Bulgaria without a visa. Bulgaria: to the former national health resort now only according to Schengen

The day came when I also decided get a visa to Bulgaria... In this article, I will talk about the advantages of obtaining a Bulgarian visa, the procedure for applying for and whether it is worth getting a visa to Bulgaria at all, or is it better to apply for a Schengen visa.

The day came when I decided to go to Bulgaria. And at that moment I had a question that probably torments everyone who is going to Bulgaria who does not yet have a visa: which visa to apply for, which will be more profitable and easier. Apply for a Bulgarian visa or get a Schengen visa?

What kind of visa to make depends primarily on where you live. This is understandable: it will be much easier and more often to travel, that visa should be done.

My "Schengen" experience

Before that, I had 4 Schengen visas: 3 Finnish and 1 Lithuanian. I will say right away that I have a residence permit for St. Petersburg, and for residents of the North-West region, getting the Finnish Schengen is as easy as shelling pears. Convenient visa centers, a simple application form and almost everyone is immediately given a multi-visa for a year. For 55 euros - a great offer (35 euros duty and 20 euros visa fee). But there is one BUT: you have to go to Finland. While you are living in St. Petersburg, this is not a troublesome business: you can go by car in Finland for the weekend, you can go to Helsinki on the Allegro high-speed train (travel time - 3 hours 36 minutes), or take a shop tour by minibus to Finland almost not for 600 rubles (the average price is 800-1000 rubles).

It's all great, super comfortable, but as long as you live in St. Petersburg. When I moved to Moscow, everything changed. It became difficult to travel from Moscow to Finland. On weekdays - work, on weekends to go to St. Petersburg, and from there to Finland - long and tiring. In general, I messed up with the Finnish Schengen and did not skate it properly. There were many in other countries, but few in Finland. And the Finns, and many Schengen countries issuing visas have a rule - you need to be 1 day more in the country that issued this Schengen to you. Otherwise, next time they will give a one-time visa. Its disadvantages are obvious: a visa is for 1 time, and you pay the same as for an annual multi.

After I moved to Moscow, everything changed dramatically. Muscovites do Schengens a lot and often. Of course, it's easier to give a visa for 1 trip or for half a year, so that a Muscovite will come again and again to apply for a visa and pay money. The most popular visas for Muscovites are Spain, Italy, Greece. Moreover, the conditions everywhere are not great, well, compared to visas in Finland, for example.

When I moved to Moscow, I came to one agency in St. Petersburg, and the girl advised me to do Lithuanian visa... She was right - she was given a multi visa at once for a year, Russia does not have direct borders with Lithuania, so it is easier to roll it back. Lithuanians will not know whether you have been with them or not if you cross the border by car. In theory, if you cross the Estonian or Latvian border, then you are heading to Lithuania. In general, it was a good visa, BUT: relations between Russia and Lithuania have deteriorated due to the sanctions and they are now giving a one-time visa for the first time. Therefore, I also did not consider the Lithuanian Schengen.

If you consider every visa that is received in Moscow, they are certainly not ice. And if you have something to compare with, then you understand that Muscovites are being punished specifically. And when you remember that now you also have to submit your prints, and you still have to go to the consulate ... And it works as it is convenient for him, and not as for people. The only exception is the visa center, they more or less systematized this process for 20 euros.

Greece and Greek Schengen

They promise almost 3 years of multi-Schengen, but in the end: visas are given for a trip, less often for six months, even less often for a multi-year trip. Multi is given on condition of previously received visas to Greece. At the same time, you must have on hand air tickets (at least 7000 rubles), hotel reservations (let at least 1000 rubles) or a ticket (at least 15000 rubles) and (250 rubles for each day of travel). For some reason, a copy of the internal passport and proof of work are required. Plus, of course, the duty and service charge - 55 euros.

Spain and Spanish Schengen

Never give multi at once for a year. To receive Spanish Schengen it is necessary, like the dog Hachiko, to travel and travel to their country. First, on a visa for a trip, then for six months, then for an annual one, and then they can give it for 2 years. At the same time, I note that tickets to Spain cost from 15,000 rubles, and a ticket from 30,000 rubles. And they also require an account statement, a certificate of employment, other passports: valid and canceled, a copy of all pages of two passports. also nobody canceled. The cost of duty and service fee is the same.

Italy and Italian Schengen

Same. They may not be given at all for only 2 years. But for Muscovites, this is a good option, because they always give at least a multi for six months. For a trip - it is extremely rare, if you specifically mess with the documents. For example, you can provide an account statement without a blue stamp (don't do this!). Just ride and ride to them and pay money. The cost of duty and service fee is the same. required. And a certificate from the place of work and financial guarantees are also required. Registration at the consulate in 3 months, otherwise - only through the visa center.

After a visa to Bulgaria, I still made the Italian Schengen with the hope that then they will give it for 2 years. For the first time they gave a multi for 6 months.

Visa to Bulgaria

In general, I thought and thought and decided to make a Bulgarian visa. A small preface - I have an absolutely clean passport, there is no confirmation of past visas and will not be (). Whatever they say that there is a single base for all Schengen countries, in fact, experience shows that they do not see anything, no visas. Well, except that they have a list of those who cannot be allowed anywhere.

I decided to get a visa to Bulgaria, and now I will tell you why. If you make a visa through the embassy, then you need tickets, confirmations, invitations of all kinds, etc. You can read this on the website of the Bulgaria Visa Application Center. But there are also firms that make these visas without any armor there. I don't know what their agreements are, but they require a minimum set of documents and a small commission. In general, I phoned many companies and still chose one.

Advantages of obtaining a visa to Bulgaria

You can issue it without tickets, without vouchers, and they didn't even ask me;
Due to the fact that no preliminary reservations are needed, there is a chance to buy a last minute ticket and go to Bulgaria with it, saving money;
No fingerprints and other crap;
A simple questionnaire in Russian;
Cost: still cheaper than the Schengen - 2695 rubles when filing directly at the consulate. There is also information about service fees for services at the visa center. But I didn’t use it, I don’t know. I arranged through an agency - 3300 rubles and a week of time.

