Bulgaria–Greece border — no border checks

About the border: Bulgaria–Greece border

The Bulgarian-Greek border runs through mountains – from the Pirin range and the Struma valley in the west, across the Rhodopes, to the Evros (Maritsa) valley in the east. Greece has long been in the Schengen area, and since 1 January 2025 Bulgaria has been a full member at its land borders too. This is therefore an internal border without systematic document checks. Either country may still temporarily reintroduce controls, so check current announcements before leaving and carry an ID card or passport.

The page lists seven crossings. The most important is Kulata–Promachonas in the Struma valley, on the main road from Sofia to Thessaloniki, used by most tourists driving from Poland to Greece. Ilinden–Exochi links the Mesta valley with the Drama region. In the Rhodopes there are three mountain crossings – Rudozem–Xanthi, Zlatograd–Thermes and Makaza–Nymfaia – leading towards Xanthi and Komotini. Furthest east are Ivaylovgrad–Kyprinos and Kapitan Petko Voyvoda–Ormenio, near the tripoint with Turkey.

We record clear queues mainly at Kulata, above all towards Bulgaria on Sundays, when many people return from a weekend in Greece; at the other crossings our estimates are usually low. In summer, especially on Fridays and Saturdays towards Greece, traffic rises on every route to the Aegean. The Rhodope crossings are usually quiet, but at the height of summer, when some drivers look for a way around Kulata, they can get busier too.

Bulgaria uses an electronic vignette, and Greek motorways charge tolls at toll plazas. The Rhodope crossings are a shorter way into Thrace but need care in winter – snow and fog can add more time than the border itself.

There are no border checks at this crossing

We deliberately show no number here. There is no queue to measure, so a calculated waiting time would be invented. Checks at internal Schengen borders are sometimes reintroduced temporarily — when that happens, waiting times will return to this page. Last verified: 2026-08-18.