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How, where, what: About the first steps of fleeing the war in Ukraine
NATIONAL HOTLINE: 02 90 55 555 and +380 322 465 075
In order to alleviate the situation, Bulgaria has approved a procedure for immediately obtaining the status of TEMPORARY PROTECTION, which is given to the citizens of Ukraine at the border, after the relevant inspection by the border services.
IMPORTANT: Acquisition of TEMPORARY PROTECTION does NOT restrict people fleeing the war in Ukraine from leaving the territory of Bulgaria at any time, nor does it deprive them of previous citizenship (Ukrainian or otherwise).
Thus, everyone who entered Bulgaria should decide whether they want to choose one of the following options:
- To reside on the territory of Bulgaria in a visa-free regime with a Ukrainian document, as follows: Ukrainian identity document, passport, birth certificate, others;
- To apply and register for temporary protection at the following points: see the map here: https://ukraine.gov.bg/issuance-of-temporary-protection/
- To apply for International Protection – this happens with the mobile teams of the State Agency for Refugees (SAR) and its relevant units, and it should be borne in mind that the procedure takes at least 3 months.
Temporary protection is granted for a period of 1 year. From the moment of its receipt, citizens have the following rights:
- access to health care – Emergency care; right to vaccination according to the specially prepared immunization calendar for children, consistent with that of Ukraine (vaccinations are made in each RHI); equal right with Bulgarian citizens to access medical care, if they are from vulnerable groups; health control and prevention;
- access to education – all children have access to school and kindergartens at the end of the vaccination cycle according to the Bulgarian calendar. The registration takes place in the respective RWU of the Ministry of Education and Science. An individual assessment of the educational needs when enrolling in the respective school / kindergarten is performed;
- access to the labor market – without additional permits, except for licensed professions, which require alignment with national requirements; access to the services of the Labor Offices – information about work, referral and others;
- opportunity to open your own bank account;
- access to legal aid;
- one-time social assistance in the amount of BGN 375, which is given to each person from the risk group;
- personal number of a foreigner;
- in case temporary protection status has not been requested at the border, Ukrainian citizens can subsequently apply in any of these places: https://ukraine.gov.bg/issuance-of-temporary-protection/#map
At the “Dunav Bridge” and “Durankulak” border checkpoints, border control is carried out, documents are checked and it is possible to issue a document for immediate temporary protection status. First aid can be provided on site in case of medical needs of visitors. There is also a distribution point on site, where everyone can receive humanitarian aid, food, sanitary materials.
Transport (if necessary), accommodation, information and forms for various services are provided.
Due to the emergency situation, the entry of people fleeing the war in Ukraine is also allowed to those who:
- have an old passport format without biometric data:
- have an ID card;
- have a driver’s license;
- have a birth certificate – for children up to 14 years
- do not have any of these documents, but have other official documents that indicate their identity – for example: certificates, passes, diplomas, membership cards, bank cards, employment records, property documents and the like;
- have absolutely no documents – exceptionally and after an inspection by Border Police officers.
Hotline: 02 90 55 555 and +380 322 465 075
Here https://ukraine.gov.bg/bg/evacuation/ you will find out how to get help for evacuation from Ukraine
Crisis line of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Phone:+35929482404
crisis@mfa.bg
Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria
Hotline of the Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria – +359 878 015 102
Working hours: EVERY DAY FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM
Registration for temporary protection – Ukrainian citizens and third country nationals coming from Ukraine
- Ukrainian citizens residing in Ukraine before February 24, 2022 and members of their families;
- Nationals of other third countries (other than Ukraine) and stateless people who have used their right to international protection or another equivalent type of national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, and members of their families;
- Persons with foreign citizenship or statelessness who left the territory of Ukraine as a result of hostilities and entered and remained on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, if they explicitly state that they want to enjoy the status of temporary protection
The procedure takes 5 to 15 minutes and temporary protection is provided immediately Temporary protection is granted upon oral request to the Border Police, the State Agency for Refugees or other bodies of the Ministry of Interior (migration, police), to people who meet the conditions above.
- Right to stay on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria;
- Right to written information in plain language about the rules and conditions of temporary protection;
- If you are granted temporary protection, you receive:
– Right to registration card of a foreigner who has been granted temporary protection – for the term of protection;
– Right to reunite with one’s family;
– Right to work and professional training;
– The right to education for students and the right to access kindergarten for children under 6 years of age;
– The right to appropriate accommodation or means of accommodation if necessary;
– Right to assistance for accommodation and meals in accommodation places registered in the National Tourist Register, in the total amount of BGN 40 without VAT per person per night and food / breakfast, lunch and dinner /, incl. tourist tax, which is paid to the service provider. The aid will be provided for a period of up to 3 months. The same rights will have the persons who have expressed a desire to access the labor market in the country and this assistance will be provided for up to 1 month from the date of application. The period of validity of the program is expected to be from 24.02.2022 to 31.05.2022. - Right to social assistance;
- Right to medical care in emergencies
– People from vulnerable groups – children under 18, unaccompanied children, pregnant women, single parents with minors, the elderly and people with disabilities, serious health problems, mental disorders victims of trafficking or suffering torture, rape or other severe forms of violence – have the right to full medical care as Bulgarian citizens.
