Rules for obtaining a visa to Bulgaria
Bulgaria has not yet joined the Schengen area.
Therefore, for ordinary Russian citizens, obtaining a visa is a mandatory procedure. However, in the near future, Bulgaria may receive membership of the Schengen Union, then it will be possible to visit both Bulgaria and other European countries without going through a similar procedure. Today there is a category of Russians who do not need visas. These are citizens who have multiple visas. In this option, citizens of the Russian Federation can enter with a Cyprus visa.
However, let's return to the question, what documents will be needed to apply for a visa to the azure Bulgarian beach? Depending on the purpose of the trip to Bulgaria, the following documents are required:
- Completed application.
- International passport.
- Availability of an insurance policy.
- Photo cards.
- Travel tickets.
- Tourists traveling by car will need to present a license, technical passport, and car insurance.
When applying for a Bulgarian visa without visiting Schengen, you will need to prepare:
- A copy of the hotel room reservation certificate.
- A certificate from work to confirm your earnings.
- Information about the upcoming trip (data available upon request).
Traveling to Bulgaria is possible if you have an invitation from relatives or friends. To do this, you will need to prepare some more materials:
- Invitation.
- A document certifying family relations.
Russian businessmen wishing to obtain a business visa are required to take care of obtaining the following documents:
- Invitation from partners.
- Information about registration in the Bulgarian Customs Union.
- Confirmation of the employer (for a business trip).
- For individual entrepreneurs – registration information.
General requirements and recommendations for filling out
- The application form for a visa to Bulgaria 2021 must be filled out in Russian manually (with the exception of the first and last name - it must be written exactly as in the passport);
- Digital values must be written in the following format: day/month/year;
- There are no restrictions on writing letters. They can be written both small and large;
- Some fields may not be filled out if they do not contain extremely important information or are not relevant;
- If there is a typo/misprint while filling out, don’t worry. The maximum permissible number of corrections is 3. But they must be certified by a signature (personally by the applicant or his authorized representative);
- Telephone numbers are indicated along with the code;
- Since the visa application consists of three pages, it must be printed on both sides.
Application for a visa to Italy
Important. The file with the application form is provided in pdf format, so in order to open it, you must install Adobe Acrobat Reader.
It is not necessary to fill out this document with a black pen; you can also use a blue one.
Types of visas to Bulgaria
Before purchasing a permit to travel to Bulgaria, you need to understand the purpose of the trip and what type of visa is needed.
There are several types of visas for traveling to Bulgaria:
- Aviation transit - “A”.
- Short-term - “C”.
- National - "D".
The purpose of visiting a country may vary. The country attracts tourists, businessmen, students, as well as those wishing to purchase a residence permit. The gentle climate, many sea beaches, well-functioning infrastructure and other attractions attract a large number of citizens here. Therefore, you need to carefully read the information about the country in order to decide on the type of visa to enter the country.
Bulgaria is located at the center of the intersection of many transport communications. The country is a kind of intermediate point for traveling to other European countries.
A transit visa (“A”) is purchased for the following travel options:
- If you have an open visa to one of the European countries.
- With a residence permit issued in one of the Schengen countries.
- If you have a single or double entry visa for traveling in Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, or if one of the countries has a residence permit.
Persons holding a transport visa can stay on the territory of Bulgaria, but in a limited area on the way to travel to another EU country. It is prohibited to go beyond the permitted zone. If you plan to stay in this situation for more than 48 hours, you will need to additionally obtain a short-term visa (“C”). This visa is issued for a single visit, with a stay in the country of no more time than allowed by the visa.
A multiple visa is a type of entry permit that allows multiple visits. The holder of such a permit has the right to stay in the country for up to 3 months within six months. A multiple visa can be short-term, valid for 1 year, or long-term, valid for 5 years.
Considering that Bulgaria is on the threshold of Schengen, the government is forced to regularly amend the country’s legislation, therefore, it is necessary to carefully study the changes when purchasing a visa. Incorrect documentation may result in a refusal of entry, which will result in loss of time and loss of chances to obtain a new visa. In such a situation, even entry at the invitation of relatives on a guest visa will become unacceptable.
Tourist
This visa is the most common. This option involves traveling around the country for the period provided for by the tourist voucher or for a period of no more than one month. If a person has been in the country for less than a month, then he has the right to repeat the trip to use the remaining days.
Some tourists use this visa to purchase real estate, change the type of visa, or acquire a residence permit.
( Video : “Tourist Visa to Bulgaria, how to apply for a Bulgarian visa simply and with a guarantee”)
Business visa
Based on Bulgarian legislation, the duration of a business visa cannot exceed 3 months. To purchase it, a basic list of documents is provided. The processing time ranges from 3 to 5 days. The requirements for documents are quite high. Therefore, businessmen most often use intermediary services to purchase it.
