BULGARIA | Emergency | Emergency Services
Emergency services in general
In Bulgaria, you dial 112 to be connected to an emergency service. You are then asked which service you require:
- Ambulance
- Fire Brigade
- Police
This combined service was recently introduced in Bulgaria. Besides Bulgarian it will be possible to speak English or French when you call. You could also call each of the emergency services directly - the number is the same in all big cities:
- Ambulance: 150
- Fire Brigade: 160
- Police: 166
- Road Police (KAT): 165
Please remember to give precise locations and addresses when calling the emergency service. Calls are free of charge and are recorded.
The number for the Mountain Rescue service is 02 963 2000 or, if you are using the service of the MTel mobile provider, the number you can call is 14 70. Coastal Rescue service has a different number in each of the places where provided.
Insurances
Normally, EU citizens don't have to pay for health services provided (except for certain consumer taxes) if they have a document proving they have health insurance in their home countries. You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the health service in your own country and bring it with you. If you have to pay any costs up front, this document guarantees reimbursement of health care costs after your return home.
To receive healthcare services with your EHIC, you must use medical and dental care facilities which have agreements with the National Health Insurance Fund. The dental treatment in Bulgaria is not covered fully by the National Health Insurance Fund and you may be charged extra for this treatment. If you attend a specialist without a referral from a GP or another specialist, you will have to meet the costs of the care yourself.
You are strongly advised to check out the details before arrival in Bulgaria. There are also several companies which offer private insurance to cover personal accident, personal liability, repatriation and serious illness cover. It is recommended that the trainee is adequately insured prior to departure.
Embassies
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Important documents
You should photocopy the relevant pages of your passport in case of loss or theft and should note the contact number of the relevant embassy/consulate in Sofia. Loss of credit cards should be reported immediately to the hotline of the appropriate bank.
Traffic accidents
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Medical emergencies
In Bulgaria, doctors are called GPs (General Practitioners). First, you have to make an appointment to visit them and they can refer you to a specialist in a certain area if needed. If you had an accident, you can go the emergency unit of a hospital, but treatment can be slow and you might have to wait for some hours.