Cons of obtaining a visa to Bulgaria

You can only visit Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Cyprus. Still not a full-fledged Schengen;
The first visa is given for 1-2 trips for a period of six months, 30 or 90 days of stay.

I immediately chose the agency, because v work time there is no way to go to the consulate. I phoned many different agencies, not all of them offer a visa to Bulgaria without tickets and a issued voucher. The prices also shocked me a little: they even asked for 5800 for a Bulgarian visa. As a result, I applied for 3300 rubles through some agency, where I was actively offered to buy tickets from them or issue them. Plus a photo - 250 rubles. I filled out the questionnaire at home, since there are a lot of forms on the Internet. In general, no problems, once I came and gave the documents, the second time I came and took them. By the way, I myself asked about a double-entry visa in this agency, and also asked about a multi. The girl said that they would not give multi, and I asked for a double. Now I'm sorry, I should have asked for more.

With a special visa regime along with Romania, Croatia and Cyprus, Bulgaria remains one of the most popular travel destinations for Russians. Nevertheless, a visa to Bulgaria is a topic on which the number of questions does not diminish from year to year. And people can be understood: a number of visa requirements for Bulgarians differ from those of their Schengen neighbors. Team of the project "Aida follow us!" did a lot of analytical work and made a very detailed guide to obtaining a visa to Bulgaria. Perhaps this is the most full instructions on the Russian-speaking Internet.

First, a few words about why we believe that we have the right, from an expert point of view, to talk about a visa to Bulgaria. First, we recently experienced the peculiarities of visa regime in the Balkans when they traveled to Bulgaria and Romania. Secondly, we re-read tons of information about this on the Internet, including on Vinsky's forum. Thirdly, we managed to get insider information from those who have been living in Bulgaria for a long time with Russian passports.

Varna airport through the eyes of the guys from the site

Let's start with the fact that there are two types of visas to Bulgaria: short-term (type "C") and long-term (type "D"). The first is the most common. It is requested by tourists, property owners and their guests, athletes, participants in cultural exchanges and some other categories of citizens who are going to Bulgaria for a short time (a "no-go" stay in the country on such a visa is allowed up to three months in a row). The second type of Bulgarian visas - "D" - is intended for those who have big plans for Bulgaria and who are going to live there for more than three months in a row and / or indefinitely. Possible reasons are studying or trying to live in Bulgaria (for example, if you are a freelancer or a wealthy pensioner).

For a long time urgent visa is issued by the applicant independently through the Consulates General in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg or the Embassy in Moscow, and a short-term one can be done through a visa center or a travel agency, sometimes even without personal presence.

Receive or not

Contrary to general expectations (and especially the expectations of Bulgarians), at the time of this writing, Bulgaria has not become a full member of the Schengen zone, and attempts to join the "club" have been going on for more than five years. This means that, having received a Bulgarian visa (we are talking about a short-term visa), you will not be able to travel on it, for example, to France, Italy or any other Schengen country. You can only enter Croatia, Romania and Cyprus, and only if you are lucky enough to get at least a double visa from the Bulgarians (most often they give a single visa - you can cross the Bulgarian border only once). And this is not a problem if you travel rarely and mainly go to resorts.

And for those for whom travel has already become a lifestyle, the need to obtain a Bulgarian visa can cause an irritable laugh. The arithmetic is simple: getting any Schengen visa costs about the same as a permit to enter Bulgaria, and a Schengen visa provides much more opportunities! If this story is about you, we recommend that you consider getting a Schengen visa to France, Spain, Greece or Italy instead of a Bulgarian visa - get the right to travel throughout Europe, including Bulgaria.

How and where to get a visa to Bulgaria

If personally for you to get a Bulgarian visa and not enter the Schengen area seems to be a simpler and more expedient matter, we are ready to offer you a complete step by step instructions... Let's start with the fact that first we will determine the place, then - with the method.

You can get a short-term visa to Bulgaria in Russia at visa centers in the following cities:

Long-term visa "D" is issued exclusively at the embassy and consulates of Bulgaria in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

Filling out the questionnaire

The first stage of obtaining a Bulgarian visa is filling out a questionnaire form (it is also a visa application, which is sometimes also called a questionnaire). This is easy to do: just fill it out according to our instructions.

Collecting documents

After the application form is filled out, you need to collect the documents in accordance with the list on the website of the VFS Global Visa Application Center. We took it upon ourselves to revise this list and make it more detailed, as well as provide our comments on its most controversial points.

Buying insurance

The next step is buying insurance. It can be either one policy for several people, or a separate document for each applicant. If you buy a group policy, you need each tourist to be entered into the insurance by name.

There are two ways to buy insurance. The first is to contact insurance agents, of whom there are always an abundance of them at the entrance to any visa center. The second way is for those who would like to save time and money. It consists in buying an insurance policy over the Internet, where you can choose a set of options, the amount of insurance coverage, as well as an insurance and assistance company. There are quite a few services that allow you to do this. Through numerous trials and errors, we have chosen the best for ourselves in terms of convenience and price, now we are sharing with you. It takes two minutes to issue a policy; to purchase you need a card and data from a foreigner. After payment, you can simply print the policy on a printer, and it will be valid. And in case of any problems, responsive technical support staff will not leave you in trouble.

Travel insurance is best done here ↓

Submission of documents

Documents for a short-term visa to Bulgaria type "C" are submitted to the visa center without an appointment. Just come to the EC according to the schedule for receiving documents and on the same day everyone will be accepted from you. Allow about 30 minutes to visit the Visa Application Center, and 40-45 minutes during the morning rush hour. Everything will most likely be faster, but there may be an unexpected influx of applicants. Keep in mind that accompanying persons are not allowed to enter the visa center, except for cases when the application is submitted by a person with disabilities - one accompanying person can go with him. Consular and service fees are paid on the spot in cash or by card in rubles at the current euro exchange rate.

