Since Bulgaria has become a Schengen Zone member, it has started to issue Schengen Visas in 9 countries. The country got Schengen Zone member status on 31 March. With time, more and more foreign representatives of the countries will start issuing Schengen visas.
Bulgaria has also introduced some new regulations for its previous visa holders. This means the previous visa holder of the country must make sure that they can still use the visa issued by the country before 31 March to travel only to Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania. This visa will not be treated as a Schengen visa, however. The travelers will have to apply for the Schengen visa separately to travel to other member states.
Where is Bulgaria issuing Schengen visas?
To facilitate visa applicants, for better and faster visa service, the Bulgarian consular services have started accepting visa applications in stages through outsourced visa centers organized by the specialized visa service company VFS Global. Bulgaria is currently issuing Schengen visas in the following 9 countries and their 60 outsourced visa centers:
| China | Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Xi’an |
| India | New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune |
| Turkiye | Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Edirne, Gaziantep, Izmir |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur |
| Indonesia | Jakarta, Bali |
| United Kingdom | London, Edinburgh, Manchester |
| Kazakhstan | Nur-Sultan, Almaty |
| Singapore | Singapore |
| Russia | Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novorossiysk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saratov, Ufa, Vladivostok, Voronezh |
Bulgaria and the Schengen Visa
Since January 1, 2007, the Republic of Bulgaria has applied the Common Visa Policy of the European Union under the terms of the Act of Accession.
Under Decision (EC) 2024/210 of the Council of 30 December 2023 on the full implementation of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania, as of 31 March 2024, the Republic of Bulgaria is part of the Schengen Area, as checks on persons at internal air and sea borders are initially abolished.
The short-term stay (90 days within every 180 days) within the Schengen area begins to be counted from the moment of entry into the Schengen territory, including for the Republic of Bulgaria.
Short-term residence visas issued by the Republic of Bulgaria before March 31, 2024
National short-stay visas issued by the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania before 31 March 2024 remain valid for their period of validity. However, holders of these national short-stay visas will only be able to travel to the Republic of Bulgaria, Romania, and also to Cyprus, but not to other Schengen member states.
Holders of a national short-stay visa issued by the Republic of Bulgaria or Romania who wish to travel to other Schengen member states will need to apply for a Schengen visa.
Visa-free regime for holders of valid visas and residence permits issued by Romania
Short-term national visas, long-term national visas, and residence permits issued by the authorities of Romania before March 31, 2024, are recognized, until the expiry of their validity period, as equivalent to Bulgarian national transit and planned stay visas.
Long-term residence visas and residence permits issued by the Republic of Bulgaria
Residence permits and long-term residence visas issued by the Republic of Bulgaria will continue to be valid after March 31, 2024, and during their period of validity, as specified in Art. 2 of Council Decision (EU) 2024/210.
Holders of long-term residence visas issued by the Republic of Bulgaria still valid after 31 March 2024 will be able to travel freely within the Schengen area by Schengen rules (no more than 90 days within any 180 days) after 31 March 2024, regardless of internal land border controls.
Holders of residence permits issued by the Republic of Bulgaria in the uniform format or any other residence permits for which the Republic of Bulgaria has notified the European Commission that they are still valid after 31 March 2024, will be entitled to a visa-free short-term stay in the other Schengen countries in accordance with the Schengen rules (not more than 90 days within any 180-day period) after 31 March 2024 and within the period of validity of these permits, regardless of internal land border controls.