We at Foreigner.bg get a lot of questions about Schengen visa, if is Bulgaria in Schengen area if is needed to visit Bulgaria, and if Schengen visas issue for other EU member states is valid in Bulgaria, in this post we will try to explain in details how is the Bulgarian situation.
What is Schengen stands for?
Nowadays, Schengen mainly stands for the so-called Schengen area, within which no border checks are conducted at the common internal borders, which thus can be crossed nearly anywhere at any time, that means you don’t have to show your passport at the border of every single country you cross through.
Whats the difference between Europe, The schengen Area, and the EU?
Not all of the countries in the EU are part of the Schengen zone, and not all of the countries in the Schengen zone are part of the EU, but they are all in Europe.
The Schengen Area consists of 22 European Union member states and four non-members who are members of EFTA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Their citizens and permanent residenctes do not need a visa to travel to Bulgaria.
Although the United Kingdom is not a member of the Schengen Area, British citizens can travel across Europe visa-free for a maximum of 90 days.
With the UK set to leave the EU, the Withdrawal Agreement envisages a transition period during which the EU rules for free movement of people will continue to apply to UK nationals and their family members. During the transition period they will be able to use their passports up to their date of validity for entry and exit from the Republic of Bulgaria..
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania are not yet part of the Schengen Area but, nonetheless, have a visa policy that is based on the Schengen system.
The situation in Bulgaria
The requirements when entering Bulgaria; a foreigner may enter the Republic of Bulgaria if he/ she is a has a passport as well as a visa if required.
Until the date of Bulgaria’s full accession to the Schengen zone, Bulgaria applies a visa-free system for holders of valid Schengen visas.
What does this mean?
Means that allow holders of Schengen visas and residence permits to enter and reside in the Republic of Bulgaria for a period of no more than three months in any six-month period from the date of first entry, without needing to have a Bulgarian short-stay visa.
What happened for citizens of states that do not need Schengen visa?
Citizens of countries who do not require a visa for a short stay will have their travel documents, as well as other entry conditions, checked at the external borders of the Schengen area. Once in the Schengen area, their rights will be the same as those of a Schengen visa holder.
What about holders of valid visas and residence permits issued by Romania, Cyprus, and Croatia?
Bulgaria applies a visa-free system for holders of valid visas and residence permits issued by Romania, Cyprus, and Croatia for a stay of up to 90 days. They will have the right to enter and stay in the Republic of Bulgaria for a period of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, without needing to have a Bulgarian short-stay visa.
List of countries that need a Shengen Visa:
| Afghanistan | Guinea | |
| Algeria | Guinea-Bissau | Philippines |
| Angola | Guyana | Qatar |
| Armenia | Haiti | Russia |
| Azerbaijan | India | Rwanda |
| Bahrain | Indonesia | Samoa |
| Bangladesh | Iran | Sao Tome And Principe |
| Belarus | Iraq | Saudi Arabia |
| Belize | Jamaica | Senegal |
| Benin | Jordan | Sierra Leone |
| Bhutan | Kazakhstan | |
| Bolivia | Kenya | Somalia |
| Botswana | South Africa | |
| Burkina Faso | Kuwait | Sri Lanka |
| Burma/Myanmar | Kyrgyzstan | St Lucia |
| Burundi | Laos | St Vincent & The Grenadines |
| Cambodia | Lebanon | Sudan |
| Cameroon | Lesotho | Suriname |
| Cape Verde | Liberia | Swaziland |
| Central African Republic | Libya | Syria |
| Chad | Madagascar | Tajikistan |
| China | Malawi | Tanzania |
| Maldives | Thailand | |
| Comoros | Mali | Timor-Leste |
| Congo | Marshall Islands | Togo |
| Cote D’ivoire | Mauritania | Tonga |
| Cuba | Micronesia | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Dem. Rep. Of Congo | Moldova | Tunisia |
| Djibouti | Mongolia | Turkey |
| Dominica | Morocco | Turkmenistan |
| Dominican Republic | Mozambique | |
| Ecuador | Namibia | Uganda |
| Egypt | Nauru | |
| Equatorial Guinea | Nepal | Uzbekistan |
| Eritrea | Niger | Vanuatu |
| Ethiopia | Nigeria | Vietnam |
| Fiji | North Korea | Yemen |
| Gabon | Northern Mariana’s | Zambia |
| Gambia | Oman | Zimbabwe |
| Pakistan | Kosova | |
| Ghana | Palau | |
| Grenada | Papua New Guinea |
There’s a common misconception that your Schengen zone visa restarts (gives you another 90 days) when you leave the Schengen zone and return in the same 180 day period. Unfortunately, as outlined above, this is NOT how it works.
Keep in mind that the visa system is always very dynamic and you have to be ready for changes, for your own good, if you would like to travel to Bulgaria is important you get in contact with the Bulgarian Embassy in your country and ask them what you will need to visit Bulgaria.
