Bulgaria · Visa guide
Bulgaria · Visa guideBulgaria Tourist Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for tourism and holidays in Bulgaria — up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- ProcessingUsually about 15 calendar days from submission
- Visa categoryTourist Visa
- Your guideOne consultant
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Bulgaria Tourist Visa — overview
A Bulgarian tourist visa is a short-stay visa for holidays in Bulgaria. Bulgaria's checklist is one of the few that publishes a subsistence figure: EUR 50 for each day of the stay requested, and at least EUR 500 in total — or a document showing prepaid tourist services.
It also asks for three years of income-tax returns, an employer's letter that states your years in service, and a professional photograph with the face filling 70–80% of the frame.
Bulgaria tells you the number
Most embassies ask for "sufficient funds" and leave you guessing. Bulgaria's checklist states the figure: a minimum of EUR 50 per day of the stay requested, and at least EUR 500 in total — or, instead, a document of prepaid tourist services.
So a ten-day holiday needs EUR 500 in reach; a three-week one, EUR 1,050. Show it in three months of bank statements — savings and current accounts as applicable — and back it with three years of income-tax returns. A prepaid package from a tour operator can stand in for the daily figure, which is worth knowing for a family travelling on an all-inclusive booking.
Three years, not two
Bulgaria goes a year deeper than the usual Schengen ask: income-tax returns for three years, personal and — for a proprietor — the company's, plus the ITR-V acknowledgements for the same three years.
Your employer's letter names your years in service
Bulgaria's employer letter has a specific shape: official letterhead, your position, your years in service, the grant of leave, and salary certificates for three months. Length of service is an unusual item; treat it as the embassy asking how established you are in the job you are going back to.
Accommodation your way
Bulgaria accepts more than a hotel: private or other accommodation guaranteed and confirmed in your name, or a title deed, lease or proof of ownership if you have property there. Whatever it is, it has to be in your name.
The photograph
A professional colour photograph, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, light background, face filling 70–80% of the frame. No dark glasses. A head covering is accepted only where it is worn for religious reasons — a turban is fine. Cut-outs of amateur photos are not.
Where Bulgaria sits now
Bulgaria became a full Schengen member on 1 January 2025 and adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. If your trip combines Bulgaria with other Schengen states, confirm which country decides your visa — the one where you spend the most nights.
Source: Bulgaria — Checklist for a Bulgarian visa for tourist visit, as issued through VFS Global and held in our knowledge base. Requirements change; confirm against the current checklist before you submit.
11 items
Documents you need
Application form
Fully completed in English or Bulgarian and signed in the last field.
Passport
Valid at least three months after your last intended departure from Bulgaria, at least two empty pages, issued within the previous 10 years, with no alteration or handwritten amendment on the data page.
One photograph
Recent, full colour, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, light background, full face filling 70–80% of the photo. No dark glasses; no head covering unless worn for religious reasons; no non-professional photos.
Travel medical insurance
Valid for Bulgaria for the entire stay, minimum EUR 30,000. Multiple-entry applicants: cover for the first visit plus a signed statement on the prescribed form.
Cover letter
Explaining the purpose of the trip, the duration of stay and any subsequent visits.
Means of transportation
A return ticket or confirmed booking.
Proof of accommodation
A hotel booking, or private or other accommodation guaranteed and confirmed in your name, or a title deed, lease or proof of ownership.
Proof of professional status
Employed: a letter on official letterhead stating your position, years in service and grant of leave, with salary certificates for three months. Business or self-employed: a visa request letter on letterhead with registration or ownership papers. Student: a letter from the institution and a copy of the ID.
Proof of sufficient funds — EUR 50 a day
Financial resources of at least EUR 50 per day of the stay requested, and at least EUR 500 in total, or a document of prepaid tourist services — with three months' bank statements and three years' income-tax returns (personal and company, if applicable).
ITR-V for three years
Income-tax acknowledgements or ITR-V for the last three years.
For minors
Birth certificate or the guardianship decision; consent where a minor travels without parents.
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.
5 answers
Frequently asked questions
Bulgaria's checklist states it: financial resources of at least EUR 50 for each day of the stay requested, and at least EUR 500 in total — or a document showing prepaid tourist services. This is shown with three months' bank statements and three years' income-tax returns.
Three years of income-tax returns, personal and — where applicable — the company's, plus the ITR-V acknowledgements for those three years.
On the company's official letterhead: your position, your years in service and that leave has been granted, accompanied by salary certificates for the last three months.
Yes. A recent professional colour photograph, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, on a light background, with the face filling 70–80% of the frame. No dark glasses; a head covering only for religious reasons; no amateur or cut-out photographs.
Bulgaria joined the Schengen Area fully on 1 January 2025 and adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. Check whether your Bulgarian visa or an existing Schengen visa is the right document for your whole itinerary before you book.
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 Business Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for business meetings, conferences and training in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Family & Friends Visit Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa to visit family or friends living in Bulgaria — up to 90 days.
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.