with you.
The emergency line on the territory of Canada is 911.
Competitive service
Certification and legalisation
Documents originating in Bulgaria
Competent authorities to for the Apostille on Bulgarian official documents:
- Ministry of justice for acts issued by courts and notaries;
- Ministry of foreign affairs for any other documents (civil status and address registration documents of the municipalities; various certificates, licenses etc, issued by other ministries, state agencies or committees; documents certifying education, acquired qualifications, competencies and capacities and the like).
In the occasions when such documents have been issued for use in Canada, they must be submitted for follow-up legalizing to the Embassy in Ottawa or the General Consulate in Toronto.
The Embassy and the General Consulate have the power to legalise Bulgarian official documents, if they have the Apostille certification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Documents originating in Canada
Before being legalised by the Embassy in Ottawa or the General Consulate in Toronto for use in Bulgaria, documents issued by Canadian institutions or official persons must be legalised by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada:
Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development
Authentication and Service of Documents Section (JLAC)
Address: 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2
Toll Free: +1 800 267 8376
Fax: +1 613 944 7078
Issuing of personal documents
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ottawa and the General Consulate in Toronto can renew the personal documents of Bulgarian citizens and possess the necessary equipment for registration of biometric data (digital photo, fingerprints and digital signature).
Civil status
In order to be acknowledged in Bulgaria, a document issued by the Canadian institutions must be legalised through the above-described procedure and translated into Bulgarian.
The Embassy in Ottawa and the General Consulate in Toronto perform civil status-related activities: entry in the Bulgarian registers of births, marriages and deaths of Bulgarian citizens occurred abroad.
Registration in the Republic of Bulgaria of children of Bulgarian citizens born in Canada based on a Canadian birth certificate
Every Bulgarian citizen has a uniform civil number (EGN) – a unique number defining the physical persons unambiguously. All newborn children acquire this number, including those born abroad when entered into the population registers of the municipality per permanent address of their parents.
The birth certificate issued by the Canadian authorities is subject to reissuing by the civil status department of the municipal administration per permanent address of the mother of the child in Bulgaria (if the mother is not a Bulgarian citizen, per permanent address of the father). The municipal shall issue the birth certificate with entered EGN based on the birth certificate issued by a civil status local authority – legalised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada and by the Embassy in Ottawa or the General Consulate in Toronto, translated into Bulgarian and certified at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foreign document should be submitted to the civil status office in Bulgaria in person, by an authorised person or through the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions abroad.
Documents submitted to the Bulgarian municipal authorities shall remain in their archives.
Registration in Bulgaria of marriages of Bulgarian citizens in Canada
For registration of a marriage in Canada the Bulgarian citizens must submit to the respective municipal authorities a certified marriage certificate and its translation into Bulgarian.
Registration of marriages abroad shall be made at the municipality per permanent address of the spouse who is a Bulgarian citizen. If both spouses are Bulgarian citizens, that will be the municipality per permanent address of the husband.
Registration in Bulgaria of death of Bulgarian citizens abroad
Death of a Bulgarian citizen occurred abroad shall be registered at the municipality per permanent address of the person in Bulgaria. The municipal administration shall reissue the death certificate issued by a local civil status department – legalised by the by the Department of foreign affairs and international trade of Canada and by the Embassy in Ottawa or the General Consulate in Toronto, translated into Bulgarian and certified at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foreign document shall be submitted to the civil status office by relatives of the diseased or through the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions abroad.
When a person passed away abroad is transported to Bulgaria, the relatives must also obtain a document certifying whether this person had suffered from infectious diseases.
The Embassy in Ottawa and the General Consulate in Toronto do not finance and do not perform activities serving and transporting diseased persons to Bulgaria. In the case of death the relatives of the person should get in contact with a funeral agency in the country of residence and inform themselves of the services and transportation of death people abroad.
Fees
- Legalisation fees (ordinary service for 3 working days) – CAD 30.00 (payable in cash, money order or certified cheque, to the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ottawa or the General consulate in Toronto)
- If the services are delivered by mail, the documents should be accompanied by a self-addressed envelope or some other kind of fast or registered mail.