Do You Need A Visa For Bulgaria From Uk
Recently, a friend of mine who lives in New York City, asked me a question: ” Should I get Bulgarian visa?” After I posed the question to my audience on Facebook, most of the Bulgarian expats said that US citizens don’t need a visa for Bulgaria. While that’s true for most countries in Europe, the case is different for USA citizens when it comes to Bulgaria. That’s because Bulgaria joined the Schengen zone of European countries. Only members of this zone have an agreement that eliminates the need for a tourist visa from numerous countries.
The rule about whether or not you need a visa for Bulgaria depends on your nationality and country of origin. If you are a citizen of the US then you do not require a visa to enter Bulgaria. Citizens of all EU countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Taiwan can enter Bulgaria with just their national ID card. Other citizens must apply for a Bulgarian visa before entering Bulgaria.
Do You Need A Visa For Bulgaria From Uk
All travellers
From 1 May 2022 all COVID-19 entry requirements for travellers to Bulgaria end, regardless of nationality and/or where travelled from.
Neighbouring countries may have health requirements for entry for those arriving from or transiting through Bulgaria, including declarations and COVID-19 tests. You should check the relevant FCDO Travel Advice.
If you need to travel, plan ahead and before you travel check border information published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before you travel.
Check your passport and travel documents before your travel
Passport validity
If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.
Your passport must be:
- Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
- valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Contact the embassy of the country you are visiting if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
Visas
Bulgaria is not part of the Schengen area, Visits to Bulgaria do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in the Schengen area.
Visits to other EU or Schengen countries do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in Bulgaria.
You can travel to Bulgaria for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit for family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training.
To stay longer, to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you will need to meet the Bulgarian government’s entry requirements. Check with the Bulgarian Embassy what type of visa and/or work permit you may need.
If you are travelling to Bulgaria for work, read the guidance on visas and permits.
If you stay in Bulgaria with a Bulgarian residence permit or long-stay visa, this time does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit for Bulgaria.
Passport stamping
As a visitor, your passport may be stamped when you enter and exit Bulgaria. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in Bulgaria.
If you enter or exit the Schengen area through Bulgaria as a visitor, check that your passport is stamped. This will show border guards that you are complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for Bulgaria and the separate 90-day visa-free limit for the Schengen area.
If the relevant entry or exit stamp is not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit. If you show evidence eg transport tickets to prove when you entered or exited Bulgaria, border guards should add this entry or exit date and the location in your passport.
You may also need to:
- show a return or onward ticket
- show you have enough money for your stay
If you have a Withdrawal Agreement residency document for another country, your passport might still be stamped if you are a visitor to Bulgaria.
If you are resident in Bulgaria, read our Living in Bulgaria guide for passport stamping information.
UK Emergency Travel Documents
UK Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) are accepted for entry, airside transit and exit from Bulgaria.
