Migration Directorate - Sofia

Your best option is to go back with someone who can translate for you and get the information for your specific situation. I am not sure what happens when you miss the 5 day registration because I have either had hotels register for me or I registered on my one. I know with EU there are a whole different set of rules for registration so I don't even want to speculate.

To be fair, I would not like it if I was super busy at work and someone came in without knowledge of the language and expected me to talk to a translator over the phone. I haven't experienced anyone in the Plovdiv, Varna, or Gabrovo immigration offices that speaks English well. (And I have been quite often). The women who work there often have to put up with people who do not have their paperwork in order, are angry and rude to them etc. So I don't really blame them for being short... but I have had excellent experiences every time that I went either with a translator or after I could speak Bulgarian and by being extra polite myself.

Thanks for your answer, but I think I must disagree with you.

In my mind and experience, the migration are there to help you, and most of the people they will encounter will be foreigners. Even in China or Thailand they can speak English and are super friendly. Or simply put, doing their job.

If someone comes in and they don't know what to do, most likely the case for most people in any country, the workers should try to help them. I really don't think it seems that strange if we or any of the other lost souls in that office pulling their hair looking helpless would ask the workers for help.

If people met this treatment in the Swedish migration office I would be ashamed.

HI Luobin,

I think you have just learnt your very first lesson about Bulgaria, it isn't like other countries and customer service is very hard to come by if you approach it expecting it to be like anywhere else. If you can speak a little of the language enough to ask for help, sometimes you can get lucky and find someone with a good amount of English, and they will appreciate that you have tried, but if you expect to speak any other language than Bulgarian then you will not be greeted well - as you have unfortunately found.

Kojidae's suggestion to go back with a translator is definitely your best bet.
Please don't be put off though, the Bulgarian people can also be some of the friendliest, but you do have to rethink your expectations of what 'should' be in Bulgaria, as they can be a law unto themselves regardless of what the EU says. 

Hi, thanks for your answer breyambol.

We have been in contact with the Chinese embassy and two consultants that helps foreigners with migration issues in Bulgaria.

This issue seems quite normal unfortunately, and the best suggestion they could give us was to let it go and hopefully not be fined or to go back and try again.

They had a look at our documents and said that the migration should have registered my wife and her sister. Nothing was wrong at all, everything in order, except that they were a little late.

Apart from the migration in Bulgaria I must say that Bulgarians are really friendly. Anywhere else I have been in Sofia the hospitality and service has been good or at least normal.

Love the city so far.

So glad that you have found the friendlier Bulgarians, officials do tend to be, well...official
I wouldn't worry too much about the late registration, as long as you have tried, and the good thing about Bulgaria is that even the biggest of problems can be got around, with the right attitude and help.