Staying in Bulgaria

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Updated on 20/05/2022

Free accommodation

As an asylum-seeker, you are entitled to free accommodation in the reception centers of the State Agency for Refugees.

You have a right to stay at the reception center until a final decision is made on your application for international protection. This means that you can also stay in the center while you are appealing against a negative decision.

To stay at the reception centers, you must respect the curfew hours, the rules and the evening checks.

Reception centers

Location	Capacity (number of persons)
Sofia:
Ovcha Kupel registration and reception center (Address: 1618 Sofia; Ovcha Kupel residential district, 21-A Montevideo Str.)	860
Vrazhdebna accommodation center (1839 Sofia; 270 “Botevgradsko shosse” Blvd.)	370
Voenna Rampa accommodation center (1220 Sofia; 11 “Lokomotiv” St.)	800
Central Bulgaria:
Banya registration and reception center (8914 Banya village, Nova Zagora Municipality, 17 Mineralni bani Region)	70
South-Eastern Bulgaria:
Pastrogor transit center (6519 Pastrogor village, Svilengrad Municipality)	320
Harmanli registration and reception center (6450 Harmanli, 23 "Druzhba" St.)	2710

Common nationalities in centers

Your reception (accommodation) center will be assigned by SAR. Currently, the Vrazhdebna accommodation center in Sofia hosts mostly Kurdish asylum-seekers from Syria and Iraq, while Voenna Rampa accommodation center in Sofia hosts asylum-seekers from Afghanistan and Iran.

However, other centers, like the ones in Ovcha Kupel (Sofia) and Harmanli, host asylum-seekers from various nationalities. In most centers, families and unaccompanied minors are accomodated on separate floors.

Services at the reception centers

You are entitled to three daily meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). You will also receive 20 leva (approx. 9 euros) monthly pocket money.

There are daily educational and leisure activities as well as language training for children. These services are provided by the Bulgarian Red Cross and Caritas Sofia, available Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Ovcha Kupel (Sofia), Voenna Rampa (Sofia), Vrazhdebna (Sofia) and Harmanli. Usually, there are also language classes for adults provided in all three centers in Sofia.

Alternative accommodations

You are allowed to search for accommodation outside the reception center, but you will have to pay for it by yourself. You must apply for permission from SAR to stay outside the reception centers.

Humanitarian aid program for Ukrainian refugees

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