Visa cost

V general case for citizens of the Russian Federation, the rates are as follows: 35 euros consular fee(goes to the treasury of Bulgaria) and 19 - service (for the services of the visa center). Total 54. The same tariff for citizens of Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. If you need an urgent visa, the consular fee is doubled (up to € 70), the service fee does not change. That is, an urgent visa to Bulgaria costs € 89 per person. Moreover, urgency is applicable only if the applicant is a citizen of Russia. Citizens of other countries are waiting in the general order.

Now about how much a visa to Bulgaria costs for citizens of other countries (except for those that we have already named). The service fee for them remains the same (€ 19), but the consular fee rises to € 60. An urgent visa for this category of applicants is also not issued. In the event of a visa refusal, no fees are refundable, regardless of the applicant's nationality. For convenience, we have presented the price list in the form of a table:

A small clarification: citizens of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Macedonia and Ukraine, who have biometric foreign passports, can enter and stay in Bulgaria without a visa, but with the preservation of the limit on the number of days (no more than 90 consecutive days in for six months). If instead of a biometric passport you only have an ordinary one, you will have to apply for a visa to enter the territory of Bulgaria.

There are also those who can get a visa to Bulgaria absolutely free: these are children under 6 years old and people with disabilities of any group.

The rest of the categories of beneficiaries are exempt from paying the visa fee (€ 35 or € 60, depending on citizenship), but must pay for the services of the Bulgarian visa center (€ 19). If you find yourself on the list, you can significantly save on a visa:

family members of citizens of Bulgaria or the European Union (husband / wife; children under 21 years old who are not tied by marriage (and up to 26 years old if they study full-time at a university) and / or parents of such children - citizens of Bulgaria / EU);
close relatives of those Russians who, without citizenship, legally reside in Bulgaria on long-term visa"D" (or have a residence permit);
holders of service passports (Official Passport - for those with diplomatic immunity);
members of official delegations;
officials and politicians from governments and parliaments of other countries, as well as members of constitutional and higher courts;
students and schoolchildren, as well as those who accompany them (accompanied person), if the trip is related to educational purposes;
disabled people and their accompanying persons (disabled people with any group receive a visa to Bulgaria free of charge, but if the accompanying person applies for a free visa, several conditions must be met);

People with disabilities, with a certificate of disability from VTEK, do not pay the service and visa fees and receive a visa to Bulgaria absolutely free. In some cases, one accompanying person who has reached the age of 18 can receive a visa completely free of charge:

Accompanying disabled person of the 1st group
if the accompanying person is a disabled child
accompanying a disabled person of 2 or 3 groups with a medical certificate of the need for accompaniment

Also, if there is a certificate of disability from VTEK, you can request and receive a multiple tourist visa to Bulgaria for a period of up to one year, regardless of the visa history and the applicant's previous Bulgarian visas. Please note that the loophole only works for "tourism" or "leisure" travel purposes.

persons planning to travel for humanitarian purposes: emergency treatment, funeral of a close relative, etc .;
the participants official programs exchange between sister cities (now in Bulgaria and Russia almost 100 cities are friends with each other, including Varna and Novosibirsk, Pavlikeni and Starodub, Avren and Gus-Khrustalny, Kalofer and Koktebel and many others);
children from sports youth events and their accompanying persons;
participants in scientific and creative activities, as well as researchers whose purpose of travel to Bulgaria is scientific research.

Important note: those who apply for a free visa to Bulgaria for sports, cultural, scientific and educational reasons must submit to the visa center the supporting documents issued by the Bulgarian government bodies(Ministries of Sports, Culture, Education, etc.). Usually, for Russian applicants, these papers are made in Bulgaria and then sent by mail to Russia to the applicant's address for subsequent submission to the visa center. For reliability in such situations, we recommend using the DHL postal service - it works better than the national mail of almost any country.

Completion date

The term for obtaining a visa to Bulgaria in Moscow is four working days. An urgent one is done in two. In the regions, the situation is a little more complicated due to the time it takes to send documents to / from Moscow, St. Petersburg or Yekaterinburg. At the forum Vinsky recently wrote that they are waiting in Rostov-on-Don for eight days. But in the country as a whole, in any visa center, the waiting time for a visa to Bulgaria is hypothetically not to exceed 10 days. “Hypothetically” means that there is still a peak season (from about June to August and under New Year), when, due to the increased number of people wishing to obtain a visa, the period of its registration can take up to a month.

Bulgaria is not only about beaches, but also downhill skiing. Pictured is the winter resort of Bansko

By the way, registration may be delayed for a month even out of season if the consulate doubts the purpose of your visit or the authenticity of the documents, and deems it necessary to conduct an "internal investigation" by sending requests to the place of issue of documents and calling you for an interview.

In any case, the earlier you apply for a visa to Bulgaria, the more chances that everything will go smoothly. You can apply as much as 90 days before the planned trip, use this opportunity!

Documents receiving

A finished envelope from the consulate with a passport and a glued-in visa is issued at the visa center personally to the applicant or his close relatives on the basis of a marriage or birth certificate. If you issue a notarized power of attorney, any person for whom it is issued can receive documents. Just come on the appointed day, show your ID and you will be given an envelope from the embassy.

If instead of a visa to Bulgaria received a refusal, you can apply again the next day. The refusal can look like a stamp in the passport with a reason code, or it can be attached as a separate sheet in the form of an information letter. There is nothing wrong with that, albeit unpleasant.

Although rejections are rather an exception, and quite rare. If you have not been caught breaking the law in Europe (including traffic rules) and have not violated the terms of stay on a visa, you will not be rejected. Moreover, he does not threaten those who apply for a visa for the first time and submit a full set of documents.

If you have received a visa, at this stage you can breathe out and get ready for the trip!

Frequently Asked Questions

If you went to Bulgaria on a Schengen visa, are the days spent in this country counted as days spent on the Schengen?

No, they are not taken into account. Bulgaria is not part of the Schengen area. At the same time, it allows visa-free entry to their territory to holders of Schengen visas. If you, for example, arrive in Bulgaria from Italy, at passport control at the airport of departure you leave the Schengen area and the countdown of the days stops. But do not forget that Bulgaria has its own calculator here: although the country is not included in the Schengen area, Russians cannot stay on its territory for more than 90 days in six months on a Schengen visa.

