A few days after the EU removed the United States from its safe travel list, Bulgaria announced that it was moving the US into its “red zone” category. 

The US Embassy in Bulgaria confirms in a press release that as of September 1, 2021, the United States will be considered a Red Zone Country, which means that anyone arriving from the US regardless of their citizenship, are prohibited from entering Bulgaria, unless they are arriving from ‘approved’ countries.

Bulgaria’s current entry requirements are based on the traveler’s country of departure and not their citizenship. Americans traveling from countries that are ranked ‘green’ or ‘orange’ are permitted to enter. A full list of country rankings and exemptions are available in the US Embassy of Bulgaria site.

Bulgaria has also been labeled as a Level 3 destination by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State Department. This means that the department advises unvaccinated Americans to avoid non-essential travel to Bulgaria. 

COVID-19 infections in Bulgaria are increasing, with an average of 1,520 new infections reported daily. 

The United States, meanwhile, is on its fourth wave of COVID-19, with 166,813 new infections reported on average each day.