Bulgarian Visa, Residency and Citizenship Services

І. Short-stay visa for the purpose of transit

When is it issued?

A short-stay visa for the purpose of transit is issued to a foreigner who wishes to transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria en route to another state, for which he/she has a visa, if required. Read more…

When is it issued?

A short-stay visa for the purposes of planned stay is issued to a foreigner who enters the country once, twice or multiple times for a total term of stay up to 90 days within each 6 months as of the date of the first entry. Read more…

When is it issued?

A long-stay visa is issued to a foreigner who wishes to settle for a long term or permanently in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Stay duration

A long-stay visa of up to 6 months and a right to stay of up to 180 days is issued to foreigners who wish to settle for a long term or permanently in the Republic of Bulgaria (under article 15, paragraph 1 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act)

A long-stay visa with a validity term of up to one year and a right to stay up to 360 days may be issued to foreigners who perform science research or are students under tuition programmes for up to one year, post-graduate or trainee students, foreigners sent on assignment by a foreign employer for the performance of specific tasks, related to control and coordination of a tourist services contract as well as foreigners sent on assignment by a foreign employer for implementing investments under the Investment Promotion Act (under article 15, paragraph 2 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act).

Definition

The long-stay visa entitles the holder to multiple entries in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria within its validity term.

The long-stay is cancelled on issuing a permit for stay by the authorities for administrative control of foreigners.

Applications

The application for issuing a long-stay visa is submitted only in the diplomatic and consular missions at the permanent place of residence of the applicant or the missions accredited in the state of the applicant’s permanent residence.

Persons staying legally in a third country, different from the country of their permanent residence, may, as an exception, apply in this third country after explaining the reasons thereof and if their return to the state of permanent residence is guaranteed.

Requirement for an interview with the applicant

No exception shall be made from the requirement for a personal interview when applying for a long-stay visa.

Documents to be presented by the applicant When applying for the issue of a long-stay visa the applicant shall present the following documents:

• Visa application form
• A regular foreign travel document
• Copies of the pages of the foreign travel document with the personal information and the visas laid and/or copies of the permits for stay possessed
• Recent passport-size color photograph
• Original documents and two copies thereof substantiating the application for a longstay visa under the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act its implementation and the Regulation on, and of the financial resources possessed for subsistence and accommodation.

Other requirements In order to obtain long-stay permission the person should have a home, obligatory health insurance, sufficient subsistence means, without resorting to the social assistance system, amounting to at least the minimum monthly wage or the minimum pension according to Bulgarian law for the period of stay.

Initial application On the initial application for permission for stay the persons who are over the age of 18, with the exception of the stateless persons, shall present a previous convictions certificate issued by the state whose citizens are or by the state of their customary residence.