Visa Application Procedures for Bulgaria

information by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Short-Stay Visa (Type C Visa)
A short-stay visa is issued to an alien for a single or multiple entry into Bulgaria and a cumulative duration of the stay not exceeding 90 days within any six-month period, reckoned from the date of first entry.

A multiple entry short-stay visa may be with a period of validity not exceeding 12 months, save in so far as otherwise provided in an international treaty in force for the Republic of Bulgaria or in an act of the Council of Ministers.

Note: The duration of a short stay may not exceed 90 days, reckoned from the date of entry into Bulgaria. This duration may be extended by the aliens administrative control services for humanitarian reasons.

The purpose of travel may be:Private visit, for which the applicant must present:- A standard invitation to an alien's private visit to the Republic of Bulgaria (mandatorily presented in the original!)
Business trip, for which the applicant must present:
- A standard invitation to an alien's business trip to the Republic of Bulgaria (mandatorily presented in the original!)
Cultural exchange, for which the applicant must present:
- An invitation letter from the Ministry of Culture or a mayor of the relevant municipality (mandatorily presented in the original!)
Sports, for which the applicant must present:
- An invitation letter from the Ministry of Youth and Sports or from a relevant sports club (mandatorily presented in the original!)
Medical treatment, for which the applicant must present:
- A certificate issued by the medical-treatment facility according to the established procedure, stating a plan for treatment and recovery.
Tourism

For Non-pre-arranged (individual) tours, the applicant must present:- a foreign-travel document (passport) issued in good and due form and a photocopy of the pages of the foreign-travel document containing the personal data and the valid visas or residence permits held;
- an application completed in a standard form and 1 colour photograph (passport size; glued to the application form);
- a reservation from a Bulgarian collective tourist accommodation establishment (hotel);
- a reservation or a two-way airline ticket (a reservation may be presented upon submission of the visa application, and the ticket itself must be presented upon the issuing of the visa itself), or proof of possession of financial means to cover the costs of the applicant's return.

For pre-arranged (individual) tours, the applicant must present:- a tourist voucher issued by the sending tour operator
- a list of the tourists in the group.
Solely accredited tour operators may submit documents of package tourists.

A multiple entry short-stay visa may be issued to an alien who:
1. maintains continuous business contacts with Bulgarian natural persons or for-profit legal entities or with representative offices of non-resident legal entities, registered in the Republic of Bulgaria, upon presentation of documentary proof of the existence of such contacts;
2. has invested more than EUR 50,000 in the Republic of Bulgaria, as shown by a certificate issued by the InvestBulgaria Agency;
3. is an authorized representative of any persons referred to in Items 1 and 2;
4. satisfies the conditions referred to in Items 2, 4, 6 and 11 of Article 24 (1) of the Aliens in the Republic of Bulgaria Act and is in a position to certify this, while keeping his or her habitual residence abroad;
5. has contributed substantially to the promotion of bilateral relations with the Republic of Bulgaria;
6. is a family member or an antecessor or descendant up to the second degree of a Bulgarian citizen, while keeping his or her habitual residence abroad;
7. is in possession of a multiple entry short-stay visa issued by any of the following States: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, provided that the period of validity of this visa is equal to or exceeds 12 months.

Upon submission of an application for the issuing of a short-stay visa, the applicant must present:- a foreign-travel document issued in good and due form;
- a photocopy of the pages of the foreign-travel document containing the personal data and the valid visas or residence permits held;
- an application completed in a standard form and 1 colour photograph (passport size (3.5 by 4.5 cm), glued to the application form);
- documents supporting the visa application, and copies of these documents;
- proof of possession of sufficient financial means to cover the subsistence costs, to the minimum amount of EUR 50 for each day of the stay as requested by the visa application or the equivalent of this amount in another freely convertible currency, but not less than a total of EUR 500 or the equivalent of this amount in another freely convertible currency, or a document of pre-paid tourist services;
- proof of possession of sufficient financial means to cover the accommodation costs, to the minimum amount of EUR 50 for each day of the stay as requested by the visa application or the equivalent of this amount in another freely convertible currency, or a document of pre-paid overnight stay in a collective tourist accommodation establishment, or standard invitation from a Bulgarian natural person certifying that accommodation will be provided;
- proof of possession of sufficient financial means to cover the costs of leaving Bulgaria or a ticket and, in the case of crossing the border by land, sea or river by means of transport operated by the applicant, financial means to the minimum amount of EUR 300 or the equivalent of this amount in another freely convertible currency.