If a valid Bulgarian visa remains in the canceled foreign country, has it lost its validity?

No, I have not. You can take with you on a trip old passport with a pasted-in visa. Thus, you will cross the border with a new passport, and permission for this crossing ( valid visa) present in the old one.

I heard that tourists are only given single entry visas (for one entry). I would like to visit Istanbul while I am in Bulgaria. How to be?

When you apply for a Bulgarian visa, attach to the package your hotel reservation in Istanbul for the dates within your travel in Bulgaria. In this case, you will be given a visa for two entries with a 99% probability. But, of course, no one will give an absolute guarantee.

I would like to get a visa to Bulgaria as a tourist, but I do not know the exact dates of the trip and did not book accommodation. In such a situation, what would you advise?

The official position of the consulate is as follows: you give them the exact travel plan, and only after that they can consider the application. There is a way to get around this obstacle. We cannot advise you something, but we can tell you how some tourists get out of the situation. A person comes to a travel agency (any) and says that he would like to get a visa to Bulgaria. He is offered an option: to make a false tour (in fact, a fake tourist voucher) and submit documents for it to the visa center as a tourist. According to these documents, the consulate calmly issues a visa, and the travel agency receives a small percentage from the client for "mediation". It is important to understand two things here: firstly, large travel agencies are unlikely to make money on false tours, and secondly, even if you know for sure that some travel agency is engaged in this, you do not need to call them and ask them in plain text: “ Excuse me, can you order a fake tour to Bulgaria for a visa? " It is better to come in person and resolve the issue on the spot.

Buying a convenient air ticket for the required dates is a trivial task with an unlimited budget. However, if the bank card is not bottomless, and you really want to see the new shores, you have to be smart. The list of aggregators where you should look for tickets in the first place,.

How realistic is it for a mere mortal to get a multiple-entry visa to Bulgaria (multivisa)?

It's almost unrealistic. The cartoon is given only to owners of real estate, founders of companies in Bulgaria, disabled people for the purpose of a "tourism" trip, as well as to those who have already been given a Bulgarian visa and if this person traveled to Bulgaria on it for Last year... The rest are given a single entry by default, less often - a double entry (if you confirm the need). In particular severe cases When you went to submit documents to the visa center, and you have not booked accommodation for an excursion in Turkey or Romania yet, you can try to tell the VC employee that you will bring your reservation when you come for ready documents. The specialist will make a note and maybe you will receive a double-entry visa. In any case, there were such stories. But the method is very "frostbitten", use it only if it really didn't work out differently, and you are ready to risk not getting permission for a double entry.

What are the Pokana Declaration and the Declaration for the Subsleaf?

These documents apply to those who apply for a visa to Bulgaria by invitation. The Pokana Declaration is a document issued by the Bulgarian police and confirming the intention of the resident to invite a foreigner to visit. It takes a long time (up to a month). And the declaration for the sub-elephant is a form of invitation from the owner of the real estate, which is made by the notary in 20 minutes and costs 18 leva, which is much faster than the pokana-declaration.

Is it obligatory to pay for the hotel reservation in order to obtain a visa? There is conflicting information everywhere. Found an option on Booking.com that I liked, but they don't take prepayment. What to do?

This question is one where the official position of the consulate is at odds with practice. Formally, the hotel must be fully paid, but in fact, unpaid reservations are also accepted for consideration. We have not heard of anyone being denied a visa because of this. By the way, Booking.com is not always the best option. We recommend using aggregators to compare prices.

Is it possible to enter Bulgaria with one visa and leave with another? One Schengen comes to an end in the middle of the trip, and the second is received "end-to-end": action new visa starts the next day after the expiration of the old one.

No, such a story will not work with Bulgaria. In any Schengen country you can do it, in Bulgaria you cannot. Rather, they can't let you go home, but when you leave you will have to pay a fine of 500 leva (at the time of this writing, it is a little less than 20,000 rubles). Resourceful travelers may have already come up with a life hack: we buy the cheapest return tickets from Sofia anywhere (on the last day of the old visa), go to the airport and pass the border control in advance, find ourselves in a sterile (transit) zone, where we hand over tickets via the Internet, wait for midnight and we go back to the city through the border control with a new visa. Have you come up with it? Think back. There are no night flights at Sofia airport and border guards fold their posts at night. It will not work to stay in the transit zone overnight. The only legal life hack here can be an overnight trip to neighboring visa-free Turkey, you can literally for a couple of hours (just cross the border in both directions).

In my city there is no visa center for Bulgaria, and for a visa it is cheaper for me to fly to Turkey and live for us for a few days than to get to Moscow. Can a Russian get a Bulgarian visa in Istanbul?

Yes, you can, and on the same grounds as in Russia. You need to go to the "Consulate General in the Republic of Bulgaria, Istanbul". The requirements for the documents are the same, but the processing time may be shorter. After obtaining a visa, you can conveniently and very inexpensively get from Istanbul to Burgas by buses of the "Metro" or "Nishikli" carriers.

The landlord mailed me the Declaration for the Subsleaf. Can I somehow track her status?

Yes, you can. On the site bgpost.bg you can track the shipment by track number. But it is better to use the international postal service DHL, it is more reliable.

How much money must be in the bank account in order to get a visa to Bulgaria for sure?

In general, you need at least € 50 per person for each day of travel, but no less than € 500. If you have prepaid housing, the consul may find a lower amount acceptable.

Will the visa application center know that I no longer have funds in my bank account if I have withdrawn all the money after receiving the statement?

No, he won't. The state of your account is a bank secret, to which neither the visa center nor the consulate of Bulgaria can be accessed. After receiving the statement, you can safely withdraw every penny from the account, if necessary. There will be no refusal of a visa for this reason.

What is the best way to get health insurance, so that it is quick, convenient, not overpaying and that it is exactly suitable for a visa to Bulgaria?

