Bulgaria Visa Application at Delhi Embassy “Requirements & Process”

Are you planning to visit Bulgaria from India? If yes, read this in-depth guide on a Bulgaria visa from Delhi, which provides extensive details on the online application process through the Bulgarian embassy.

The residents of Delhi are required to get a visa for Bulgaria before leaving their home country. Besides, the application process for a visa can be quite complex if you are visiting the country or the Schengen Area for the first time. Thus, this article delves into the tiny details of the Bulgarian visa process that will help you till the end.

Moreover, you will also come to know about visa types, document requirements, visa fees, some tips for a successful application, and FAQs to clear your concerns. 

Therefore, stay connected with us through this guide!

Is Bulgaria a Part of the Schengen Area?

Yes, as of January 1st, 2025, Bulgaria is a full member of the Schengen Area, with checks on persons at internal land borders lifted. 

Partial Integration

Bulgaria and Romania were partially integrated into the Schengen Area on March 31, 2024, with the lifting of checks at internal air and sea borders. 

Full Membership

Yet, on January 1, 2025, the Council decided to remove checks on travelers also at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania, making them full members of the Schengen Area. 

Council Decision

So, the Council Decision (EU) 2024/210 of 30 December 2023 on the full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania.

Yet, as of 31 March 2024, the Republic of Bulgaria is part of the Schengen Area by initially abolishing checks at internal air and sea borders. 

Bulgarian Embassy Located in New Delhi

The residents of Delhi can apply for a Bulgarian visa at the Bulgarian Embassy in New Delhi. However, the embassy supports visa applications and other visa & consular matters for Indians as well as Bulgarians residing in India. 

Here are the details about the embassy. 

Location on Map

Address: 6/17 Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi – 110021

Phone: +91 11 2611 5550

Working Hours: Monday to Friday – 9.00 AM to 1.00 PM; 2.00 PM to 6.00 PM

Fax No: +911126876190

Appointment Email Address: consular.delhi@mfa.bg

Email Address: Embassy.Delhi@mfa.bg, bgembdelhi@yahoo.com

Website Address: http://www.mfa.bg/

Jurisdiction of the Bulgarian Embassy 

Yet, the Bulgarian Embassy in New Delhi, India, has jurisdiction over India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. 

So, here is a more detailed breakdown of the Embassy`s jurisdiction.

Countries Covered

The embassy in New Delhi handles consular matters for Bulgarian citizens and provides visa services for individuals wishing to travel to Bulgaria from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. 

Consular Services

This includes assisting Bulgarian citizens with passport issues, providing information about visas, and handling other consular matters. 

Services Provided by the Bulgarian Embassy in New Delhi

The Bulgarian Embassy in India, located in New Delhi, provides consular services, including the processing of visa applications, and represents Bulgaria’s interests in India.

Moreover, it also assists the visa applicants in the following matters. 

What is a Bulgaria Visa from Delhi?

A Bulgaria visa is an official permit required by Indian citizens traveling from Delhi to enter the target state for tourism, business, work, or study purposes. Since India is not on the list of visa-free countries, the applicants should get a pre-approved visa before leaving their home country.

As stated earlier, Bulgaria joined the Schengen Area completely on January 1, 2025. This means that a Bulgarian visa allows the holder to travel across all 29 Schengen member states for a particular purpose and stay duration.

Typically, the most commonly used visa type permits the resident of Delhi to stay in Bulgaria for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

What are the Types of Bulgaria Visas for which Delhi Residents can apply?

Delhi residents can apply for various Bulgaria visa types, including short-stay (Type C) for tourism or business and long-stay (Type D) for family reunification, work, education, or immigration. 

Here is a breakdown of the main types of Bulgarian visas.

1. Short-Stay Visa (Type C)

Yet, this visa type is suitable for tourism, business trips, or other short-term visits of up to 90 days within 180 days. 

It is a Schengen visa that allows holders to enter and stay in Bulgaria for a period that depends on the visa validity, but no more than 3 months within 6 months from the date of the first entry. Furthermore, it is rare for a short-stay visa to be extended unless in extreme circumstances, such as humanitarian reasons, force majeure, or medical complexities.

The following types of visas are issued under the Schengen visa category.