On the map below, you will be able to see all of the active places in Bulgaria where, you can apply and get a document for temporary protection, and find the closes one to you. The map is updated constantly with new places.
Since 15th of March 2022 the Bulgarian government started to roll-out a new system for registration for temporary protection of people displaced from Ukraine. New locations will be made available every day, along with the ongoing training of additional staff and deployment of new equipment. The prioritization of the roll-out is based on the number of displaced people from Ukraine currently accommodated in different places across the country, as well as on the statistics for the “hot spots” at border-crossing points and railway stations.
The map below will be updated on a daily basis to reflect the roll-out of all new registration offices for temporary protection.
The registration offices are featured in the BCRM Mapping System.
Medical information for people arriving from Ukraine, who have temporary protection status in Bulgaria
People, who have temporary protection in Bulgaria, from vulnerable groups use the necessary medical care under the conditions and by the order for the Bulgarian citizens.
People from the vulnerable groups are: minors, unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, single parents with minor children, victims of human trafficking, people with serious health problems, people with mental disorders and people who have suffered torture, rape or other severe forms of mental, physical or sexual abuse.
The status for granted temporary protection is certified by a registration card of a foreigner, issued by the State Agency for Refugees (Art. 41, para. 1, item 5 of the LAR).
HIV is a human immunodeficiency virus that weakens the human immune system and makes it vulnerable to any infection that a healthy body can fight without a problem. HIV infection develops continuously and without symptoms. The final stage of HIV infection is called AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).
The disease is transmitted from person to person. The virus is found in most body fluids of an infected person, but only the blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk contain enough viruses to infect them. HIV infection can occur through direct contact with any of these fluids in a person carrying the virus. There are three main ways of transmitting the infection: sexual, blood and vertical (from the mother to her child).
Anyone wishing to check their HIV status can do so in the Offices for anonymous and free consultation with RHI.
Tuberculosis is a serious infectious disease that is transmitted from person to person by airborne droplets. It is caused by tuberculosis bacteria and mainly affects the respiratory system. Tuberculosis is a treatable disease. The treatment lasts a relatively long time – at least six months, and requires mandatory compliance with all recommendations of the doctor. Symptoms include: cough lasting more than 2 weeks, chest pain, sputum production, weakness or easy tiredness, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, night sweats.
The infection is transmitted by patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who secrete tuberculosis bacteria. People in close contact can become infected by breathing air containing these bacteria, sneezing, coughing or sputum from the patient. Particularly vulnerable to the close environment of the patients are children, the elderly over 65 and people with impaired defenses of the body (chronic stress, malnutrition, alcohol and drug addiction, HIV infection, concomitant chronic diseases and others.
There is a risk of disease in close contact with a person with tuberculosis of the respiratory tract, if you are not vaccinated against tuberculosis, spend a long time indoors with many people, the body’s resistance is weakened, you have alcohol and drug addiction, concomitant chronic diseases , you are a carrier of the HIV virus.
In crisis situations, these risks increase.
Diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis is carried out in the regional medical institutions for diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.
Інфекція передається хворими на туберкульоз легень, які виділяють бактерії туберкульозу. Люди, які знаходяться в тісному контакті, можуть заразитися при вдиханні повітря, що містить ці бактерії, при чханні, кашлі або мокротинні пацієнта. Особливо вразливими до близького оточення хворих є діти, люди похилого віку старше 65 років та люди з порушеннями захисних сил організму (хронічний стрес, недоїдання, алкогольна та наркотична залежність, ВІЛ-інфекція, супутні хронічні захворювання та ін.
Існує ризик захворювання при тісному контакті з хворою на туберкульоз дихальних шляхів, якщо ви не щеплені від туберкульозу, тривалий час перебуваєте в приміщенні з великою кількістю людей, опірність організму ослаблена, у вас є супутня алкогольна та наркотична залежність. хронічні захворювання, ви є носієм вірусу ВІЛ.
У кризових ситуаціях ці ризики збільшуються.
Діагностика та лікування туберкульозу проводиться в обласних медичних установах з діагностики та лікування туберкульозу
Hepatitis is a disease caused by a virus. Of the five different hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D and E), only B and C can become chronic, causing prolonged illness and severe liver damage. An expert estimate of 15 million people in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region is living with a chronic hepatitis B infection and 14 million are infected with hepatitis C. The main routes of transmission of these infections are three: sexual, blood and vertical (from the mother to her child). Tests for hepatitis B and hepatitis C are conducted in the laboratories of the RHI (Regional health inspection).
