Vihren peak in the Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria

Who needs a visa for Bulgaria?

Eastern Europe · Sofia

Photo: kallerna / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Of 198 nationalities, 93 enter Bulgaria with no paperwork at all. The rest: 105 must be approved before they travel.

Government fee
€90
Typical decision
15 days
Stay permitted
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, across the whole Schengen area
Apply on the official Bulgaria government site

This is the government's own portal. We are not paid to send you there.

Checked 19 September 2026 — read the fees and rules on home-affairs.ec.europa.eu

What Bulgaria asks for

  • Passport valid for at least three months beyond your intended departure, issued within the last 10 years, with two blank pages
  • Completed and signed Schengen visa application form
  • One recent photograph to the published specification
  • Medical insurance covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation
  • Evidence of where you will stay for the whole trip
  • Return or onward ticket, or evidence of your travel plans
  • Proof of funds for the length of the stay
  • Evidence of your employment, studies or business

Worth knowing

  • One Schengen visa covers all 29 member states. You do not need, and cannot buy, a separate visa for each country.
  • Medical insurance is a legal condition of the visa, not an optional extra. It must cover emergency care, hospitalisation and repatriation.
  • Consulates charge the same €90 wherever you apply. Where a consulate uses an external centre such as VFS or TLS, that centre's service charge is separate and is not the visa fee.
  • Ireland is not in the Schengen area, and neither is the United Kingdom. A Schengen visa does not cover either.

Photo requirements

Schengen visa photos follow the common EU rule: 35–40 mm wide (no height stated), face takes up 70–80% of the photo. home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · read Schengen photo rules

Resize a photo in your browser. It is never uploaded.

How long your passport must be valid for Bulgaria: see passport validity by country.

What do you need?

Who needs what

Visa free 93

Nothing to apply for and nothing to pay before you travel.

Visa required 105

You must apply and be approved before you travel. Airlines will refuse to board you without it.

Guides for Bulgaria

About Bulgaria

Region
Southeast Europe
Capital
Sofia
Population
6,433,302 2025 · 111th of 197
Size
110,879 km² 103rd largest of 199
Density
58 per km²
Language
Bulgarian
Currency
Euro EUR
Borders
Greece North Macedonia Romania Serbia Türkiye

Capital, area, languages and currency from the open country dataset, pulled 21 September 2026. Population from the World Bank, series updated 13 July 2026. Density is calculated from the two figures above.