2. Long-Stay Visa (Type D)

Yet, this visa is required for longer stays in Bulgaria, such as for work, family reunification, education, or immigration. 

This is a precondition for all non-EU nationals who would like to apply for a Bulgarian residence permit. Moreover, having a Type D visa also allows you to extend it if your course duration and work contract are still valid. For this purpose, you need to renew your visa before the previous one expires.

You can apply for a work visa (which allows Indian citizens to travel to the target country after securing a job offer from a potential Bulgarian company/organization), a study visa (designed for those students who get accepted into a Bulgarian educational institute), or an investment visa (offers residency to individuals contributing to the national economy of the country) under a Bulgarian long-term or National visa category. 

3. Airport Transit Visa

If you are transiting through Bulgaria’s airport while traveling to a non-Schengen destination state, you may need an airport transit visa (Type A). So, this visa allows you to stay only within the airport’s transit area and requires a separate application. Typically, it only has a validity period of 48 to 72 hours.

4. Other Visa Types:

Apart from the above-mentioned visa categories, Delhi residents can also seek the following types of visas, keeping in mind the exact purpose of traveling to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria Family Reunion Visa: For Delhi residents who want to join their family members who are Bulgarian citizens or permanent residents for a long duration of period. 

Bulgaria Sports Visa: For athletes and sports teams participating in events in Bulgaria. 

Bulgarian Citizen Spouse Visa: This visa is issued to spouses of Bulgarian citizens. 

What are the Document Requirements for a Bulgaria Visa from Delhi?

To apply for a Bulgaria visa from Delhi, you will need to meet the required criteria set by the Bulgarian authorities. 

Below is the list of documents you will need for your Bulgaria visa from Delhi. 

Valid Passport

Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months after your intended departure from Bulgaria. Moreover, your passport must have two blank pages for stamping your visa. Another criterion that should be fulfilled when submitting your passport is that it should not be older than the last ten years and should be free from any damage or signs of wear/tear. If this is not the case, ensure to renew it before starting the visa application process.  

Passport-Size Photographs

You will need at least two passport-size photographs to attach to your visa application form. So, make sure the photographs have a white background and are 35mm by 45mm in size. Other than that, applicants also need to make sure that the photographs are of HD quality, colored print, and matte finish. Avoid wearing any accessories or headgear, except for religious purposes only. In addition, the photo must cover 70-80% of the face and shoulder of the candidate. Violating any of these guidelines will result in instant visa rejection.

Round-Trip Flight Reservation

Provide evidence of your return travel plans, such as a booked dummy flight ticket for visa or a confirmed booking that you can get from Schengen Flight Reservation for Visa easily. This is mandatory to submit to prove that you will not overstay your visa and will return to your home country within the validity of the permit. Moreover, reserving a flight instead of purchasing an actual ticket before the application is approved is recommended by the Schengen embassies/consulates around the world. This is to help avoid the travelers/applicants from spending thousands of dollars on tickets before the visa has been granted.

Travel Health Insurance

Proof of valid travel health insurance for Schengen visa​ covering the entire duration of your stay in Bulgaria is one of the most crucial visa requirements. Why? Because the Schengen Area countries have made it compulsory for all travelers from around the world to have a valid travel health insurance policy to cope with expensive medical treatments in a distant land. Thus, the insurance policy must have an amount of 45,000 euros to cover accident, surgery, hospitalization, death, repatriation, evacuation, luggage loss, flight cancellation, etc.

Therefore, ensure that you choose a reliable service provider in this regard.

 Proof of Accommodation

Provide proof of where you will be staying in Bulgaria, such as a dummy hotel booking for Schengen visa or an invitation letter from the Bulgarian host. Similar to a flight reservation for visa, submitting proof of accommodation also holds immense importance in the visa application process. This ensures the authorities that you have managed the place of your stay in the target country and will not put a burden on the target country’s resources.

Additionally, you can also submit a rental contract for an apartment/house in this regard. Just need to ensure that the document contains the name, address, contact details of the chosen place, along with the check-in/check-out dates/time, and the reservation ID. 

Proof of Sufficient Funds

Demonstrate that you have enough money to cover your expenses during your trip through bank statements or other financial documents, such as an ITR or sponsorship letter. Insufficient bank balance or large, sudden deposits showcase that you are not eligible to travel to Bulgaria and manage your expenses on your own. Thus, this will lead to active participation in illegal activities or immigration practices. Therefore, the visa officials will discard your application.