The best way to get health insurance is online. There are several trusted services out there. The bottom line is this: you go to the aggregator's website, choose a policy for yourself by price, validity period and countries, then pay for the purchase and you will receive a policy by e-mail that you just need to print. There is currently one service that, among other things, allows you to add any options to your insurance. For example, help with sunburn, emergency dentistry and treatment for many other diseases, including accidents during outdoor activities. The same service will help insure your liability in case of damage to third parties, as well as pay compensation in case of loss of documents abroad. Moreover, this agent even provides additional information support to its clients in resolving issues with insurance companies, so you automatically find yourself in a better position than if you bought the policy directly from the insurance company or from an agent in a minibus at a visa center. At the same time, the price of the policy does not increase, and you get much more peace of mind for the same money. It would certainly be a crime not to recommend these nice guys. You can get the correct insurance by clicking the button below.

Conclusion

Perhaps that's all. However complete this instruction is, you should understand that information regarding visa issues tends to become outdated. If you have any doubts about a particular case, refer to the website of the VFS Global Bulgaria Visa Application Center. Well, read thematic forums, of course. The same forum of Vinsky. And remember that The best way learning how to get a visa to Bulgaria is to fill your own bumps and gain invaluable travel experience. And we did our best to help you with this 🙂
Topic navigator for a Bulgarian visa:

To enter the territory of Bulgaria for Russians you need to apply for a Bulgarian visa... If you, most likely, a tour operator will do it. If you plan to save money and - this article will help you.

Do Russians need a visa to Bulgaria?

Yes, Bulgaria needs a visa, but getting it is much easier than Schengen. There are quite a few options for a Bulgarian visa and they are all described on the official website of the Bulgarian Embassy. But the information there is a little confusing and not entirely clear.

In this article, we will describe the receipt visas for tourists and property owners, we will point out the main nuances and tell you a couple of life hacks that allow you to save money or speed up the process of obtaining a Bulgarian visa.

What about visas to other countries?

To Bulgaria you can enter upon availability open visa Cyprus, Romania, Croatia or Schengen for no more than 90 days out of 180 maximum.

An open Bulgarian visa gives opportunity to go to Cyprus or Romania.

You can get to Croatia only with an open double or multiple entry Bulgarian visa.

Citizens of Moldova with biometric passports can travel to Bulgaria without visas for up to 90 days.

Terms of obtaining a Bulgarian visa for Russians

Bulgarian visa is issued for 4 working days... The day of submission of documents is not taken into account. You should not expect that you will be issued a visa earlier. Even if the consulate is not loaded, they will still issue it on the last day.

There is an option with urgent visa, which costs 2 times more, but is issued in 1-2 days (you can pick it up right the next day). There is one more disadvantage - such a visa can only be single entry.

How much does a Bulgarian visa cost?

A Bulgarian visa for Russians costs about 60 Euro (depending on the course). The exact price is possible.

Who doesn't pay for a visa?

For a fairly wide range of individuals, the visa fee has been canceled. This allows you to get a visa for only 1/3 of its price. We have selected only the most popular categories of the population:

Family members citizens of Bulgaria and the European Union: only spouses, children under 21 years old (not married) and up to 26 years old if they are studying at the full-time university (a certificate from the university is needed) and parents of Bulgarian and EU citizens (only up to 21 years old or up to 26 for students at the university).
Relatives of Russians, legally living in Bulgaria: spouses, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren.
Children under six years of age- do not pay anything at all (visa is issued free of charge).
Students, schoolchildren and their accompanying persons - only if they are going to study.
Participating in exchange programs between universities or sister cities, sports events. Their accompanying persons can also obtain a Bulgarian visa free of charge.
Disabled persons and accompanying persons their faces also get a visa completely free(accompanying a disabled person of the 1st group, a disabled child or disabled people of the 2nd and 3rd groups, if there is a certificate of the need for accompaniment). Unfortunately, disabled person- the official wording of the consulate of Bulgaria. At the same time, people with disabilities are treated very warmly in the country. We personally saw how festivals were organized especially for them and how they bought electric strollers in.

Retirees from paying the visa fee are not exempt.

What documents are needed to obtain a visa?

Depending on the purpose of your trip, you must submit different documents... This page describes all types of Bulgarian visas.

Let's see what documents are needed to obtain tourist visa in Bulgaria (it is better to lay out in this order - get a visa a little faster):

international passport- until the end of the line of its validity at the time of departure from Bulgaria must remain at least 3 months (91 days).
Completed visa application form with a pasted photo and your signature. You can download the tourist profile. Other . Please note that the questionnaire printed on both sides and must look exactly the same as in the file you downloaded. See all the rules for filling out the questionnaires.

Photocopier of the first page Your passport.
Proof of Residence- after booking a hotel, they will come to you automatically.
Insurance- with a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000. We advise.
Tickets- after buying Air or Railway tickets, they will come automatically if you plan drive your car, you must provide a copy of the car registration certificate, a copier of a driver's license and a green card, the planned route in free form (enough brief description roads).
Help from the place of work(on letterhead) with a stamp, address, work phone number, your position and salary (salary). Retirees provide a photocopier of a pension certificate; SP- copies of the IP registration certificate and TIN certificate;
Availability of money- you need a document confirming that you have at least 50 Euro per day per person. If you are traveling for less than 10 days, you need at least 500 Euro. Accept currency purchase certificates, bank statements, traveler's checks, etc.
For minors- you must add a copy of the birth certificate and permission from the parents, certified by a notary. Children under 6 years old can get a Bulgarian visa free of charge. All documents that are needed for the departure of children.
Copy of the previous Bulgarian visa- if you want to get a multiple-entry visa (so that you can travel to Bulgaria more often).
Consent to the processing of personal data- you need to take a form for your city. ...
Any further add up additional documents if you need them (for example, documents confirming the right to receive a free visa).

An up-to-date list of documents for different types of Bulgarian visas

Life hacks and interesting bonuses when obtaining a visa

If you are not traveling to Bulgaria for the first time, you can get a multiple-entry visa for lines from 180 days to 2 years without any problems and additional payments.
Persons with disabilities can obtain a multiple entry Bulgarian visa for up to 1 year free of charge. But only for tourist purposes.
Documents for a Bulgarian visa can be submitted in any city. You do not need to be tied to the place of your registration.
The Visa Application Center offers additional services (courier, SMS notification, photo booth, filling out questionnaires, etc.)
You can track your visa status online.
You can ask the Consulate a question you are interested in by mail or phone. Contacts in your city.
To avoid accidentally scheduling paperwork for a holiday, check the table.

