Bulgaria visa requirements · checked 3 October 2026
Visa & Entry Requirements for BulgariaMost travellers need a visa for Bulgaria: 105 of 198 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate, while 93 passports enter visa-free.
Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry says Bulgaria has been part of the Schengen area since 31 March 2024, when checks at internal air and sea borders were abolished, and that checks at internal land borders were lifted on 1 January 2025. Its visa table marks no visa for ordinary-passport holders from countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan; nationals of the countries in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 are visa-free for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. EU nationals travel with a passport or ID card. The EU Visa Code sets the Schengen visa fee at EUR 90.
Do I need a visa for Bulgaria? Quick answers
United States
Visa-free
90 days
United Kingdom
Visa-free
90 days
Germany
Freedom of movement
India
Visa required
China
Visa required
Canada
Visa-free
90 days
Australia
Visa-free
90 days
Poland
Freedom of movement
Another passport? Use the checker or find it in the table below.
Visa for Bulgaria — requirements summaryAll travellers must meet the entry rules set by Bulgaria, and they depend on your nationality. Find your passport below — you may be able to enter visa-free, or need an eVisa, a visa on arrival or a visa from an embassy.
| Passport | Requirement | Max stay | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Albania |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Algeria |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Andorra |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Angola |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Antigua and Barbuda |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Argentina |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Armenia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
| Australia |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Austria |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Azerbaijan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Bahamas |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Bahrain |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Bangladesh |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Barbados |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Belarus |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Belgium |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Belize |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Benin |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Bhutan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Bolivia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Botswana |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Brazil |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Brunei |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Burkina Faso |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Burundi |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Cambodia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Cameroon |
Visa required | — | Details → |
| Canada |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Cape Verde |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Central African Republic |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Chad |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Chile |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
| China |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Colombia |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Comoros |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Costa Rica |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Côte d'Ivoire |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Croatia |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Cuba |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Cyprus |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Czechia |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Denmark |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Djibouti |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Dominica |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Dominican Republic |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 DR Congo |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Ecuador |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Egypt |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 El Salvador |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Equatorial Guinea |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Eritrea |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Estonia |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Eswatini |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Ethiopia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Fiji |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Finland |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 France |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Gabon |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Gambia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Georgia |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
| Germany |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Ghana |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Greece |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Grenada |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Guatemala |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Guinea |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Guinea-Bissau |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Guyana |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Haiti |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Honduras |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Hong Kong |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Hungary |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Iceland |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
| India |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Indonesia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Iran |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Iraq |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Ireland |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Israel |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Italy |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Jamaica |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Japan |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Jordan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Kazakhstan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Kenya |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Kiribati |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Kosovo |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Kuwait |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Kyrgyzstan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Laos |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Latvia |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Lebanon |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Lesotho |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Liberia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Libya |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Liechtenstein |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Lithuania |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Luxembourg |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Macau |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Madagascar |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Malawi |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Malaysia |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Maldives |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Mali |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Malta |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Marshall Islands |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Mauritania |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Mauritius |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Mexico |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Micronesia |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Moldova |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Monaco |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Mongolia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Montenegro |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Morocco |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Mozambique |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Myanmar |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Namibia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Nauru |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Nepal |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Netherlands |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 New Zealand |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Nicaragua |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Niger |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Nigeria |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 North Korea |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 North Macedonia |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Norway |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Oman |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Pakistan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Palau |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Palestine |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Panama |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Papua New Guinea |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Paraguay |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Peru |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Philippines |
Visa required | — | Details → |
| Poland |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Portugal |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Qatar |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Republic of the Congo |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Romania |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Russia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Rwanda |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Saint Lucia |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Samoa |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 San Marino |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Sao Tome and Principe |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Saudi Arabia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Senegal |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Serbia |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Seychelles |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Sierra Leone |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Singapore |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Slovakia |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Slovenia |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Solomon Islands |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Somalia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 South Africa |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 South Korea |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 South Sudan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Spain |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Sri Lanka |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Sudan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Suriname |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Sweden |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Switzerland |
Freedom of movement | — | Details → |
 Syria |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Taiwan |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Tajikistan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Tanzania |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Thailand |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Timor-Leste |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Togo |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Tonga |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Tunisia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Türkiye |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Turkmenistan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Tuvalu |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Uganda |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Ukraine |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 United Arab Emirates |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
| United Kingdom |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
| United States |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Uruguay |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Uzbekistan |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Vanuatu |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Vatican City |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Venezuela |
Visa-free | 90 days | Details → |
 Vietnam |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Yemen |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Zambia |
Visa required | — | Details → |
 Zimbabwe |
Visa required | — | Details → |
No passport matches your search.
