"Bulgaria is a charming, wonderful, difficult country, and I fell in love with it"- Garth Greenwell. We can see that most people see eye to eye with Garth Greenwell (famous writer). Being the oldest country in the world makes Bulgaria famous all over the world. Also, the country is well-known for its lakes, mountains, plains, Black Sea Coast, rivers, hot springs, ancient buildings, etc. More than 10 million tourists travel to Bulgaria per year, and some of them want to settle there for a long period. To get a right to live in Bulgaria, they must obtain a long-term visa. We believe that some of our readers have such a desire, too. So, here are the most crucial details about the Bulgaria long stay visa for you.
• How to get a Bulgarian visa?
• Where to apply for a visa?
• What are the Bulgaria visa requirements?
• How long is the validation of the visa?
• What is the Bulgaria visa policy?
• How much is the Bulgaria visa fee?
Bulgaria visa policy
Only the citizens of visa-waiver countries can visit Bulgaria without undergoing any visa application process. Depending on the purpose of the trip and planned stay duration, foreigners can apply for various visa types. Generally, we can divide them into three categories A, C, and D. Visa A is a transit visa. People who want to leave the transit area must apply for Bulgaria visa. If you want to spend 90 days in Bulgaria, you need a type C visa. It is a short-term visa that allows you to engage in activities such as tourism. The last one is type D. It is a long-term visa, and the reasons for these types are education, work, and visiting family.
Visa Free Countries
Visa-waiver nationalities can visit Bulgaria freely, but it is only for short-term visits. If they want to spend more than 90 days, they need to apply for a long-term visa. Which countries are on the visa-free list? There are 93 countries on the list of Bulgaria visa-free countries. As the list is long, we will mention just some of them as an example. In all other countries, you can check on official websites.
• Argentina
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Costa Rica
• Czech Republic
• El Salvador
• Hong Kong
• Luxembourg
• Marshall Islands
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Timor-Leste (East Timor)
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
Long-term Visa
Bulgaria long stay visa is issued for people who want to stay for more than 90 days in Bulgaria. The visa is valid for six months, and the maximum stay is 180 days. Researchers, students (under one year of study), graduate students, interns, people sent on business voyages on behalf of a foreign company can obtain a valid visa for a year. Also, representatives of investors can receive long-stay permissions to perform various tasks. Is it a single or multiple entry visa? You will have a chance to enter the country several times within the validation period. It has three subcategories related to reasons of application:
• Study Long-term Visa
• Work Long-term Visa
• Family Reunion Visa
A Type Visa. It has only one version.
C Type Visa: Tourist Visa, Business Visit Visa, Private Visit Visa, Medical Treatment Visa, Sports Visa, Cultural Exchange Visa
D Type Visa: Study Visa, Work Visa, Family Reunion Visa
How to get a Bulgarian visa?
Getting a Bulgarian visa is a dream for thousands of people. These people need to complete five steps during the Bulgaria long term visa application process. All of these steps required full attention from applicants. Some details that seem insignificant to you may cause big problems. Even some of them can lead to visa rejection. When we look at rejection reasons, we can see that the main reason is missing documents.
You will follow the steps below:
1. Arranging an appointment
2. Collecting the required documents
3. Paying the Bulgaria visa fee
4. Attending the interview
5. Waiting for long-stay visa processing
Where to apply for a visa? People can apply for a Bulgaria visa in visa application centres, embassies, or consulates, whichever admits applications for visas in your residence country. If you can't find any of them in your country, you need to apply to the nearest consulate or embassy to your location.
Study Visa
Education abroad is good for an academic or professional career and is beneficial for understanding people with different cultural backgrounds. During that period, you will learn to handle most of your problems by yourself. There are several universities and colleges in Bulgaria that can attract your attention. Some of them are Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, New Bulgarian University, Technical University of Sofia, Angel Kanchev University of Ruse, University of Plovdiv Paisii Hilendarski, Medical University-Varna, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo etc. It is valid for 3-6 months, but if your education lasts longer, you can apply for a Bulgaria long term visa extension. Before starting the Bulgaria long term visa application process, you must receive an acceptance letter from one of the higher education institutions in Bulgaria. You will need to provide some details and documents:
● Bulgaria visa application form. You will fill it in English, sign, and date.
• Photos. Candidates will provide two photographs on white background, without a smile, and with clear facial features. Your face must cover 70-80% of the photo, and do not wear clothes matching the background.
• Passport and a copy; The provided passport must be valid for at least three months before leaving the territory, and it must have a minimum of two free visa pages.
• Previous visa copies
• National Identity Card
• Visa copy or residence permit. You will need it if your country of resistance and citizenship different
• Medical insurance. The minimum amount should be 30,000 euros, and it must cover the whole planned stay duration.
• Proof of professional status; Contract or certificate of employment, evidence of pension, school attendance certificate, etc
• Sufficient amount of money to cover all expenses (eating, accommodation, travelling, etc) during the planned education period
• Evidence of accommodation; It can be a rental contract or letter from the university if you live in the dormitory.
• Reservation of flight ticket
• Document of civil status: Marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of spouse, etc
• If you have children and they travel with you: birth certificate, copy of the family book, letter of consent from a parent, etc.
The Work Visa
It is for people who have a work permit by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. To apply for a work visa, you need to have a job position with an employer in Bulgaria. How much money can I earn? Incomes change between 840-14700 BGN. It is equal to 500- 8800 USD per month. Of course, such as in other parts of the world, having certificates, diplomas, and having other qualities related to the profession will affect your income. Bulgaria visa requirements for work (Bulgaria visa application form, passport, etc) are almost the same as study visas. You will need the same documents (additionally, work permit and employment contract). Can I extend my visa? Yes, foreigners can apply for a Bulgaria long term visa extension in Immigration Department. Having a job while applying will increase your chance of extension.
Family Reunion Visa
The last subcategory of long-stay visa is Family Reunion Visa. Who can apply for Bulgaria visa? People who have family members in Bulgaria can apply for a visa. It allows you to stay in the country for a long period and obtain a permit for long-term residence in Bulgaria. Differ from the other two types, and you will need some additional documents.
• Details of spouse; Copy of the passport, certificate of residence of the spouse (not older than 180 days)
• Marriage Certificate
• Divorce judgment of previous marriages or death certificate of an ex-spouse if you have been married before
• The criminal record. Having illegal activities in recent months will cause a problem.
• Details of self-funding (cash, credit card, traveler's cheques, payslips, bank statements for at least three last months)
• In case of sponsor: Sponsorship letter, copy of the first page of the sponsor's passport and current account bank statement (six months)
• You may need to provide some other documents in the embassy
The Visa Fee and Processing time
Applicants will need to pay some amount of money as a visa charge. It is needed to cover all expenses of visa application. How much does it cost? The average visa fee is 100 USD. It may vary depending on the country of the applicant.
I finished all the steps; how long will I wait? The average processing time is 5-25 working days. Workload, national holidays, and other things may cause an extension. Do not worry, as they will get in touch with you as soon as possible. So, give current contact details in the application and check your phone and email for information.
In conclusion, Bulgaria is an excellent place to start a new life and reach your goals.
