Safety in Bulgaria: what overland travellers should know

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 29 July 2026.

Safety

Petty crime — Bag-snatching and theft of money and documents still hit foreigners, tourists above all, mostly in Sofia and along the coast in summer. Keep away from areas where demonstrations are happening and follow what local authorities say.
Where you park — Park where the vehicle is visible or in a paid space, checking the tariff first, particularly if your accommodation has no guarded area of its own. Leave no documents, keys or valuables inside: criminal groups with strong links abroad are still active in the country, mainly in drug trafficking.
Night driving — Do not take on long journeys outside towns in the evening or at night, especially in an expensive vehicle or one with foreign plates. Outside the big cities and main tourist centres, few people speak a widely used foreign language, so travelling alone in your own vehicle calls for extra care.
Police stops — Do not stop for anyone who is not in uniform or whose car carries no clearly recognisable police markings. When a genuine patrol stops you, stay calm, stay in the vehicle unless the situation demands otherwise and hand over only the documents needed for the check. If you are fined, ask for a receipt and note the number plate of the police car.
Fires, floods and quakes — There is a fire risk in mountain and open country areas, and flooding is possible, mainly but not only on the Black Sea coast and near watercourses. Some areas in the north-west are rated as seismic, though recent tremors have caused no significant damage.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 29 July 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Bulgaria before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 29 July 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.