site.btaFreight Traffic Blocked at Bulgaria-Serbia and Bulgaria-North Macedonia Border Crossings

From 00:00 hrs on Tuesday, January 27, all freight traffic will be fully closed at the border checkpoints Deve Bair, Delcevo and Novo Selo in North Macedonia, the Bulgarian Border Police said on its website, quoting information from the border authorities of North Macedonia. As of 06:00 hrs on Tuesday, heavy goods vehicle traffic leaving Serbia is blocked at the border checkpoints Kalotina, Strezimirovci and Vrashka Chuka, the Bulgarian Border Police said.

On Monday, international road freight carriers from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia started protests at border crossings with neighbouring Schengen countries, including Bulgaria.

The protests come in response to restrictions limiting the stay of professional drivers in Schengen countries to a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period, under the new Entry/Exit System (EES) 90/180 rule, introduced in early October 2025. Carriers argue that the new regulation will severely hamper their operations.

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on its website that, because of the blockades, traffic jams are possible in the areas around the border checkpoints with Bulgaria and the other Schengen member states bordering Serbia, and that vehicle traffic is also likely to be affected.

The Foreign Ministry advised Bulgarian heavy goods vehicle drivers to avoid travelling to and from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia in the coming days, and, if necessary, to plan alternative routes.

The Bulgarian Border Police said that real-time traffic levels at Serbia’s border checkpoints can be checked via the website https://kamere.amss.org.rs , and at the border checkpoints of Bosnia and Herzegovina via https://uzivokamere.com/lokacija/bosna-i-hercegovina/

At Bulgaria's border with Turkiye traffic is extremely heavy for freight vehicles at the Kapitan Andreevo and Lesovo checkpoints, the Border Police said.

At the border with Greece, from January 20, passenger cars and minibuses with gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes may pass through the Rudozem border crossing. Vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes also pass via the Zlatograd, Makaza and Ivaylovgrad crossings.

Passenger cars, buses and freight vehicles pass at the Kulata, Ilinden and Kapitan Petko Voyvoda crossings between Bulgaria and Greece.

At Bulgaria's border with Romania, traffic is normal via all border crossings.