How to get a visa to Bulgaria with home delivery?

If you wish, you do not have to bother with the embassy, but use one of the services for obtaining a visa with home delivery. Personally, we can recommend using the services of the company - you can form required list documents online, the courier will pick them up, take them to the embassy, and then return the finished visa to you. It goes without saying that such a service costs additional money, but it saves a lot of time.

Bulgaria is the ideal destination for any kind of holiday. In this country, you can find the most ancient sights, improve your health and relax in the most beautiful seaside resorts. But before the trip, you should find out if you need a visa to Bulgaria.

Entry to Bulgaria

Addresses and contacts of visa issuing centers in large cities:

Moscow- Suschevsky Val, 31, building 2 (within walking distance from the Maryina Roshcha or Savelovskaya metro stations);
St. Petersburg- Chkalovsky prospect, 7 (metro "Chkalovskaya", landmark - TC Chkalovsky, 2nd floor);
Ekaterinburg- st. Kuibysheva, 44 (landmark 2nd floor of the Panorama business hotel);
Krasnodar- st. Komsomolskaya, 6;
Nizhny Novgorod- st. Osharskaya, 16;
Samara- st. Sadovaya, 263.

Acceptance of documents takes place from 9 am to 4 pm, and their delivery is from 10 am to 4 pm. Usually, the time of reception is appointed by the employees of the visa center.

It is important to remember that preliminary submission of documents (online via the Internet) to visa centers not provided and all of them are provided directly in person. To start the process, you need to collect the established package of documents, make an appointment at the visa center, pay the consular fee, and then submit the documents to the appropriate window and get a ready-made entry permit.

If a D visa is required, then you will need pre-entry to the embassy or consulate of Bulgaria. This category of visa is not issued in visa centers. But on the website of the embassy there is a useful button "checking the readiness of visa D", by clicking on which, you will find out the status of the registration.

Required documents

Depending on what kind of visa is required to travel to Bulgaria, tourists must have a full set of documents with them. For every traveler who wants to get to this country, not excluding children, it is necessary to collect the following standard package:

Filled out and carefully checked new form "Application form" certified by the signature of the applicant;
The photo meeting the requirements for a Schengen visa;
International passport, the validity of which must be at least 90 days;
Acting internal passport with copies of all completed pages;
Medical insurance policy calculated for the insurance amount of 30,000 euros;
Tickets with the exact dates of the trip or a printout of the booking of railway, air, buses;
Help from the place of work, which indicates the position, length of service and salary;
Help from pension fund about the amount of pension for 3 months (for pensioners).

Ancient buildings of Sofia, religious shrines of Burgas, architectural monuments of Plovdiv - these and other sights of Bulgaria c.

The necessary documents are added to the list of these documents. different types visas. So, for example, for a tourist visa, you will need to attach hotel reservation printed by a printer or fax. The form must contain information such as payment, surname, name and patronymic of the applicant, hotel details. You will also definitely need a tourist voucher - the most important document, confirming the ability to support themselves throughout the trip around the country.

For the following types of visas, additional documents will also be required:

Unorganized tourists- hotel reservation and traveller's check (or account statement);
By private invitation- invitation and traveller's check (account statement);
Business visa- invitation from the company and sponsorship letter;
Transit visa- hotel reservation and tickets to a third country.

In order to obtain a category D immigrant visa, tourists will need to have documents confirming validity stay in the country during such long term.

Requirements for photo and filing of documents

Easy enough to apply on one's own following the correct design algorithm. To do this, you need to go to the embassy's portal and find the item "questionnaire to fill out" on it, there you will also find a sample.

In the questionnaire, you should carefully enter all your data in printed form or by hand, having previously printed the document.

Requirements for the questionnaire the following:

Full name is filled in exclusively in capital Latin letters;
Dates are entered in numbers in the format DD.MM.YYYY;
Floor specified in the format: female - F, male - M;
Passport data are prescribed without number and spaces;
Voucher Number written as numbers and dots;
Tour operator, hotel and resort names fit in Russian letters.

If you approach the paperwork with all responsibility, then there should be no problems when applying for a visa.

It is especially important to approach with full responsibility to photographs... To avoid mistakes, they can be made at the visa center or directly on the spot. The questionnaire requires a color format 35 * 45 mm without white corners. There should be no glasses or strands of hair on the face, and it is also important that the photo is up-to-date - consistent with the real appearance.

Design features for a child

Regardless of age, children will also need to obtain a visa to enter Bulgaria. To do this, parents need to apply to the visa center standard set of documents such as a birth certificate, international passport, a questionnaire with a photo, as well as a letter from the sponsor and a certificate from the school.

The nuances of a visa for young tourists are as follows:

For children under 14 years old is served birth certificate;
For those who travel without parents - certified consent;
For a trip with only one parent - permission from the second;
For babies under care - letter from guardian.

If the child does not have his own foreign passport, then the visa is put down in the parent's passport, and if there is, then the visa is put directly into the child's document. Wherein price such an entry permit will cost the same as for an adult.

Important points

There are a lot of options for a visa to Bulgaria, so tourists can easily choose the one that suits them. But at the same time, it is necessary to know some points that are equally important in this case.

Insurance

A mandatory point for the possibility of entering Bulgaria is availability of medical insurance.

It must be received from an accredited company with a specified amount of at least EUR 30,000.

Validity of this document must completely cover the entire period of stay in the country. To choose the best insurance option, you should tell the agent about the purpose of the trip, as well as that the trip will take place in Bulgaria.

Price

The question of the cost of a visa to Bulgaria is always relevant, so it is worth paying due attention to it. Since this country is a member of the Schengen Agreement, the price for a visa will be standard - 35 euros... It is worth noting that this amount is not refundable in case of refusal, so careful attention to the filing of documents will minimize costs.