So, consider this visa requirement as of utmost importance during the application process. Moreover, you may also be required to bear expenses related to food, accommodation, and transportation on daily basis.

Cover Letter for Bulgaria Visa

A personalized cover letter for the Bulgaria visa, demonstrating your itinerary to the visa officer, should also be attached with the rest of the visa essentials. So, a compelling letter that increases the chances of approval can be obtained from CLFV (Cover Letter for Visa), written by experts. This is considered an additional or supporting document that can increase your application approval chances if done correctly. Moreover, it also allows you a bigger window to present your case from a personal perspective to convince the officials to grant you the visa.

Supporting Documents (Depending on the Type of Visa)

Steps to Apply for a Bulgaria Visa from Delhi at the Embassy

So, follow these simple steps to apply for a Bulgarian visa from Delhi at the embassy. 

For this purpose, you can either visit the website of the Bulgarian Embassy or VFS Global. This guide discusses both the method simultaneously, as some steps can be completed with the help of the official Bulgarian diplomatic mission, whereas others can be done through VFS Global.

Step 1: Fill out the Bulgaria Visa Application Form 

After going through the section on visa types and choosing a suitable option according to the purpose of your visit, the first step is to fill out the application form. The application form can be downloaded from the embassy website.

After visiting the embassy, click on the “Consular Section” as shown in the image.

Then, click on “Travel to Bulgaria” from the list of contents in the left bar. 

After that, click on “Visa Application Forms” to download it. 

So, a list of application forms will be shown on the screen, and you can download the form in your preferred language.

Fill out the application form and attach all the required documents with the form to be submitted to the authorities.

Step 2: Schedule the Appointment

The appointment is only scheduled through the VAC (Visa Application Center). 

To schedule the appointment for a Bulgaria visa, make sure to complete this step early. This is because appointment slots are fill in too quickly.

If you already have an account at VFS Global, just log in and schedule the appointment. Otherwise, create an account first. 

Step 3: Visit the Bulgarian Embassy

On the day of the appointment, visit the Bulgarian Embassy 30 minutes early for the appointment time. The details about the embassy have already been shared at the start of the article. 

To know what happened at the VAC/embassy, read the following guidelines below. This step is particularly needed to submit your documents and application form for a Bulgaria visa from Delhi.

 Step 4: Pay the Visa Fees

After attending a short visa interview and submission of the Bulgaria visa application, the next step is to pay the visa fees, in cash or online, as mentioned by the embassy. 

However, the general visa fee for a Bulgarian visa is listed below.

Remember: If you are applying for a long-term stay visa, then fees can vary depending on the duration of the visa, with fees ranging from 100 to 200 Euros.

Step 5: Track Your Visa Application

So, after the submission of visa fees, the embassy will give you a payment recipient in which the reference number of your visa application is already mentioned.

You can use this reference number to track your visa application online through the VFS Global tracker. This requires you to enter the application reference number and your date of birth in the given space and hit submit to check the status.

It is advisable to track your visa application regularly and check its processing status. 

Processing Time of Bulgaria Visa Application

Bulgaria visa processing times typically range from 15 to 20 business days for short-term visas, while long-term visas like work or student visas can take up to 60 days or three to six months during additional scrutiny, peak travel season, or high volume of applications at the embassy. 

Yet, the processing time depends on factors, such as:

1. Type of visa you have applied for
2. Completeness of application
3. Application volume
4. Additional assessment is required 

Step 6: Collect Your Passport

Lastly, collect your passport from the embassy (if your application is approved) within the given time frame to avoid unnecessary issues. Moreover, read the instructions and guidelines in the image about passport collection. 

What are the Reasons for a Bulgaria Visa Rejection from Delhi?

