BULGARIA. Travellers entering or leaving Bulgaria will be able to shop up to the value of €145 (US$158),without having to declare the goods or pay customs duties, from October 2003 Bulgaria’s Customs Agency said.
Currently, individuals entering the country can import goods worth up to US$100 (€92) free of duty, the Customs Agency said. The limit was set back in 1996 and is now outdated, as the country seeks to bring many of its laws into line withh the European Union.
The change is part of Bulgaria’s Customs Act regulations, which are expected to be adopted in October 2003.
Raising the limit is also among the conditions set by the EU for Bulgaria to meet by the time it joins the union, as scheduled in 2007.
According to current regulations, minors have the right to import goods worth up to US$50 (€46). If individuals cross the border more than once a month, they have the right to import US$20 (€18) in goods free of duty on each trip. For goods valued between US$100 (€92) and US$1,500 (€1,400), the individual can choose between paying the 5.0% universal rate duty or classifying the various according to the customs tariffs and paying value added tax in addition.
