Customs service charge / sending personal items from UK to BG

@PottyPolly

Congrats to you both for getting your residence permits, I hope you are enjoying your new life in Bulgaria.

Thanks for the update on packages. I think for larger packages it would not be so unusual for a small customs inspection charge. At least they agreed that there was no duty or VAT due, so you must be pleased about that (and that the "inspection charge" is not too outrageous).

But it's a good reminder that the UK is no longer part of the EU, so if we want to avoid the extra duty and VAT, we might need to find new suppliers in Bulgaria and the wider EU. (I've personally stopped buying from Amazon in the UK, and I now use the Spanish site.)

Separately, it's good to know that your man is thinking of you, and has treated you the British dream care package: pork scratchings and Tetley's tea bags (wot, no Heinz Beans and black pudding?). :-)

Also, the Red Zone decision is unfortunate timing, I'm sure that's very frustrating for you both. My understanding is that it's a ban on travellers entering directly from the UK (rather than specifically British citizens). Therefore, if you didn't want to wait until the UK is back on the Green/Orange list, he could probably find a country (such as Germany) that is currently on the Bulgarian Green list, fly there, and hang out for 14 days (as in the Bulgarian travel form required prior to entry) before taking a (negative) PCR test and travelling on to Bulgaria.

I think Romania is a special case (reciprocal entry rights), so if he was able to fly to Bucharest, then you could probably even drive over and enjoy a little summer vacation there before driving back together.

Thanks for your support gwynj
Maybe i should have said....   we've been here just over 3 years. Another 20 months and i can get permanent residency and travel freely.

I don't mind a small charge for a package...  it's just i wasn't expecting it.
I get friends to send tea on a regular basis. Looks like that will have to come to an end.  If only i could get PG or Tetley here, i can get Ahmad tea from Kaufland, but it's not the same. As for the Heinz Beans....   Bella Beans are much better and cost a lot less.

I do miss my Cod, haddock, Salmon, Lobster, and Crab, but it's expensive here.  I get a little frustrated that you only have Chicken and Pork.  I can get Irish Beef from Kaufland for reasonable money....  but i never see lamb or venison....   or beef burgers even. They have a MacDonalds in Sunny beach though. But that is scraping the barrel.
Sorry, but my only criticism of Bulgaria is the food. LOL!  You don't have enough meat. You eat way too many vegetables.

As for a short stay in Germany...  yer...  nice idea, but countries can change colour in no time and it adds to the cost of travel. One of us has to stay here because we have animals to care for.

Romania is usually the way we come to BG because you can fly direct to and from Bristol where our family are.
Moreover, my man needs to go back and forth at short notice.  That's the only problem when you live overseas....  it's difficult to deal with dying parents.

I thought if you had long term residency you were allowed to enter Bulgaria from a red zone country (UK) but certain requirements were to be met, such as negative test or double vaccination certificate.
My residency has expired recently, not been able to travel over to renew, and was informed by British embassy in Sofia that only valid permits were been accepted (think its dependant on the official you present to, this from other peoples recent experiences. I'm not taking a chance of been refused entry after flying over there).

Regarding sending items, we recently sent over a part load (power tools,small furniture and candle lamps ect) with a guy we know who does it as a living and he had no issues with customs.
Again think it depends on which official you happen to get at the time.

@mickg
How long ago did you send stuff  ???? 
because the rules changed on the 1st July of this year (like 26 days ago).

As for permits.....   the ministry website states "permanent residency" not "long term residency".
Hay, i may be wrong....   and i'm more than happy for someone to point out to me official documentation that says otherwise.

But like you say....  once upon a time...   it depended on what official you got on the day...   but things are changing here...  you can't just waltz through with a 100 leva note sticking out of your top pocket...   a wink and a nudge... and a big smile on your face and your fingers crossed.   Those days are gone.

We've had a number of elections here in Bulgaria....   the old government are out.   And although there's no clear majority as of yet...   and....    we are limping along with a caretaker government....   one thing is very clear....  everyone wants an end to corruption. 

Bulgaria is cleaning up it's act.  So i don't want to waste the cost of a flight chancing my arm. (well, my fellas arm anyhow).

If you know otherwise....   post a link

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Top response EVTRA, you must be a mind reader.

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PottyPolly wrote:

I'm writing just to give a heads up to all British expats living in BG.
I'm English and live in Bulgaria with my English boyfriend.  My Boyfriend had to return to England because his parents are elderly and are at the end of their life.  We both have long term residency permits.

