North Korea 
Bulgaria
North Korea passport holders need a visa for Bulgaria, issued by an embassy or consulate before travel.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 listing visa-required and visa-exempt nationalities, consolidated text — EUR-Lex · checked 3 Oct 2026
Bulgaria visa options for North Korea citizensBulgaria'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.
North Korea citizens need a visa issued in advance by an embassy or consulate of Bulgaria. Start the application several weeks before departure: you will typically need a passport valid for six months with blank pages, a completed application form, passport photos, a travel itinerary, proof of accommodation and of sufficient funds, and sometimes an invitation letter or bank statements.
The main option is the Schengen Short-Stay Visa, which costs 90 EUR with a processing time of —.
Whatever your visa status, Bulgaria applies the same entry conditions to every traveller:
Bulgaria lets 93 passports in without a visa and requires an embassy visa from 105. North Korea citizens are treated the same way as Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Cambodia. Overall the North Korea passport ranks #195 in the world with 9 visa-free destinations.
In the other direction, Bulgaria citizens need a visa to visit North Korea.
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
Data: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0). Entry rules can change — confirm with official sources before travel.
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