Bulgaria: Information for stateless people and those at risk of statelessness fleeing Ukraine 2. ROUTES TO INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION Bulgaria offers three routes to protection: refugee status, humanitarian status, and temporary protection in accordance with EU rules and its implementation in Bulgaria. These protection routes are available to stateless people and those at risk of statelessness depending on their circumstances and are summarised in the table below. What is it? Can stateless and/or undocumented persons apply? Refugee Status & Humanitarian Status Temporary Protection Refugee Status: Protection under 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees Temporary Protection for eligible displaced persons from Ukraine currently valid until 4 March 2023 Humanitarian Status: Protection for persons who do not meet 1951 Geneva Convention definition but would be subject to serious risk upon return, including due to a military conflict Yes, but only if they are not eligible for temporary protection Where to apply? State Agency for Refugees (SAR) Procedure & rights Interview; procedure lasts 6-21 months; applicant’s passport or travel documents held by the authorities pending the application; travel not allowed; right to health insurance; right to work if no decision on the application within three months Refugee status: unlimited right to reside; residence card for five years (renewable); rights on same basis as Bulgarian nationals including right to work (except for voting rights and right to occupy certain public positions); travel documents Rights upon recognition Humanitarian status: unlimited right to reside; residence card for three years (renewable); rights on same basis as permanent residence holders in Bulgaria, Yes, if they meet the eligibility criteria (i.e., beneficiary of international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and family members; or permanent residence in Ukraine and cannot return to country of origin); unclear if equivalent national protection in Ukraine includes statelessness status recognised in Ukraine Request at the border police, SAR, or other bodies of the Ministry of the Interior (migration police); registration in person at the nearest Regional Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior (ODMVR), Sofia Directorate of the Interior (SRD), or in one of the Registration and Reception Centers (ROC) (see list of registration places and map) Oral request; registration in person; applicant provides information about identity and family ties and is photographed; quick procedure (5-15 minutes); temporary protection granted immediately Right to reside in Bulgaria until 4 March 2023 (renewable for up to three years but may terminate earlier if peace restored in Ukraine); registration card containing photo, personal data, and personal number (ЛНЧ); right to receive assistance for accommodation and meals for up to three months; right to health insurance; right to work without a work permit; beneficiaries of temporary protection may