Travel safety comparison · Europe
Bulgaria vs North Macedonia: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Bulgaria and North Macedonia for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Bulgaria and North Macedonia have very similar overall Warnely composite scores: 20 and 21. The choice between them is unlikely to be driven by the headline number alone. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where North Macedonia scores 1/5 against Bulgaria's 2/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 1 advisory on Bulgaria and a Level 1 on North Macedonia. Drug law diverges sharply: Bulgaria carries a tier-severe regime against North Macedonia's more permissive framework.
| 🇧🇬Bulgaria | 🇲🇰North Macedonia | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 20 / 100 | 21 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Very Safe | Exercise Normal Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #29 | #51 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Strict |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Generally Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | hostile | hostile |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | BGN | MKD |