Bulgaria Visa
Bulgaria is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east.
Bulgaria has been applying the European Union’s Common Visa Policy since 2007. Currently Bulgaria issues national visas only. Those visas do not give their holders the right to enter the Schengen area.
WHO NEED VISA TO BULGARIA
Citizens of the following countries can visit Bulgaria for up to 90 days within each six-month period without a visa:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, SAR – China (Hong Kong, Macao), Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK (British Citizen Passport Holders and British Nationals /Overseas/ only), USA, Uruguay, the Vatican, Venezuela.
Citizens of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia can enter Bulgaria without a visa for a maximum of 30 days in any six-month period.
All other nationalities require a visa for any visit to Bulgaria.
TYPES OF BULGARIAN VISA
Visa A – for airport transfers. Valid for an airport transfer
Visa C – transfers and short term stay in Bulgaria. Valid for a single or multiple entries with stays not exceeding 90 days within each 6-month period.
Visa D – for longer stay in Bulgaria. Valid for 6 or 12 months, this visa is issued to students, long-term business travelers, work permit holders or investors. Personal interview is required.
BULGARIAN VISA REQUIREMENTS
Short-stay visa requirements (Type C)
- a current passport (valid for three months from the date of entry),
- a passport-size photograph,
- confirmation of a booking at a hotel in Bulgaria or the adress of a private residence where you will be staying,
and either:
- a ticket for return or onward travel or
- proof that you have enough funds to support your stay in Bulgaria.
To obtain multi-entry short stay visa you must gather some addtional follow documents:
- a photocopy of the personal information pages of your passport,
- proof of possession of enough money to cover accommodation and subsistence costs (equivalent to €100 euros per day)
and, if you don’t have onward travel or return airfares arranged:
- proof of having €300 euros to cover the cost of leaving Bulgaria.
Long-stay visa requirements (Type D)
For long-stay visa you must submit many kind of documents, as the following:
- the application form and two passport-size photographs;
- a current passport;
- evidence of having formed a limited company, a certified copy of the company’s tax registration document and a court certificate that the company is solvent, and evidence that you’ve hired Bulgarian citizens;
- a certificate from the National Social Security Institute that you’re contributing to social security and have no outstanding tax payments;
- a certificate from the tax office showing the amount of taxes paid (if applicable);
- a recent bank statement and a bank certificate that you’re solvent;
- evidence of accommodation in Bulgaria and the address.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A BULGARIA VISA
To apply for a Bulgaria visa, you should consider the following steps:
Check the full list of visa requirements by country at the webpage of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry. Download and fill in your visa application forms.
Find the nearest Bulgarian Embassy and submit your visa application along with supporting documents
Wait for visa decision and take it on time.
BULGARIA VISA PROCESSING TIME
Time required to issue a Visa: Visa application processing can usually take up to 10 working days, since each application needs to receive clearance by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.
BULGARIA VISA FEES
Visa fee amount varies depending upon Visa category applicant is applying for and Applicant’s age.
VISA APPLICATION FORM
All applicants must download the visa application form, fill in the required details and submit it with mandatory documents to start the process for a Bulgaria visa.
You can download Bulgaria visa application form from internet or get directly from the embassy or consulate. It is recommended to contact nearest Bulgarian embassy or consulate before starting prepare all required documents for application process.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Where do I apply for a visa?
You can submit your visa application at the neareast Bulgaria embassy or consulate in your country.
2. Do I have to have an appointment in Bulgaria Visa Application Centre to apply for a visa?
There is no need to get an appointment to apply for a visa in Visa Application Centre. You should go to visa application centre in the work time.
3. How far in advance should I apply?
We suggest that you do not buy tickets or make non-refundable travel arrangements until your visa has been issued. Sometimes visa application’s assessment might require additional time, so please apply in advance of your travel date. A visa application should be submitted at least 15 days before the intended visit and cannot be submitted earlier than three months before the intended visit.
4. Should I show my old passport when I apply for a new visa?
It is extremely helpful if you do. If your old passport contains visas showing previous foreign travel (for instance to Schengen, UK, Switzerland, Canada, USA) you may wish to ask for it to be returned to you by the passport office when you renew it. You will then be able to attach it to your new passport when you submit your Bulgaria visa application.
