This page gives advice what help we can provide if you do get into difficulty. We offer help which is appropriate to the individual circumstances of each case, including:

• issuing replacement passports;
• providing information about transferring funds;
• providing appropriate help if you have suffered rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, or are in hospital;
• helping people with mental illness;
• providing details of local lawyers, interpreters and doctors and funeral directors;
• doing all we properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detained;
• offering support and help in a range of other cases, such as child abductions, death of relatives overseas, missing people and kidnapping;
• contacting family or friends for you if you want; and
• making special arrangements in cases of terrorism, civil disturbances or natural disasters

UK law says we have to charge for some services. Consulates display the current fees and the standards of service you can expect.

We cannot...

• get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings;
• help you enter a country, for example, if you do not have a visa or your passport is not valid, as we cannot interfere in another country’s immigration policy or procedures;
• give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers;
• get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people;
• pay any bills or give you money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money from public funds, which you will have to pay back);
• make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or accommodation; or
• make business arrangements on your behalf.

Last Updated: May 2007

What we can do to help

We can give general information about local police and legal procedures. We can’t give you legal advice, but can put you in touch with a local lawyer.

If you need medical treatment, we can help you to contact a local doctor.

Contacting friends and relatives

If you want us to, we can contact your relatives and friends and let them know what has happened. In some cases, we can offer financial assistance. 

We cannot collect evidence or investigate crimes ourselves, and in many countries investigating authorities and the courts will refuse to answer enquiries from other people and organisations, including our staff.

Local lawyer

So, you should consider appointing a local lawyer who can look after your interests in court, and follow any trial for you. We can give you a list of local English-speaking lawyers. We would not ordinarily attend a court case involving a British national and cannot influence the outcome of any trial.

Back in the UK, you may feel you would benefit from extra support to help you cope with the effects of the crime. Organisations such as Victim Support can help.

We have also produced a leaflet called  Victims of crime abroad  [PDF 329KB, new window] which offers more detailed information. 

Local information

The Bulgarian Criminal Procedure code (BCPC) states that there is no difference in procedure whether the victim is a Bulgarian citizen or a foreign national. BCPC governs all crimes that occur on the territory of Bulgaria, notwithstanding the nationality of any of the participants in that crime.

If you are a victim of a crime in Bulgaria you should:

Contact the local police in the place where the crime has taken place. They should have a local interpreter who can interpret for you when reporting a crime. The interpreters are not full-time employees in police stations and are contacted when they are required thus it could take time before you are able to make your statement. After you have reported the crime, you should be given a police report with a case number. Keep this document because you will need the case number when you are requesting further information regarding the case.

The police begin an investigation, which can last up to 2 months. In more complicated cases this could be extended up to six months. The case is then sent to the local Prosecutor’s Office where a decision is made whether to close the case, due to lack of evidence, or to start legal proceedings. The victim should receive an official statement from the Prosecutor’s Office, advising them further.

We can give general information about local police and legal procedures. We cannot give you legal advice, but we can point you in the right direction to get advice - List of English Speaking Lawyers in Bulgaria

If you need medical treatment, we can help you to contact a local doctor - List of Hospitals for Active Treatment

If you want us to, we can contact your relatives and friends and let them know what has happened.

You could contact us directly on our consular telephone in our working hours or on the consular duty mobile (in real emergency) if it is out-of-hours.

Telephone: (+359 2) 933 9236
Consular Duty Officer mobile: (+359) (0) 887 927 769

Fax: (+359 2) 933 9263
E-mail: consularsection.sofia@fco.gov.uk

If you prefer to come and see us in person, please be aware of our opening hours:

09:00–12:00 Monday–Thursday
14:00–16:30 Monday– hursday
09:00–12:00 Friday