In addition to the principal amount, tourists are charged consular fee in the amount of 19 euros. Payment can be made both in rubles at the appropriate rate at the time of submission, and in European currency. Visa and fee money is transferred to the immigration representative through the same "window".

From payment released the following persons:

Children up to 6 years old;
Disabled;
Relatives residents of Bulgaria;
Pupils v educational institutions country;
Members international delegations;
Participants exchange programs;
Residents of the Russian Federation entering from humanitarian purpose.

Insurance for a pregnant woman has its own characteristics. Read about it in.

The list of services of visa companies includes urgent visa... It is done in 1 day, and its cost is 70 euros. However, the service charge of € 19 remains the same.

When applying through a travel agency, the amount for obtaining an entry permit can cost 10-20 euros more, since agents charge certain interest... But at the same time, throughout the entire process, employees will accompany and advise, which significantly minimizes the number of errors. In general, this service is justified, especially if where the applicant lives there is no visa center or there is no way to collect documents on his own.

Terms of approval

Standard terms obtaining a visa to Bulgaria - from four working days, urgent - from 1 to 2 days, excluding the date of application. In regional visa centers, such terms may differ.

It is interesting:

Subscribe to our interesting Vkontakte group:

In contact with

Many who are going to visit Bulgaria for the first time are concerned about the issue of obtaining a visa, as well as the specifics of the country's migration legislation. In order for the trip to be as comfortable as possible, and the process of issuing entry documents does not take much time, you need to familiarize yourself with the procedure for filing and the list of necessary papers, terms of issuance and types of visa.

Peculiarities of obtaining a visa to Bulgaria

How to apply for a visa to Bulgaria

Citizens Russian Federation, you must apply for a visa to Bulgaria in the manner prescribed by law. In addition, it is worth remembering that although Bulgaria is part of the European Union, it is not a member of the Schengen countries, therefore, entry into the Schengen area with such a visa will be prohibited.

Decoration required documents you can do it both independently and by contacting a specialized visa center for help. In the first case, all responsibility for the collection and submission of papers lies solely with the applicant. In addition, it will take longer, and mistakes in filling out may lead to rejection. In the case of contacting the visa center, specialists themselves check the correctness of filling and the list collected documents, and also take on the rest of the hassle associated with further registration. This significantly saves time and significantly reduces the risk of rejection, which, by the way, is quite rare. The process of obtaining a Bulgarian visa is not associated with any difficulties, as, for example, with the United States, therefore the migration services are quite loyal to tourists from Russia.

Choose your city

Schengen in Bulgaria

As mentioned above, Bulgaria is not a member of the Schengen Agreement, however, Schengen visa holders can visit the territory of the country with a short or long term stay. In addition, unlike a standard visa, the Schengen visa gives the right to unhindered border crossing, which greatly simplifies travel.

You can issue it both at the official consulate and using the services of the visa center, which, by the way, is much faster, and also allows you to avoid mistakes and, accordingly, reduce the likelihood of refusals. The cost depends on the issuing state, type of entry and length of stay: short-term (up to 90 days) and multi, valid throughout the year.

In addition, you can enter Bulgaria with Romanian, Cypriot, Croatian visas, which are equivalent to Bulgarian ones. In this case, the maximum stay should not exceed 90 days in a six-month period.

Types of Bulgarian visas

By contacting a consulate or visa center, Russians can issue the following types of entry documents:

short-term;
tourist;
transit;
business;
working.

Consequently, the choice of one type or another depends on the goals and duration of the stay, therefore, it is necessary to study in more detail the rules, features, a list of papers for the most comfortable trip, saving money and time.

Tourist

Summer residence of Queen Mary with minaret and botanical garden

This is one of the most demanded and popular types. Bulgaria is a wonderful place for a varied vacation, including the Black Sea coast, ski slopes, ancient sights medieval Europe and also a unique local flavor.

It is very easy to obtain a tourist visa in Russia, the consular staff show a rather loyal attitude towards domestic tourists, so the percentage of refusals is very small. The list of documents for registration is standard, namely a foreign passport, copies of a birth certificate (in case minors are traveling with you), as well as a student card or pension card, photographs, and sometimes medical insurance. It should be remembered that documents will not be considered if you have previously received a refusal to issue a Schengen.

Group tourist visas give the right to a single entry, while the duration of stay should not exceed 30 days. The composition and size of the group should not change during the stay and departure from the country.

Transit

Transit can be obtained by those Russian citizens who need to cross the territory of Bulgaria, heading to third countries. In this case, its validity period is only 24 hours. In addition, it gives the right to leave the airport and stay in the country within the deadline... Russians who arrive in Bulgaria with a transfer to another flight or with a stopover without leaving the airport will not need such a visa.

Bulgarian decoration transit visa not required if the applicant has issued a residence permit in one of the Schengen countries, is a multi-Schengen holder, and also has entry stamps for Croatia, Romania and the Republic of Cyprus.

Business

A business or so-called business visa is required not only for those citizens who are going to visit Bulgaria on business related to personal professional activities, but also for those whose purpose of travel is to participate in conferences, exhibitions, various competitions.

In this case, the processing period will take from three to five days. With an incomplete package of documents or the presence of errors in the filled out documents, the period may increase significantly. That is why the best option is the advance collection and submission of documents, the requirements for which, by the way, are quite high. Not worth wasting time on self-filing a package of necessary papers, it is most rational to entrust such a matter to qualified employees of the profile visa center.

Working

Such an entry document is needed if the purpose of the trip is employment. According to the migration legislation of Bulgaria, the applicant is required to obtain an official permit for legal labor activity full-time, which is, in fact, a work visa. The decision on extradition or refusal is made either by the Government Migration Department or by the Ministry of Labor and social development... The maximum period of validity of a work permit is 1 year, after which it can be renewed for another 3 years. The extension is governed by the standard terms of labor and immigration laws.

Persons who do not need to apply for a work permit, however, must have an open long-term visa:

managers of Bulgarian companies with the status of a legal entity;
members of the board of directors who are not employees;
Russian citizens with permanent residence in Bulgaria;
persons on business trips.

