Foreign Ministry recommends Bulgarians in Israel to register at the embassy in Tel Aviv

In connection with the ongoing tense situation in Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends Bulgarian citizens in the country to register at the Bulgarian Embassy in Tel Aviv, providing passport details, place of residence, status and contact telephone number to one of the following e-mail addresses: Consulate.Telaviv@mfa.bg and Embassy.Telaviv@mfa.bg, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on October 10.

The Foreign Ministry and the embassy in Tel Aviv are closely monitoring the situation on the ground and will take action in coordination with other EU member states in the event of a decision to evacuate, which is currently not available. The situation is extremely dynamic and Bulgarian citizens should adhere strictly to the instructions of the local authorities, and if they have any questions, they can contact the Embassy on the regular and emergency telephone numbers that are publicly announced.

The Embassy in Tel Aviv is constantly updating a database in which two groups of Bulgarians are registered:

• The first group includes Bulgarian citizens who are short-term residents in Israel and who find themselves in a difficult situation without being able to return to Bulgaria due to cancelled flights. These are also the citizens who, for objective reasons, took advantage of the flights organised by the Bulgarian Government;
• The second group includes Bulgarian citizens permanently residing in Israel, most of whom are dual citizens. Their numbers are also dynamic. For this group of citizens, the state does not currently envisage any specific action aimed at organising their departure from Israel.

The reason is that, for the time being, neither Bulgaria nor the other Member States are planning an evacuation from Israel in the full sense of the word. It should also be noted that most European countries do not organise special flights for their compatriots to Israel either, as regular flights continue to operate.

The possibilities for foreign citizens, including Bulgarian citizens, to leave Israel to date are as follows:

• via the airlines continuing to operate flights from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv;
• using the sea link from the port of Haifa.

The Allenby border crossing with Jordan has been closed since this morning.

We understand the difficult situation in which our compatriots in Israel find themselves, and we want to assure them that the state, in the person of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Tel Aviv, is taking the necessary steps to provide assistance to Bulgarian citizens in need in accordance with the needs and opportunities, the Foreign Ministry further informed.

It is recalled that the mission has two emergency telephones which citizens can contact around the clock:

+ 972 54 764 0089

+ 972 54 595 4379

Data on Bulgarian persons in Israel can also be sent electronically to Consulate.TelAviv@mfa.bg, as well as to the Situation Centre at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by email: crisis@mfa.bg and by phone: +359 2 948 24 04 and +359 2 971 38 56.