Bulgaria visa types, fees and processing timesBulgaria's Foreign Ministry says children aged 6 to under 12 are exempt from the visa fee (the Visa Code rate for them is EUR 45), as are applicants under 6.
Set by the EU–Armenia visa facilitation agreement instead of the Visa Code's EUR 90; waived for pensioners and children under 12, among other listed categories.
Set by the EU–Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement instead of the Visa Code's EUR 90; waived for pensioners and children under 12, among other listed categories.
Set by the EU–Belarus visa facilitation agreement instead of the Visa Code's EUR 90; EUR 70 when the applicant asks for a decision within two days and the consulate agrees; waived for children under 12, among other listed categories. Council Decision (EU) 2021/1940 suspended certain provisions for members of Belarusian official delegations, governments, parliaments and high courts.
Set by the EU–Cabo Verde visa facilitation agreement as amended in 2021 at 75% of the fee charged under domestic legislation (the Visa Code fee is EUR 90); children aged 12 to 17 are charged 50% of the applicable fee, and children under 12 pay nothing, among other listed categories.
The Visa Code fee of EUR 90; Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry says children between 6 and under 12 are exempt. The EU–Russia visa facilitation agreement has been suspended in whole for Russian citizens since 12 September 2022 (Council Decision (EU) 2022/1500). The European Commission said on 7 November 2025 that Russian nationals will no longer be able to receive multiple-entry visas and will have to apply for a new visa each time they plan to travel to the EU, with exceptions for limited and justified cases such as independent journalists and human rights defenders.
Under article 15(1) of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act the visa is issued for up to 6 months with a right to stay of up to 180 days; a long-stay visa under article 15(2) — up to one year, with a stay of up to 360 days — costs EUR 200.
Entry requirements for BulgariaBulgaria's Foreign Ministry says visa applicants need a passport valid for at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from Bulgaria, issued within the last 10 years and with at least 2 blank pages. The UK government gives British visitors the same 3-month and 10-year rules for the Schengen area.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria — Visa for Bulgaria✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026
Your passport needs at least 2 blank pages.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria — Visa for Bulgaria✓ Checked 7 Oct 2026
Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry asks visa applicants for medical insurance valid in the EU for the whole trip, covering repatriation, urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment, of at least EUR 30,000, as the EU Visa Code requires. Canada's travel advice says Canadian visitors must present proof of medical insurance with at least €30,000 coverage valid in the EU.
Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009), consolidated text — EUR-Lex✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026
No official source we could read states that a return or onward ticket is required to enter Bulgaria. The Schengen Borders Code (Annex I) lists a return or round-trip ticket among the supporting documents that may be used to verify that entry conditions are met.
Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), consolidated text — EUR-Lex✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026
The European Commission's table of reference amounts set by national authorities lists Bulgaria at EUR 50 per person per day, and EUR 500 per stay.
European Commission — Reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026
Non-EU travellers arriving at a Schengen border crossing point for the first time since the EU Entry/Exit System started have a photo of their face taken and/or their fingerprints scanned, and passports are not stamped. The EU says this can be quicker if you register some of your data in advance at self-service equipment or in a mobile app, where available. The UK government's travel advice says there is no cost for EES registration.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — Bulgaria travel advice: entry requirements✓ Checked 7 Oct 2026
ETIAS is the EU's new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries. It is not yet in operation and no applications are being collected; the EU will announce the start date several months before launch.
ETIAS — Official EU website✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026
A natural or legal person who gives shelter to a foreigner must notify the foreigners' administrative control service or the local Interior Ministry office in writing within 3 days, giving the foreigner's names, date of birth, citizenship and identity-document number and series. Hotel operators register a foreign guest in the register under art. 116(1) of the Tourism Act. Failure is fined 100 to 1,000 leva for a natural person, or 500 to 5,000 leva for a legal person.