If approval is not your answer and you get a rejection letter from the authorities, it could be due to insufficient financial health or weak ties to the home country. Yet, some reasons that may lead to the rejection of a visa application are:

1. An incomplete or incorrect application form leads to visa rejection. For instance, failure to provide the passport number or the applicant’s last name.
2. Besides, having issues with a passport, such as a soon-to-expire passport or one that is damaged or has signs of wear/tear.
3. You are not financially stable enough to cover your expenses. Moreover, sudden large deposits or borrowed money also result in your application being turned down. 
4. Moreover, you have an unclear intention or travel plans to return to the country of your origin. This can be eliminated by providing strong ties to your home state, including proof of employment, property ownership, or family commitments.
5. Having a previous criminal record or security concerns that demonstrate your ineligibility and weak moral character. Moreover, it also poses the applicant as a threat to the national and public security.
6. Health issues, such as acute or chronic disease, can also result in visa rejection.
7. A previous visa violation or poor travel history can raise doubts/concerns about your future visa applications. For instance, overstays or illegal activities in any of the Schengen countries are a part of this.
8. Lastly, failure to attend or pass a visa interview can jeopardize your Bulgarian visa application from Delhi.

So, make sure that you follow the guidelines, fulfill the requirements, and prepare yourself fully before starting the process to ensure success.

FAQs- Bulgaria Visa from Delhi

Let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions by Delhi visa applicants about a Bulgaria visa. 

1. Is a Biometric Date Required for a Bulgaria Visa from Delhi?

Yes, biometric data is required for first-time applicants. If you are a frequent traveler, then you just need to verify your fingerprints because they are stored in the VIS (Visa Information System) for 5 years. 

2. Can I Get a Bulgaria Visa On Arrival?

No, Bulgaria does not offer visas on arrival to Indian passport holders. So, you must obtain a visa before traveling to the Schengen Area of Bulgaria.

3. What is the Best Time to Apply for a Bulgarian Visa from Delhi?

It is advisable to apply 3-6 months before your planned date of visit. The application takes time to process, and if further documentation is required. Therefore, always apply well in advance to avoid delays and rejections.

4. Can I travel to Germany or Italy with a Bulgarian visa?

Yes. Because Bulgaria is a part of the Schengen Area, having any visa type (Type C or D) allows you to travel freely across all the 29 member states of the Schengen Area for a specific duration or purpose.

5. How much do I need to pay for a Bulgaria visa from Delhi?

Usually, the amount depends on the visa type and the age group to which the applicant belongs. For instance, a short-stay visa is 90 (10,000 INR) euros while a long-stay visa is 110 euros (12,000 INR).

6. Where is the VFS Global center for Bulgaria located in Delhi?

From January 2026, the VFS Global center for Bulgaria has been relocated to a new facility in New Delhi, which is #27 K.G. Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001, operating Monday to Friday. So, it is no longer at the Shivaji Stadium Metro Station.

7. Do I need to attend a visa interview when planning to travel to Bulgaria?

It is mandatory for applicants to attend an interview at the Bulgarian Embassy in New Delhi when applying for a long-stay or Type D visa. However, interviews for short-stay visa applications are at the discretion of the visa officers. If they think that further clarification is required, they will request the applicant to attend the interview.

8. Is travel medical insurance mandatory?

Yes. Travelers visiting Bulgaria need to have travel medical insurance with a coverage amount of 30,000 euros, valid for the entire Schengen Area.

9. What are the photo requirements for a Bulgaria visa from Delhi?

Delhi residents must submit two passport-size photographs with dimensions of 35*45mm and a light-colored background. Moreover, the photo frame must cover 70-80% of the face and shoulders, and no reflection should be visible in the picture.

10. How can I book an appointment in Delhi for a Bulgarian visa?

If you are applying for a Bulgarian visa from Delhi, ensure to book your appointments through the official VFS Global portal. Usually, new appointment slots are released every second Monday of the month at 2:00 PM.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, it is safe to state that procuring a Bulgarian visa from Delhi is more valuable for Indian travelers after Bulgaria joins the Schengen Area. Whether you are planning a short-term type C Bulgarian visa for tourism and business purposes or a long-term type D Bulgarian visa for work and study purposes, you must prepare your financial documents, travel insurance papers, and other category-specific papers.

With the relocation of the VFS Global Delhi office and the standard processing time being 15 days, it is important to book your appointment in advance, ideally 6 to 8 weeks before your trip, to avoid peak season demands. By following the revised guidelines and updating your biometrics, you can enjoy a seamless transition from India to the heart of the Balkans.

Stay tuned for more updates from Schengen Flight Reservation for Visa.

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