FAQ
Visa information for people purchasing Bulgarian real estate propertyProperties in Bulgaria – Useful and actual visa information for people purchasing Bulgarian property – buy property in Bulgaria
All about your easy entry on the territory of Republic in Bulgaria. Regulations and rules for your safe stay in the country when making choice of your Bulgarian Property. Necessary informatiojn for acquiring Bulgarian visa and legislation for foreign persons.
New law on foreigners in the republic of Bulgaria
A new Law regulating the terms and conditions under which foreigners can enter, stay or leave the Republic of Bulgaria, was published in the Official Gazette No 153 of 1998. The Law rescinded the old one on foreigners’ stay in the Republic of Bulgaria that was effective till then.
General provisions of the law on foreigners
A foreigner as per this Law is any person who is not a Bulgarian citizen. The foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria have all the rights and obligations according to the Bulgarian laws and the ratified international agreements of which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, except those requiring a Bulgarian citizenship.
For any foreigners enjoying diplomatic or consular immunity and privileges, the generally accepted norms of international, diplomatic and consular laws, as well as the ratified international agreements of which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, shall be applied.
The foreigners working in Bulgaria on the grounds of a permit issued by the respective authorities, have the rights and obligations of the Bulgarian citizens, unless provided otherwise by the international agreements of which Bulgaria is a party.
Entry of foreigners to the republic of Bulgaria
A foreigner may enter the Republic of Bulgaria if he has the valid papers for travelling abroad or any other substitute documents, as well as a visa for entry, stay or transit passing through the country when such a visa is required. Visas are not required when there is a bilateral agreement between Bulgaria and native country of the foreigner or an Act of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria for a non-visa regime.
Holders of valid ordinary passports from the following countries do not need visa for a visit to Bulgaria for a period of up to 90 days within each period of six months: Austria, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.
Holders of valid ordinary passports from the following countries do not need visa for a visit to Bulgaria for a period of up to 30 days within each period of six months: Andorra, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Switzerland, UK, USA, and the Vatican.
Holders of valid ordinary passports do not need visa to enter Bulgaria in accordance with acting international agreements: Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Republic of Korea, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Tunisia, Yugoslavia.
Visa for Airport Transit (type “A” visa) – shall be issued to a foreigner who travels by air and changes his flight in the Republic of Bulgaria; he should leave the country taking the first flight.
Transit Visa (type “B” visa) – shall be issued to a foreigner who will enter the Republic of Bulgaria via a specific border check – point of a country, and he should leave the country within 24 hours through the border check – point of another country. Upon entry to the Republic of Bulgaria, a foreigner shall declare the purpose and address of his stay.
Short Entry Visa (type “C” visa) – it can be single or multiple valid for 3, 6 and 12 months following the date of issue. It is issued to foreign persons who travel to Bulgaria for tourism, on business trips or make private visits. It allows one or multiple entries into the country and a stay not exceeding 90 days within each period of 6 months.
Multiple entry visas are issued only to a foreign person who satisfies one or more of these conditions:
maintains regular business contacts with companies registered in Bulgaria;
has invested more than 50 000 EUR or its equivalent in other currency in the Republic of Bulgaria and there is a document from the Bulgarian Agency for Foreign Investment confirming this;
is the representative of a person who satisfies one of the above two conditions;
carries out commercial activities in Bulgaria and at least 10 Bulgarian citizens have been employed in relation to these activities;
is a foreign expert, working in Bulgaria by virtue of an international agreement;
is a representative of a foreign company, registered with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce;
carries out activities in accordance with the Bulgarian Foreign Investments Act;
has a substantial contribution for the development of the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and his/her country of nationality;
is the member of the family of a Bulgarian citizen;
has a Multiple Entry Visa valid for more than 12 months for one of the countries the citizens of which enjoy visa free regime for a short entry in Bulgaria.
Long-term Visa (type “D” visa) – it can be only single entry valid up to 6 months from the date of issue and a stay up to 90 days. It is issued to foreign persons who intend to apply for a long-term or a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Any foreigner who enters the Republic of Bulgaria or travels transit through the country, should possess the following:
the necessary financial funds for support;
the necessary financial funds to leave the country;
entry or single entry fast track visas, if necessary;
obligatory insurance as per an Act of the Council of Ministers;
other documents specified by an international contract or an Act of the Council of Ministers.
Any foreigner who enters, stays or travels transit with a vehicle through the country by land, by air or by sea, should possess the following:
a permit for the vehicle, when such is required as per the Bulgarian legislation and the international agreements of which Bulgaria is a party;
documents ascertaining the registration of the vehicle;
documents ascertaining the ownership of the vehicle;
obligatory insurance;
driving licence.
Stay of foreigners in Bulgaria
Foreigners can stay in the Republic of Bulgaria either for a short term or for a long term.
The short-term stay is up to 90 days as of the date of entering the country. The term can be prolonged by the by the authorities for administrative control of foreigners for reasons of humanitarian character.
The long-term staystay can be either continuous (with a permission for a definite period of up to one year), or permanent with a permission for an indefinite period of time.
A long-term permit can be received by the foreigners who:
have a permit issued by the authorities of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy to work in the Republic of Bulgaria under an employment contract;
carry out trade or other activities in the country in compliance with the labor legislation;
are enrolled as regular students at licensed educational institutions;
are foreign specialists staying in the country as per certain international agreements of which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party;
have a reason to get a permit for permanent residence, or are married either to a Bulgarian citizen or to other foreign persons that have permits for permanent stay;
are managers of representation offices of foreign trade companies registered with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
are financially secured parents of foreigners that have permits for permanent stay in the country;
have undergone a long medical treatment at a medical institution and have financial funds for medical treatment and support;
are correspondents of the foreign media and have their credentials in the Republic of Bulgaria;
have pensions secured and have at their disposal enough funds for support in the country;
carry out activities as per the Law on Foreign Investments;
carry out activities as per the order or request of persons that have made investments in the country pursuant to the Law on Foreign Investments;
are members of the family of a foreigner who has a permit for permanent residence.
A foreigner who has a permit for a long-term stay, can leave the country and then come back without any visa until expiring date of the permit.
A permit for permanent residence can be obtained by any foreigners, when:
they are of Bulgarian nationality;
two years after their marriage to a Bulgarian citizen or to any other foreign person who has a permit for permanent residence in the country;
juvenile and minor children of a Bulgarian citizen, or of a foreign person with a permit for permanent residence in the country, who are not married;
parents of Bulgarian citizens;
persons staying permanently in Bulgaria on legal grounds during the last five years, not including in this term the period of regular education at the licensed Bulgarian educational institution;
persons who have made investments in the country amounting to more than $250,000.00, as per the law.
A foreigner who has a permit for permanent residence can enter and leave the country without any visa.
The foreigners who have entered the country for one reason, shall not be allowed to prolong their stay on the grounds of another reason, except emergency cases that cannot be delayed or if there is a marriage with a Bulgarian citizen.
A comprehensive first-hand information on visa issues is available from the Consular Section of the Bulgarian Embassy in London or via their website: www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk
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