Bulgaria · Visa guide
Bulgaria · Visa guideBulgaria Family & Friends Visit Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa to visit family or friends living in Bulgaria — up to 90 days.
- ProcessingUsually about 15 calendar days from submission
- Visa categoryFamily & Friends Visit Visa
- Your guideOne consultant
Reading is not the hard part. Knowing if YOUR bank statements and ties will pass is. Call us and tell us your travel month. We tell you honestly if your Bulgaria file is ready.
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Bulgaria Family & Friends Visit Visa — overview
The Bulgaria Family & Friends Visit Visa is a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C) for visiting relatives or friends who live in Bulgaria, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
The heart of this application is the host: an invitation from the family member or friend with their address and contact details, and evidence of their legal residence in Bulgaria. Where you are visiting relatives, proof of the family relationship is also needed.
Lifeset Overseas coordinates the host's documents and your own into one consistent file built to the embassy checklist.
8 items
Documents you need
Schengen application form
Completely filled and signed by the applicant.
Valid passport
Issued within 10 years, valid 3 months beyond return, with 2 empty pages.
Host invitation
An invitation from the family member or friend in Bulgaria, with their address, contact details and the intended period of stay.
Host residence proof
A copy of the host's passport, national ID card or residence permit.
Proof of relationship
A certificate proving the family relationship, where you are visiting relatives.
Travel medical insurance
Schengen-wide cover of at least EUR 30,000 for the trip.
Transport & accommodation
Proof of itinerary and a return flight reservation.
Financial means
3 months bank statements, 2 years income-tax returns and proof of occupation.
5 steps
How the process works
Typical processing: Usually about 15 calendar days from submission — may extend up to 45 calendar days. Apply at least 2-3 weeks before travel.
Step 1
Free eligibility review
We assess your profile and build a document checklist matched to the embassy's requirements.
Step 2
Build the file & cover letter
Every document — finances, bookings, insurance and the cover letter — is prepared and verified.
Step 3
Book the VFS Global appointment
Applications in India are submitted through VFS Global — we schedule your slot.
Step 4
Submit & give biometrics
You attend the VFS centre to submit the file and provide fingerprints and a photograph.
Step 5
Decision & passport return
The embassy decides the application and your passport is returned through VFS.
Transparent
Costs & fees
Item
Amount
Schengen visa fee (adult)
EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11; under 6 exempt. Payable in INR.
EUR 90
VFS Global service charge
Plus optional add-ons such as courier.
Confirmed at booking
Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.
3 answers
Frequently asked questions
A relative or friend legally resident in Bulgaria can host you. They provide an invitation with their address and contact details, plus evidence of their legal residence.
Through certificates — such as birth or marriage certificates — proving your relationship to the host you are visiting.
Up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the Schengen Area.
Why it matters
Going it alone vs filing with us
On your own
- Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
- Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
- No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
- Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
- A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.
With Lifeset Overseas
- An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
- A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
- Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
- Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
- Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.
Refused before?
A refusal isn't the end
A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. If a Bulgaria visa has been refused, we:
- Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
- Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
- Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
- Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.
- Refused? Your fee back, or a rebuilt application free — your choice.
Other Bulgaria visas
Bulgaria Tourist Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for tourism and holidays in Bulgaria — up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Bulgaria Business Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for business meetings, conferences and training in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Study & Research Visa
A visa for study, research or an internship in Bulgaria — short stays use a Schengen visa; longer study needs a residence permit.
Bulgaria Cultural, Sports & Religious Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for cultural, sporting and religious events and film crews in Bulgaria.
Start here · One message away
Bulgaria visitor visa: get a straight answer before you pay the fee.
- Honest assessment
- Fixed all-in fees
- No handovers between staff
- Licensed in Patiala
Let’s discuss your case
Message us your travel month and who is paying. A consultant from our Punjab-licensed consultancy checks your ties and funds and tells you what to fix.