Immigrant visa
This entry permit is intended for multiple trips to the country and requires a stay of up to 180 days.
Usually they travel with this type of visa to acquire a residence permit in Bulgaria in accordance with the law on foreigners. The processing time for this visa is up to 30 days. The required amount that must be in a bank account is determined by calculating the minimum salary (minimum pension for pensioners) in Bulgaria multiplied by the days of travel around the country.
According to official data from the Government of Bulgaria, the minimum salary in the country in 2021 is 510 Bulgarian levs , the equivalent of which is 260 euros, pension – 161 levs. The current list of materials required to purchase an immigration visa can be found on the website of the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow.
The cost of obtaining a travel permit is 100 euros. Payment is made upon delivery of documents for permission.
After purchasing a visa, a person is given a Bulgarian plastic card, which is a document that provides the right to entry and confirms the guest’s legal travel around the country.
Visa for owners or purchasers of real estate
For this category of citizens, a visa can be issued for either 180 days or for a period of stay in the country of up to 1 year and up to 3 years without restrictions on the number of entries.
To complete it, you need to provide additional documents:
- Notarized certificate for property owners in Bulgarian.
- Certificate of absence of tax arrears for ownership (or tax remittance receipt).
- If the notary certificate does not show information about the commissioning of the property, then the owner will need to provide a copy of Form 15 or 16.
When applying to the Bulgarian Consulate for the first time as a property owner, the citizen will be offered the option of visiting the country for a duration of 1 year. If you re-apply for a visa, the permit will be issued for 3 years.
Such permission can be issued not only to the owner of the property, but also to members of his family, that is, children and spouses. Moreover, children receive a discount on entry until the age of 21.
Transit
Bulgaria is the center of tourism business in Europe. Numerous traffic flows intersect here. A Bulgarian transit visa is issued to those citizens who are traveling to another European country through Bulgaria.
For this travel option, you need to provide the same package of documents, but you do not need to certify your solvency. You only need to bring 100 euros with you when entering the country. The time spent in Bulgaria should not exceed 48 hours.
Visa for minors
This visa is issued according to special rules, despite the fact that the children are listed in the parents’ passport. To do this, you need to prepare the following documents:
- Child's birth certificate.
- Notarized application for accompanying parents.
- If one of the parents has died, a document confirming his death is presented.
- Single mothers provide a document from social media. service confirming status.
- Copies of tickets, permission of third parties, if the child purchased a ticket for a trip without relatives.
A visa for a child under 6 years of age is issued in the passport of one of the parents. After the child turns 14 years old, he acquires his own foreign passport.
Why a visa is necessary
Not every country is ready to accept absolutely all foreigners. It’s the same with Bulgaria: to visit it, desire alone will not be enough; a tourist will certainly need to go through the procedure of filling out an application for a visa to Bulgaria. Without it, a Russian may have difficulty entering a foreign territory where a visa regime is established.
First, you will need to contact the embassy (in person or through a travel company), collect a package of required documents, which includes:
- Copy of passport (front page with photo and registration);
- A correctly completed application for a Bulgarian visa 2018 sample - you don’t need to look for it anywhere, just go to the official website of the consulate, download the image and print it yourself at home;
- Visa application form;
- Color photo (size 3.5 x 4.5);
- International passport (its copy in 2 copies);
- Photocopies of valid visas (if available);
- Confirmation that a person will be able to live normally on the territory of Bulgaria (availability of funds for 1 day).
Important. You must not make mistakes in the form, otherwise the application will not be accepted and the applicant will not receive a visa.
Compared to 2021, nothing has changed in the new year in terms of processing and filling out documents for obtaining a visa to Bulgaria. So don't worry that the information on this subject will seem outdated - it is still relevant today.
Where to sign
If a citizen of the Russian Federation wishes to obtain a multiple-entry visa, he is required to sign in the appropriate paragraph on the third page of the application form. The signature in the form is placed in 3 points:
- In paragraph 37.
- In the column on page 3, where the applicant agrees that the visa fee is non-refundable.
- In the last column of the third page.
Basic mistakes
Let's look at the most common mistakes when filling out a questionnaire:
- There are many sites on the Internet that provide the opportunity to... Often these forms are invalid or belong to another country. Application forms for travel to the countries of the Schengen zone are very similar and differ only in the “attributes” of the state: flag, embassy addresses, telephone numbers, language of text duplication.