In 2016 the employment procedure foreign citizens was somewhat complicated. Now, when submitting an application, you need to make sure that the citizens of Bulgaria do not apply for the desired vacancy.

Required documents

The standard mandatory package of documents is:

a completed application form for obtaining visa documents (all columns must be filled in, and there must also be a handwritten signature);
a valid foreign passport, the period of which must expire at least three months after arrival;
standard color photo 3.5x4.5 format;
medical insurance policy valid in the countries of the European Union for the entire period of the trip. In this case, the amount of insurance coverage must be at least 30,000 euros;
confirmation of booking air tickets or documents for a car (vehicle registration certificate, driver's license, itinerary);
if the trip is planned with minor children, a copy of the birth certificate is required, as well as the name of the child entered in the passport;
proof of solvency for the entire stay (bank statement), at the rate of 50 euros per day.

The package of documents may vary depending on the purpose of the visit, so it is best to clarify it at the consulate or visa center.

Leave an application for a visa

Choose your city Choose your city Almaty Anapa Artem Arkhangelsk Blagoveshchensk Veliky Novgorod Vladikavkaz Vladimir Volzhsky Vologda Voronezh 1 Voronezh 2 Vsevolozhsk Domodedovo Zelenograd Ivanovo Izhevsk Irkutsk Kazan Kemerovo Krasnogorsk Krasnodar Krasnoyarsk Kursk Lipetsk Michurinsk Moscow Center Murom Naberezhnye Chelny Nizhny Chelny Om Nazran Novosibirsk Rostov on Don Ryazan St. Petersburg North St. Petersburg South Sochi Stavropol Stavropol Center Sterlitamak Surgut Togliatti Tomsk Tula Tyumen Ulan-Ude Ulyanovsk Ufa Khabarovsk Khimki Cheboksary Chelyabinsk Cherkessk Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Yakutsk Yaroslavl

All fields are required

How to fill out the form correctly

The questionnaire is an application for an entry permit made in the format of a questionnaire. On the left side there are questions that must be answered truthfully and completely, on the right side there is a column intended for notes that are made by the consular staff. Today the questionnaire can be downloaded from the official website of the Bulgarian Consulate in Russia or filled out on the portal of the visa center.

To properly fill out the questionnaire, you must adhere to several useful recommendations. The application form is filled in block letters, while the initials are written in the Latin alphabet, and the remaining items in the Cyrillic alphabet. The pen can only be used with blue or black ink. If a mistake was made, you need to cross it out and enter the corrected one in the remaining space, while any corrections must be certified by the signature of the applicant or a trustee. A maximum of three fixes are allowed. Contact phone numbers are written with the state code. In addition, the questionnaire must be filled out taking into account the category of the selected visa, namely tourism, business, official purposes.

The cost of obtaining a visa to Bulgaria

There is also a list of persons for whom the visa fee has been canceled, or they can draw up documents for just a third of the established cost. First of all, such categories of the population include family members of citizens of Bulgaria and the European Union (spouses, children under 21 years of age, parents), relatives of Russians living in this country, university students, schoolchildren and their accompanying persons participating in exchange programs, sports events ... In addition, children under six years old, disabled people of groups 1, 2, 3 are exempted from payment. The word disabled is the official wording used in the consulate of Bulgaria, but at the same time people with disabilities are treated very carefully and try to provide the most comfortable conditions. As for Russian pensioners who do not have relatives living in Bulgaria, there are no benefits for them, therefore, the payment of the visa fee is carried out in accordance with the established procedure.

Terms of registration

The processing time depends on the purpose of the visit and the length of stay. It is possible to obtain a single entry permit for up to 30 days for tourism purposes in just three working days, with correctly collected and completed documents. For other types, terms may vary depending on the availability or absence of hotel reservations and return tickets. As a rule, visa centers process such entry documents in 6-8 days. In addition, as mentioned earlier, you can also use the services of accelerated issuance, which will cost the applicant 70 euros.

Child visa

As mentioned above, children under 6 years old will be able to receive travel documents absolutely free of charge. It should also be remembered that according to migration legislation, children are considered to be persons under the age of 18 at the time of travel, even if the date of majority comes the next day after crossing the border. There are several important points about traveling with a child. Children from 14 to 18 years old must have their own foreign passport with a signature, and from 6 to 14 you can get by with a pasted-in photo in the passport of one of the parents. It should also be borne in mind that children's passports must be valid for at least three months after the end of the trip.

Since 2005, to enter Bulgaria with a child, you must have documents confirming the relationship: certified copies of the birth certificate, as well as the permission of one of the parents.

Reasons for refusal to obtain a visa

Despite the fact that the consulates of Bulgaria are quite loyal to tourists from Russia, refusals are also frequent. The package of documents will not be considered if the applicant has already received a refusal to apply for the Schengen. Also, when trying to collect and submit documents on their own, many citizens make many mistakes that can cost the wasted time and money. Also, refusals occur due to violation of the rules of stay made during previous trips, including not only to Bulgaria, but also to other member states of the European Union.

It is necessary to pay attention to the correct filling of the questionnaire, the answers to the questions of which must be truthful and complete. Attempts to forge documents can cost not only a refusal, but also lead to criminal prosecution.

Leave an application for a visa

All fields are required

Bulgaria Visa Application Centers in Russia

In order to minimize the likelihood of getting a refusal, the easiest way is to use the services of visa centers. There are similar institutions in almost all large cities of Russia, and their main advantages are significant time savings. It is enough just to fill out a questionnaire, hand over a package of necessary documents and pay the fee, the rest is taken over by qualified employees of the center, including checking the correctness of filling out the papers.

If you need a visa to Bulgaria, we recommend that you contact the Unified Visa Application Center for assistance. Thanks to the accumulated experience and qualified personnel, we reduce the processing and issuance of entry documents to most countries of the world as much as possible. In addition, our customers are waiting for a modern level of service, including remote communication, ensuring the security of personal data, as well as special conditions for booking air tickets.