SOFIA, April 27. /TASS/. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry is ready to resume the issuance of tourist visas to Russian nationals as soon as the country’s sanitary authorities allow, the ministry said in response to a TASS request on Tuesday. A decision on the matter is expected on Wednesday.

"The Foreign Ministry is ready to resume the issuance of tourist visas as soon as the health minister allows. Acting Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zakharieva handed down instructions last week that consular services should start preparations for the issuance of tourist visas," the ministry noted.

"As for Russia, which is one of the largest tourism markets for us, procedures have been eased as much as possible. Visa applications can be filed in 59 Russian cities and three consulates. Tour operators accredited with consular services can file their clients’ visa applications online. Those wishing to visit Bulgaria for tourist purposes can receive their visas at the offices of their tour operators <...> without further formalities," the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry added.

Bulgaria’s Acting Health Minister Kostadin Angelov said on Tuesday that an order on opening the country’s borders to tourists on May 1 would be issued on Wednesday. At the same time, the state of coronavirus emergency will be extended until the end of May.

As the tourist season begins, foreign nationals will be allowed to enter Bulgaria provided they hold one of the following documents: a vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test or an antigen test proving that the person recovered from the coronavirus in the past six months.