Since then, he has not been able to return to BG because of BG's ban on people coming from Red Zone countries. So, i asked him to send me some of my stuff from his parents house.  Stuff he was going to bring in his suitcase on his return.
Mostly winter clothes, a computer hub and stuff i can't easily get here, ( i.e. English Tea bags and pork scratchings).  Total weight of the package was 5kg.

He is allowed to enter, it is just tourists that are banned from entering.

Custom chargers is a big problem for the whole of the EU with goods being sent from the UK. We tell our members on our Austrian Facebook group(s) its best to shop in the EU when possible.

SimCityAT wrote:

He is allowed to enter, it is just tourists that are banned from entering.

@SimCityAT   He is as from July 29th ....  (in 2 more days) but not today or tomorrow my friend.

for those interested, Todays News  (Sofia Globe)

Quote:

From  July 29, Bulgarian citizens, those with permanent or long-term residence and their family members, as well as citizens of European Union and European Economic Area countries, who arrive from red zone countries may be allowed into the country provided that they present a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate of vaccination, or a similar document containing the same data, as well as a negative result of a PCR test done up to 72 hours before entry into Bulgaria, also certified by a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate of testing or a similar document containing the same data.

Ref:  https://sofiaglobe.com/2021/07/27/covid … m-july-29/

hello PottyPolly
I read the update on UK postoffice website, I wonder if there might be difference in sending by post and sending with transport company regards to fees. Might be worth exploring depending on volume to be sent.
Think the whole issue with fees affects any sent items from UK to EU and vice versa.
Regarding your boyfriend hope he can get over there soon, the whole situation is a minefield at this time, nearly a year since we were over, our grass is as tall us now (a neighbour  sent pictures but dont have a key).

Hi mickg
The domestic post service is very hit and miss here.  I have also used it with  varying degrees of successes. I wouldn't send anything that you are not willing to lose though.
I used to send birthday cards to UK via the Bulgarian postal system....  only 60% would arrive.  Now i use MoonPig.  Shame for the Bulgarian economy though!  But you can always buy some MoonPig stock to offset that.

You only got to look on eBay to see how many people don't want to send to BG.
If they paid the postal workers better....   maybe they wouldn't be looking to make up their wages with things they may (or may not) lift from the post. 

Personally, if i buy online, i buy in EU.  If you buy from Bulgaria, Romania or Greece online, you can have it sent to the local Econt office and pay once it's in your hands....   shame Econt aren't all over EU.

The courier we used on above mentioned package was UPS because they claim to handle all the duty and customs decoration UK end as part of their service.  As well as insurance. Apparently, my other half paid for all that before he sent it from UK  so he's chasing up UPS as we speak. Lets see what happens hay?

Buy the way.....   i still haven't got my package as of yet.....  although i have paid the customs bill on-line via bank transfer with epay.bg. I told them when they phoned me...  if they want money for a service charge they would have to bill me via email.  My email address is on the customs declaration as i wasn't gonna give it over the phone. Package was sent 12th July  (28th today). That's over 2 weeks.  It's quite exciting....   not only am i expecting my pork scratchings, i get to kick the hornet's nest too.

I never carry more than 50 leva on me here, if i'm asked to pay a bill or if i go food shopping, i always pay by card, even if it's a "Cash on delivery" via Speedy or Econt. 
I only pay by card.  Even when i buy a train ticket. Always!

The guy who delivers my firewood is never happy about that though....   but i only say "Card?" after he drops the load.  LOL, He gives me the bill and i then go into town and pay it or we do it with epay.bg on our phones.  I always ask for a bill, and i keep every one.

And yes, Gardens can get out of control in no time., Get a goat, you can always curry it with rice and peas, proper Jamaican style.....   cos you won't find lamb for sale in the shops here.
Also, I don't know how old your house is....   but if the roof leaks, the buildings will crumble in no time. There is a reason they cost less than second hand cars.

But if you are not for keeping livestock and you don't want to spend your life bent over in the garden, buy a back pack sprayer and a few litres of Roundup.  Problem solved.

thanks for guidance on card payments, house is sound, good roof not that old.
A goat may be the future, our neighbour had pigs and turkeys, all butchered now, goats still going so may rent them lol.
Hopefully be in Bulgaria in September then permanent late2022, early 2023.