Bulgaria is now a Schengen Zone member which means it also now issues the Schengen visas. Starting from 1 April 2024, it is officially allowed to process these visa applications. Similar to other member states, this visa will be valid for the 29 Schengen countries.
Bulgaria got the Schengen member status approved on 31 March 2024. The bearer of its Schengen visa can now also travel without border control checks to and from other member states. The same rules, regulations, rights, fees, and other legal aspects of the Schengen visa will be implemented in the Schengen visa of this country.
Who needs to apply for the Schengen visa for Bulgaria?
The nationals of the following countries if they want to travel to Bulgaria for a short stay not exceeding 90 days, must get first the “C” type Uniform Schengen Visa:
| Afghanistan | Gabon | Oman |
| Algeria | The Gambia | Pakistan |
| Angola | Ghana | Papua New Guinea |
| Armenia | Guinea | Palestinian Authority |
| Azerbaijan | Guinea-Bissau | Philippines |
| Bahrain | Guyana | Qatar |
| Bangladesh | Haiti | Russia |
| Belarus | India | Rwanda |
| Belize | Indonesia | Sao Tome And Principe |
| Benin | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
| Bhutan | Iraq | Senegal |
| Bolivia | Jamaica | Sierra Leone |
| Botswana | Jordan | Somalia |
| Burkina Faso | Kazakhstan | South Africa |
| Burma/Myanmar | Kenya | South Sudan |
| Burundi | Kosovo | Sri Lanka |
| Cambodia | Kuwait | Sudan |
| Cameroon | Kyrgyzstan | Suriname |
| Cape Verde | Laos | Swaziland |
| The central African Republic | Lebanon | Syria |
| Chad | Lesotho | Tajikistan |
| China | Liberia | Tanzania |
| Comoros | Libya | Thailand |
| Congo | Madagascar | Timor-Leste |
| Cote D’Ivoire | Malawi | Togo |
| Cuba | Maldives | Tonga |
| Dem. Rep. Of Congo | Mali | Tunisia |
| Djibouti | Mauritania | Turkey |
| Dominican Republic | Mongolia | Turkmenistan |
| Ecuador | Morocco | Uganda |
| Egypt | Mozambique | Uzbekistan |
| Equatorial Guinea | Namibia | Vietnam |
| Eritrea | Nepal | Yemen |
| Ethiopia | Niger | Zambia |
| Fiji | Nigeria | Zimbabwe |
| North Korea | Northern Marianas |
Schengen Visa Purposes
There could be many purposes for applying for the Schengen Visas. These could be as follows:
Medical reasons
This visa is provided to patients who need medical care in any hospital or medical clinic in one of the Schengen member states for a time of 12 weeks within 180 days.
Business
If the applicant is applying for business purposes, mostly it consists of a quick appointment.
Study purposes
The students who need to take an entrance exam in any educational institute in the Schengen Area should ticket this visa purpose. Those who want to attend any school or university courses, language, and other short courses within ninety days of the period will be given this visa.
Official visit
At the time of applying, the applicant has to show his designation and the nature of his duty for the official visit.
Visiting family and friends
This type of visa is for those who want to visit their friends and family in the Schengen Area. An invitation or sponsorship is required if the stay is planned at their home.
Tourism
This is the most entertaining category of the Schengen visa and probably one of the most used options for traveling to Schengen countries.
Airport Transit
The visa is for those who travel through the international zone of a Schengen Country Airport without using the Schengen Country. Schengen states granted this visa to fewer countries, therefore you will not need a visa to travel through some countries, depending on your nationality you may need others. Seafarers also require transit visas. Many seafarers, who need to stay for a short time at one of the member state ports will use this visa.
Sports, Cultural, and Film crews
This type of visa is for people who are from outside of the Schengen area and want to attend religious, Sports, or Cultural events and film crews. The candidate should be a participant in the event, not just an audience.
Schengen Visa Types of Bulgaria
Schengen Visa can be of two types depending on the nature of the travel. These could be categorized as follows:
- The “C” category is a short-term visa. Short-term visa holders are required to live in the Schengen area for a specified period, depending on the visa validity.
- “A” category means airport Transit Visa. Airport Transit Visa is allowed to travel in the international zone of Schengen country airport without entering the Schengen area. “A” category visas are required for citizens traveling from one non-Schengen state to another by changing flights at Schengen country’s airports.
According to the category and travel types, the visa can also be further divided into the following number of entries:
Single entry visa
A one-time entry is allowed on this visa with a total maximum duration of 90 days.
Double entry visa
Two times entry is allowed with a total maximum duration of 90 days.
Multiple entry visa
The multiple entry visa is granted for more than twice entry into a Schengen country. This could be of one, three, or five years in duration.
Limited territorial validity visas (LTV)
LTV is issued in rare cases such as humanitarian reasons or under international obligation as an exception to the common USV system and in some emergency cases. Limited territorial validity visas deal with case accordance. In one case the visa holder can travel only to the Schengen State that has issued the visa, number two case is the same with the addition of travel to certain Schengen states mentioned at the time of visa application, and apart from that countries are all other Schengen states are ban. The movement is not allowed in any other Schengen country that is not the first and final destination target of the visa holder.
Bulgaria Schengen Visa Fee
Following are the Schengen Visa fee details of Bulgaria for 90 day “C” type visa:
| Schengen Visa Category | Fee |
| Adult applicant | 80€ |
| Children between 6-12 years of age | 40€ |
| Children younger than 6 years of age | Free |
| Holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports traveling for official purposes | Free |
| A family member of an EU/EEA national | Free |
| Pupils, students, and accompanying teachers during a school trip | Free |
| Researchers traveling to perform scientific research | Free |
| Nationals from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. | 35€ |
To apply for the Bulgarian Schengen visa, you must first make sure you are going to stay most of your tour time in Bulgaria. Which means Bulgaria must be your main destination as a Schengen state. Following are the documents, you must prepare first to apply for the visa:
Though all countries can ask for different types of required documents in general, most are as follows:
- A valid passport;
- Letter of invitation from your host in Bulgaria (it could be for medical reasons, family and friends visit, or a business visit);
- Enough financial support to bear your expenses. It depends on your conditions such as: how long you will stay and if you will stay in a hotel, or with relatives or friends;
- You should be able to convince the immigration service officer that you will leave Bulgaria at the end of your trip;
- Details of hotel bookings if you are traveling for sightseeing;
- In support of an application for a short-term or travel visa, applicants must show that they have adequate and valid individual or group Travel Medical Insurance, the minimum coverage is €30,000 for the intended period of stay.
After getting all the documents ready, book an appointment in the embassy or consulate of Bulgaria where you are applying. These can be found here.
- Get the visa appointment to apply for the visa.
- You may be required to pay an extra fee if you have to apply through third-party services such as VFS or BLS (currently the visa applications are being processed in only 9 countries through VFS Global).
- You have to submit your biometric photo and fingerprints to the embassy or to the visa application center.
- At the embassy or the visa application center, you may have to go through the interview, which will be related to your visa application.
- After getting the visa, you can travel to Bulgaria.