Russia-Plated Vehicles Banned from Entering Bulgaria

By the end of the day on October 2nd, Bulgaria will cease allowing Russian vehicles to enter its territory. This announcement was made by the Director of Bulgaria's Border Police, Anton Zlatanov, during the "Day Begins" program on BNT channel, as reported by Tribune.

It is noted that the ban has already been in effect for freight vehicles for the past several months and will now be extended to passenger vehicles as well.

"We have been working very actively from Thursday until yesterday. I am confident that by the end of the day, a ban on the entry of Russian passenger cars into our country will come into effect in Bulgaria," stated Zlatanov.

Zlatanov did not provide specific figures regarding the number of Russian vehicles entering Bulgaria each month, but he emphasized that their quantity is limited.

This decision comes after the European Commission published clarifications regarding the regulation of the import and export of goods to and from Russia. In their explanations, the European Commission indicated that various goods and vehicles, regardless of whether they belong to travelers, fall under the ban.

Currently, all Baltic countries have already prohibited the entry of vehicles with Russian license plates. Similar decisions have been made by Poland, Finland, and Norway. Some countries have stipulated that Russian vehicles present within their borders must leave within specified time frames.

For instance, the customs authorities of Lithuania have imposed a similar requirement on owners of vehicles with Russian license plates. This rule applies to vehicles that entered the country before the entry ban came into effect on September 11, 2023. These vehicles must exit Lithuania and the entire European Union within six months.

Lithuania has also banned the entry of vehicles with Russian registration after clarifications from the European Commission but has made an exception for citizens of the Russian Federation transiting to or from the Kaliningrad Region with vehicles registered in Russia using a simplified transit document (SPD). Such transit through Lithuanian territory cannot exceed 24 hours, and the vehicle owner must accompany the vehicle. If the vehicle owner is absent, the vehicle will not be allowed to enter Lithuania's territory.