Do I need a visa for Bulgaria?

The first question a foreigner might ask when planning to visit Bulgaria is whether they need a visa for the purposes of entry and residence in Bulgaria.

The four main points you need to observe before confirming if a visa is needed or not are the following:

1. What is your nationality?

2. Do you have a permanent residency in another country?

3. Do you have a Schengen visa issued by another member state?

4. Do you have another visa issued by another country outside the Schengen area?
   

You can easily find if you're subject to visa application in the information below following the links:

As of 31 March 2024, if nationals of the countries listed in Annex I* to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 hold a valid uniform (Schengen) visa, the time spent by them in the Republic of Bulgaria will be considered part of the 90 days allowed to stay in the Schengen area for any 180-day period, regardless of border (air, land or sea),  which these citizens have passed in order to enter the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and regardless of whether it concerns short-term stay or transit.

The list set out in Annex II** to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 lists the countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement when crossing the EU's external borders. Pursuant to Art. 4 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 they shall be subject to visa-free regime for a period of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

It's important to note that from 31 March 2024, the Republic of Bulgaria issues uniform (Schengen) visas valid throughout the Schengen area. A Schengen visa issued by the Republic of Bulgaria after 31 March 2024 will allow its holder to travel throughout the Schengen area in accordance with the Schengen rules (no more than 90 days in any 180-day period), regardless of internal land border checks.

The short-term stay (90 days in any 180 days) within the Schengen area begins to be counted from the moment of entry into the territory of Schengen, including for the Republic of Bulgaria.

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*ANNEX I

LIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES WHOSE NATIONALS ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN POSSESSION OF A VISA

WHEN CROSSING THE EXTERNAL BORDERS OF THE MEMBER STATES

1. STATES

Afghanistan

Armenia

Angola

Azerbaijan

Bangladesh

Burkina Faso

Bahrain

Burundi

Benin

Bolivia

Bhutan

Botswana

Belarus

Belize

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Central African Republic

Congo

Côte d'Ivoire

Cameroon

China

Cuba

Cape Verde

Djibouti

Dominican Republic

Algeria

Ecuador

Egypt

Eritrea

Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Gabon

Ghana

The Gambia

Guinea

Equatorial Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Indonesia

India

Iraq

Iran

Jamaica

Jordan

Kenya

Kyrgyzstan

Cambodia

Comoros

North Korea

Kuwait

Kazakhstan

Laos

Lebanon

Sri Lanka

Liberia

Lesotho

Libya

Morocco

Madagascar

Mali

Myanmar/Burma

Mongolia

Mauritania

Maldives

Malawi

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Nepal

Oman

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Pakistan

Qatar

Russia

Rwanda

Saudi Arabia

Sudan

Sierra Leone

Senegal

Somalia

Suriname

South Sudan

São Tomé and Príncipe

Syria

Chad

Togo

Thailand

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Tunisia

Turkey

Tanzania

Uganda

Uzbekistan

Vietnam

Yemen

South Africa

Zambia

Zimbabwe

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** ANNEX II

LIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES WHOSE NATIONALS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO BE IN POSSESSION OF A VISA WHEN CROSSING THE EXTERNAL BORDERS OF THE MEMBER STATES FOR STAYS OF NO MORE THAN 90 DAYS IN ANY 180-DAY PERIOD

1. STATES

former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1)

Andorra

United Arab Emirates (2)

Antigua and Barbuda

Albania (1)

Argentina

Australia

Bosnia and Herzegovina (1)

Barbados

Brunei

Brazil

Bahamas

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominica (2)

Micronesia (2)

Grenada (2)

Georgia (3)

Guatemala

Honduras

Israel

Japan

Kiribati (2)

Saint Kitts and Nevis

South Korea

Saint Lucia (2)

Monaco

Moldova (1)

Montenegro (2)

Marshall Islands (3)

Mauritius

Mexico

Malaysia

Nicaragua

Nauru (3)

New Zealand

Panama

Peru (3)

Palau (3)

Paraguay

Serbia (excluding holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (in Serbian: Koordinaciona uprava)) (2)

Solomon Islands

Seychelles

Singapore

San Marino

El Salvador

Timor-Leste (3)

Tonga (3)

Trinidad and Tobago

Tuvalu (3)

Ukraine (4)

United States

Uruguay

Holy See

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (3)

Venezuela

Vanuatu (3)

Samoa

(1) The exemption from the visa requirement shall be limited to the holders of biometric passports issued by Moldova in line with standards

of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

(2) The exemption from the visa requirement shall only apply to holders of biometric passports.

(3) The exemption from the visa requirement shall apply from the date of entry into force of an agreement on visa exemption to be

concluded with the European Union.

(4) The exemption from the visa requirement shall be limited to the holders of biometric passports issued by Ukraine in line with standards

of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).