- Your signature will also be required at the very end, on the third page of the questionnaire;
- the most common errors are data errors (incomplete or incorrect information). Please note once again that there should be no more than three errors in the questionnaire. All corrected places must be certified alongside with your own signature;
- The color of your ink can also play a trick. Ditch the green pen in favor of blue or black.
Where to go in case of refusal
Bulgaria is loyal to Russian tourists, but there are also cases of refusal to issue an entry document. The easiest way to obtain a permit is for tourists who travel in organized groups.
If the consul did not accept the visa documents, they can be submitted again after correcting the errors. There are no deadlines for submission. You can contact the consulate even the next day after the refusal.
Obtaining a visa to Bulgaria is not difficult; it is important to carefully collect documents and fill out the application form. If a citizen doubts that he will be able to fill out all the items on his own without errors, he can use the services at the visa center.
Sample of filling out an application for a Bulgarian visa
How to fill out
US visa application form
The application form for obtaining a Bulgarian visa in 2021 has 37 points that must be filled out.
Filling out forms
Questionnaire by points:
- From 1st to 3rd – filled in with information from the passport (without indicating the middle name);
- The 2nd is filled in by women who got married and changed their maiden name to their husband's last name. If the last name remains the same, then you do not need to fill in anything in this field;
- In the 5th column, enter information from the foreign passport (letters of the Latin or English alphabet);
- In the 7th, indicate your citizenship. If a person was born after 1991, you need to enter “Russia”; if earlier, then “USSR”;
- 9 requires the applicant to indicate his marital status. Check the box that matches you; if the questionnaire is not filled out manually, then after printing it, it is important not to forget to tick this box;
- The 10th paragraph is required for children and persons under 18 years of age. It is important to note the parent or guardian. If the place of residence of a minor coincides with the permanent place of residence of his parent/guardian, then it is necessary to register him (the child): last name, first name, patronymic, as well as contact telephone numbers of adults (mobile, home);
- 11 is optional if there is no NEN;
- In the 12th paragraph, where it is important to indicate the type of document, o;
- In the 13th, the number is indicated without “No.” (if the passport is not of a new type);
- In the 14th and 15th, all numerical values can be written in any format;
- The 16th paragraph involves indicating the place and name of the organization that issued the foreign passport in Latin letters;
- 17 you need to indicate your actual residential address. Also, in addition to your personal mobile phone, you must leave an additional phone number (home phone is possible);
- If a person is a citizen of the Russian Federation, in 18 you need about. The foreigner must indicate a document that allows him to stay in the Russian Federation;
- 19 is filled in in English;
- In the 20th, it is important to provide detailed information (name, phone number, address (along with zip code)) about the organization/enterprise where the citizen holds the above position. All data is written in Latin;
- The 23rd point is different in that here, regardless of how exactly the tourist plans to get to the destination country, he will need to indicate “Bulgaria” (without taking into account other countries whose territory can only be entered with Schengen. So when registering they are not indicated on a Bulgarian visa);
- In 25 you must indicate the specific number of days that the traveler plans to spend in Bulgaria. If the trip promises to be long, you need to apply for a visa for 30 or 45 days. In this case, you also need to write the numbers “30” and “45” in the column. If a person plans to stay in a given country for a year or more, you need to select “90” days;
- The 27th box must be checked if fingerprinting has already been done. If not, then the appropriate value is selected;
- 28 if a transit visa is not needed;
- If the applicant is requesting a one-time visa, in the 30th paragraph he needs to write the exact date of departure, which is indicated on his ticket.
- 31 – to be filled out only if a pass is required (guest, transit), while point 32 is not filled in;
- 32 – filled out if a study/business pass is required, then 31 points do not need to be touched;
- In paragraph 33, you must indicate the person sponsoring/paying for the trip to Bulgaria. In the case where the applicant personally pays all expenses, then the box on the form on the left must be checked. Pensioners and people whose travel is financed at someone else's expense must check the box on the right;
- In the last 36 and 37 points, the applicant remains to write the place where the visa application is submitted and put his signature.
Completely completed form
What else do you need to know?
- The marital status column does not apply to minor children. It is filled out only in case of actual marriage.
- When filling out your personal information, be careful when writing your place of residence - it is important to indicate your actual place of residence.
- The RF code must be entered correctly: using “+7”.
- If a person plans to visit Bulgaria for the first time, a one-time permit can be issued.
- If a citizen has a relative living in the territory of the SES or the EU, then blocks on his expenses and place of residence are not written down.
What to do with a minor?
For any child under 14 years of age who does not have a passport, one of the parents or official guardian signs the signed boxes. If the minor is between 14 and 17 years old, then he personally signs the document. From the age of 18, only the owner of the passport can put his personal signature.