General information

Bulgaria and the European Union’s Common Visa Policy

Since 1 January 2007 the Republic of Bulgaria has been applying the European Union’s Common Visa Policy, subject to the terms of the Accession Treaty.

According to Article 4 of the Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, the provisions of the Schengen acquis specified in Annex ІІ to that Act shall be binding on and applicable in the Republic of Bulgaria from the date of accession (1 January 2007), while the rest shall be applicable from the date of the Council’s decision on Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area.

Bulgaria and the Schengen Area

Joining the Schengen area is a key priority of our country. The Bulgarian government is highly committed to fulfilling one of the key national priorities – Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area. A well-functioning coordination between ministries and institutions has been established to this end on political and expert level.

The efforts in the preparation process have been focused on meeting the high Schengen standards and securing reliable external borders.

In order to meet the Schengen criteria Bulgaria undertook all necessary actions in view of harmonizing immediately the national to the European law, updating our international base of treaties, providing the relevant state-of-the-art technical equipment and infrastructure and enhancing the administrative capacity whereby our country uses the best practice of the EU member states.

Currently Bulgaria issues national visas only. Those visas do not give their holders the right to enter the Schengen area.

Visa-free regime for holders of Schengen visas for a stay of up to 90 days

On 25 January 2012 the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria adopted a decision according to which by the date of Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area, our country will unilaterally apply a visa-free system for holders of valid Schengen visas. They will have the right to enter and reside in the Republic of Bulgaria for a period of no more than three months in any six-month period from the date of the first entry, without needing to have a Bulgarian short-stay visa. The decision entered into force on 31.01.2012.

Council Regulation (EC) № 539/2001 of 15.03.2001

Since the date of its accession to the EU in 2007, Bulgaria has been applying Council Regulation (EC) № 539/2001 of 15.03.2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement

Information about the Visa Regime for foreigners with ordinary passports for a short stay (until 90 days)
Information about the Visa Regime for foreigners with diplomatic and service passports

Types of visas

• Visa A (for airport transit) – more information
• Visa C (for a short stay for the purpose of transit or a planned stay) – more information
• Visa D (for a long stay) – more information

Requirements when entering the country

A foreigner may enter the Republic of Bulgaria if he/ she is a holder of a regular foreign travel document or another equivalent document as well as a visa if required.

Visa issuing

A foreign citizen wishing to apply for a Bulgarian visa shall hold a regular travel document that meets the following requirements:

• its validity expires at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria or in case of multiple visits – after the last scheduled date of departure from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria;
• contains at least 2 blank pages for visa purposes;
• has been issued within the last 10 years.

Visas are issued by the diplomatic and consular representations of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Visa applications

Visa applications forms are submitted not earlier than 3 months before the date of the intended travel, personally or through an authorized agent, with the exception of humanitarian cases.

Visa applications for minors or judicially disabled persons shall be submitted by their legal representatives or by persons expressly authorized to do so.

Visa applications for underage persons or persons with limited judicial disability shall be submitted by their legal representatives, trustees or by persons expressly authorized to do so.

Download Visa Application Form

Requirements when filling in visa applications

All fields in the application shall be filled in legibly in typed letters. The names shall be filled in with Latin letters (the way they are spelt in the foreign travel passport). The rest of the information shall be filled in in English or Bulgarian. The application shall be signed by the applicant personally. The members of the family of European Union citizens shall fill in only those fields of the visa application form which indicate their family relationship.

Obligatory personal interview when applying for a type “D” visa

No exception shall be made from the requirement for a personal interview when applying for a long-stay visa.

Documents to be submitted with the visa application:

1. A photocopy of the first page of the foreign travel document;
2. A photocopy of the last Bulgarian and Schengen visas or visas for the UK and the US, if any
3. A full color photograph 3,5 cm х 4,5 cm against light-colored background (the same holds for a child entered in the passport) – a full-face photo with clear, large enough face which takes up 70-80% of the photo; eyes must be red; the following is ineligible: photos with dark glasses; non-professional photos or cut out of amateur photos
4. A medical insurance valid for the EU member states for the whole period of the trip, covering all costs for repatriation and for urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment for the period of the stay indicated in the visa. The insurance amount cannot be less than 30 thousand euro
5. Tickets (original and copy) or ticket booking conformation or financial means
6. Copy of the technical passport of the car of the trip
7. For under-aged children travelling without their parents  or trustees the following documents shall be submitted:
   • a copy of the birth certificate
   • original and photocopy of a power of attorney notary certified by both parents/ trustees or by one parent trustee that they agree their child to travel unaccompanied by them.

The following persons are exempt from presenting proof for subsistence, accommodation and transportation:

1. Members of the families or the households of European Union, European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation citizens;
2. Persons applying for a visa for a long stay in view of gathering their families, in relation to a refugee status acquired or asylum in the Republic of Bulgaria – pursuant to a written decision of the State Agency for Refugees with the Council of Ministers
3. Holders of service and diplomatic passports

The following persons are exempt from presenting an insurance policy:

1. Members of the families or the households of European Union, European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation citizens
2. Holders of service and diplomatic passports
3. Seamen who meet the criteria of Convention №108 of the International Labour Organization when submitting applications for short-stay visas with the purpose of transit
4. Persons who can be deemed to be insured or can cover expenses in unforeseen circumstances due to their social or service status.

The following persons are exempt from fees for visa application processing

1. Foreign citizens who as of the date of the visa application are under 6 years
2. Members of Bulgarian and EU citizens’ families

Visa Application Centers (Outsourcing Centers) 

In order to facilitate visa applicants, and to provide a better and quicker service, Bulgarian Consular Services started, on stages, accepting visa application forms through the so called Visa Application Centers (Outsourcing Centers), operated by the VFC Global Company, specialized in providing visa services. For now, visa application forms could be submitted in this way at the Visa Application Centers situated in the following countries and cities:

Russia

Moscow, Sankt Petersburg, Ekaterininburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Samara, Nijni Novgorod, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Rostov on Don, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Irkutsk, Ufa, Sochi and Kaliningrad.

Ukraine

Kiev, Odessa, Lvov, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankovsk, Donetsk, Kharkov and Simferopol

United Arab Emirates

Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Quatar

Doha

Oman

Masqat

Bahrain

Manama

Saudi Arabia

Riyadh and Jeddah

Turkey

Ankara, Istanbul, Edirne, Bursa, Gaziantep, Adana and Izmir.

Kazahstan

Astana and Almaty

More detailed information about the Visa Application Centers’ locations, as well as regarding the terms and regulations of submitting the visa application forms you could find on the phones of the respective Bulgarian diplomatic Missions abroad and their websites.