State Agency for Refugees (aref.government.bg) — Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, consolidated text (PDF)✓ Checked 12 Oct 2026
A foreigner who stays in the country after the permitted period expires is fined 500 to 5,000 leva; for a repeat offence the fine is 1,000 to 10,000 leva. Return is imposed when the foreigner does not leave by the end of the permitted period. A ban on entry to and residence in the EU member states is imposed when no period for voluntary departure is granted or the foreigner fails to comply with the return obligation; it lasts up to 5 years.
State Agency for Refugees (aref.government.bg) — Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, consolidated text (PDF)✓ Checked 12 Oct 2026
The EU says cash of €10,000 or more (or the equivalent) must be declared when entering or leaving the EU.
Your Europe (EU) — travelling with cash✓ Checked 3 Oct 2026
Bulgaria visa requirements statisticsWe track the entry rules of Bulgaria for 198 passports. The most common situation is visa required, which applies to 105 passports (53%). 47% of passports can enter without a visa. The least common is visa-free (93 passports).
Open your passport in the table for the exact rules — maximum stay, fees, how to apply and the official source. Entry rules change at short notice: confirm with the embassy of Bulgaria or its official immigration website before you travel.
Frequently asked questions about Bulgaria visasData: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0) — official sources are linked on each passport page. Gaps filled from the Passport Index dataset (MIT).
Travelling from Bulgaria?
Bulgaria passport holders can visit 118 countries without a visa. Open a country for the exact rules.
Albania
90d
Andorra
∞
Angola
30d
Antigua and Barbuda
180d
Argentina
90d
Armenia
180d
Austria
∞
Bahamas
90d
Barbados
90d
Belarus
30d
Belgium
∞
Belize
∞
Bosnia and Herzegovina
90d
Botswana
90d
Brazil
90d
Brunei
90d
Cape Verde
30d
Chile
90d
China
30d
Colombia
90d
Costa Rica
180d
Croatia
∞
Cyprus
∞
Czechia
∞
Denmark
∞
Dominica
180d
Dominican Republic
∞
Ecuador
90d
El Salvador
180d
Estonia
∞
Fiji
120d
Finland
∞
France
∞
Gambia
90d
Georgia
360d
Germany
∞
Greece
∞
Grenada
90d
Guatemala
90d
Haiti
90d
Honduras
90d
Hong Kong
90d
Hungary
∞
Iceland
∞
Ireland
∞
Israel
90d
Italy
∞
Japan
90d
Kazakhstan
30d
Kiribati
90d
Kosovo
90d
Kyrgyzstan
60d
Latvia
∞
Liechtenstein
∞
Lithuania
∞
Luxembourg
∞
Macau
90d
Malaysia
90d
Malta
∞
Marshall Islands
90d
Mauritius
90d
Mexico
180d
Micronesia
90d
Moldova
90d
Monaco
∞
Mongolia
30d
Montenegro
90d
Morocco
90d
Netherlands
∞
Nicaragua
90d
North Macedonia
90d
Norway
∞
Palau
90d
Palestine
∞
Panama
90d
Paraguay
90d
Peru
90d
Philippines
30d
Poland
∞
Portugal
∞
Romania
∞
Rwanda
30d
Saint Kitts and Nevis
90d
Saint Lucia
90d
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
90d
Samoa
90d
San Marino
∞
Sao Tome and Principe
15d
Senegal
90d
Serbia
90d
Seychelles
90d
Singapore
90d
Slovakia
∞
Slovenia
∞
Solomon Islands
90d
South Korea
90d
Spain
∞
Sweden
∞
Switzerland
∞
Taiwan
90d
Tajikistan
30d
Thailand
60d
Timor-Leste
90d
Tonga
90d
Trinidad and Tobago
90d
Tunisia
60d
Türkiye
90d
Tuvalu
90d
Ukraine
90d
United Arab Emirates
90d
United Kingdom
180d
Uruguay
90d
Uzbekistan
30d
Vanuatu
120d
Vatican City
∞
Venezuela
90d
Vietnam
45d
Zambia
90d