Vaccines against 11 acute infectious diseases of personal and public health are administered in Bulgaria. These include tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococci, measles, mumps and rubella.
Immunizations against these diseases are mandatory for all children in the country, and vaccines are administered according to the National Immunization Calendar.
Mandatory immunisations in the Republic of Bulgaria are similar to the immunizations applied in the Republic of Ukraine.
However, there are a few main differences:
- Immunisation against pneumococci is not applied in Ukraine;
- In Ukraine, live and killed polio vaccine is used, and in Bulgaria – only killed polio vaccine;
- In Ukraine, fewer pertussis vaccine doses are used;
- Fewer doses of tetanus and diphtheria vaccine are used in Ukraine;
- In Ukraine, fewer hemophilus influenza vaccines are used.
These differences, as well as the fact that in recent years the immunization coverage against the listed diseases in both countries is below the required level of 95% to ensure that there will be no outbreaks and epidemics of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, necessitates all children with missing data or with incomplete immunization status to be vaccinated.
For this purpose, a doctor from the regional health inspectorate in the area where you and your child will reside or the general practitioner you choose for your child will prepare an individual immunization plan for the necessary immunizations by type of vaccine and number of doses. For this purpose it is necessary to bring all available medical documents certifying the vaccines given to your child so far.
Every child from Ukraine who has received temporary protection in the Republic of Bulgaria, certified by the received Personal Number of a foreigner, has the right to immunizations.
Immunizations are also needed to visit your child in a nursery, kindergarten or school, without which this is impossible.
Admission and education of children and students of preschool and school age in Bulgarian state and municipal kindergartens and schools
- Applications for admission and education of children and students of preschool and school age from Ukraine in Bulgarian state and municipal kindergartens and schools are to be submitted to the 28 regional departments of education (RDEs) in the regional cities in the country.
- Applications are accepted at the RDE office or at the e-mail address indicated on the RDE website, to which the parent/guardian/custodian/representative of the child or student can submit an online application for admission in state and municipal kindergartens and schools.
- Visibly published on the website of the RDE are:
– sample application from the parent/guardian/trustee/representative of the child or student (Annex);
– telephone number of a RDE expert, fluent in English and/or Russian, who will provide additional information if necessary regarding the admission and education of children and students in state and municipal kindergartens and schools.
- The referral of children and students of preschool and school age from Ukraine for admission and education in state and municipal kindergartens and schools is to be carried out after:
– protection status has been granted;
– personal number of a foreigner (PNF) has been provided to the child or student, has been entered in the registration card of the parent/guardian/custodian/representative of the child or student, if the child or student is under 14 years of age, or respectively has been entered in a separate registration card – for students over 14 years of age.
- The enrollment of children and students of preschool and school age from Ukraine for education in state and municipal kindergartens and schools can be done after:
– the child or the student has been referred by the head of the RDE for admission and education in the respective kindergarten or school;
– a medical record of the child or student according to the requirements of the Ministry of Health has been submitted to the kindergarten or the school;
– an interview has been conducted and the child or student has been referred to a certain preschool group of compulsory preschool education or to a certain grade of school education, if the child or the student does not have a document for completed grade, stage or degree of education, according to Ordinance No. 3 of 06.04.2017 on the terms and conditions for admission and education of persons seeking or having been granted international protection (promulgated, SG, issue 32 of 21.04.2017)
- After enrolling the child or student in a certain group at the kindergarten or a certain class at the school, the principal is to provide:
– additional training in Bulgarian as a foreign language;
– psychological support, if necessary, as well as other activities for the general personal development support of the children and students studying in the respective kindergarten or school;
– additional personal development support, if necessary, of the children and students studying in the respective kindergarten or school, including resource support for children and students with special educational needs.
In order to assess the individual needs of children and students and to provide resource support to children and students with special educational needs, the principal of the kindergarten or school may seek assistance from the regional centers to support the process of inclusive education.
The platform “е-просвета” is launching a Ukrainian “classroom”, especially made for children from Ukraine. As of today, over 160 e-readable versions of textbooks up to 11th grade in Ukrainian are available on the platform and can be used free of charge.
See the available textbooks here.
Access to the textbooks of one of the leading publishers of children’s and educational literature in Ukraine – “Ранок”. The initiative is jointly with the European Association of Textbook Publishers (EEPG) to support Ukrainian children and their families. Access to the textbooks in “е-просвета” does not require registration and is done quickly through a specially created page “For UKRAINE“.
All teachers and parents involved in the education of Ukrainian children can benefit free of charge and facilitate their work.
Since the beginning of March, Prosveta has been offering free educational books and textbooks for all children fleeing the war in Ukraine who enroll in Bulgarian kindergartens or schools this school year. In order to be ordered, it is necessary for a representative of the educational institution to send an email to za_mir@prosveta.bg or contact a representative of “Prosveta” for the respective field. Contacts HERE.
If you have any questions, you can contact them at prosvetaoffice@prosveta.bg.
