Bulgaria Consulate Columbia

Before your visit

• The office is c/o Tomlin & Company, Inc.; the ministry gives the address without the town name – the seat of the consular post is Columbia.
• Location: The honorary consulate is in the Millwood area of Columbia, South Carolina, about 6.5 km in a straight line from the centre of Columbia; the nearest large airport is Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT), about 136 km away. (distances: OpenStreetMap, airports: FAA passenger boarding data CY 2025)

About the Honorary Consulate of Bulgaria in Columbia

The honorary consul is Donald R. Tomlin, according to the Bulgarian foreign ministry. The honorary consulate’s consular district covers the State of South Carolina. It is one of 7 honorary consulates of Bulgaria in the United States listed by the Bulgarian foreign ministry. Bulgaria also has 3 career consular posts in the United States and its embassy in Washington, D.C. In Bulgaria, the United States is represented by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia (bg.usembassy.gov), according to the Congressional Directory.

What can an honorary consul do?

An honorary consul is not a career diplomat but a local resident – often a business person or lawyer – appointed by Bulgaria and approved by the host country. Depending on the powers granted, the honorary consul can help Bulgarian citizens in an emergency (lost passport, accident, arrest), pass on applications and documents to the embassy, and certify signatures or life certificates. Passports and visas are not issued by an honorary consulate; they remain the responsibility of the embassy or a career consulate.

Closing days

Honorary consuls set their own office hours; the honorary consulate is usually closed on US federal holidays, whose dates are published by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and may also close on public holidays of Bulgaria.

Emergency assistance

In an emergency, Bulgarian citizens in the consular district can call the honorary consul on +1 803-540-3400. In the United States, dial 911 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police (GOV.UK travel advice). US citizens who need consular help in Bulgaria can contact the U.S. Embassy in Sofia.

Diplomatic missions of Bulgaria in the United States

Bulgaria in the United States

Measured in a straight line from Columbia, the nearest other Bulgarian office is the Embassy in Washington, D.C. (about 650 km). Distances in brackets are straight-line distances from Columbia.

• Washington, D.C. (650 km) – Embassy of Bulgaria in the United States
• Chicago (1,050 km) – Consulate General (Illinois)
• Los Angeles – Consulate General (California)
• New York (970 km) – Consulate General (New York)
• Boston (1,270 km) – Honorary Consulate (Massachusetts)
• Columbia – Honorary Consulate (this page)
• Las Vegas – Honorary Consulate (Nevada)
• New Orleans (960 km) – Honorary Consulate (Louisiana)
• Pittsburgh (720 km) – Honorary Consulate (Pennsylvania)
• Provo – Honorary Consulate (Utah)
• Sacramento – Honorary Consulate (California)