Foreign travel advice

Bulgaria

Entry requirements

This page reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.

The authorities in Bulgaria set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Bulgarian Embassy in the UK.

COVID-19 rules

There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering Bulgaria.

Passport validity requirements

Although Bulgaria is not yet part of the Schengen area, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements to travel there.

To enter Bulgaria (and all Schengen countries) your passport must:

  • have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive. Passports issued after 1 October 2018 are now valid for only 10 years, but for passports issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added if you renewed a passport early

  • have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document, or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Checks at border control

Make sure you get your passport stamped.

If you’re a visitor, your passport may be stamped when you enter and leave Bulgaria. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you have not overstayed the 90-day visa-free limit for stays in Bulgaria. If your passport was not stamped, border guards will presume you have overstayed the visa-free limit.

If your passport was not stamped, show evidence of when and where you entered or left Bulgaria (for example, boarding passes or tickets) and ask the border guards to add the date and location in your passport.

Read about passport stamping if you live in Bulgaria.

At Bulgarian border control, you may also need to:

  • show proof of your accommodation, for example, a hotel booking confirmation or proof of address for a second home

  • show proof of your travel insurance
  • show a return or onward ticket
  • prove that you have enough money for your stay – the amount varies depending on your accommodation

If you have a Withdrawal Agreement residence document for another country, your passport might still be stamped if you are a visitor to Bulgaria.

Visa requirements

Bulgaria is not currently part of the Schengen area. Visits to Bulgaria do not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in the Schengen area.

You can travel to Bulgaria for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel:

  • as a tourist
  • to visit family or friends
  • to attend business meetings cultural or sports events
  • for short-term studies or training

From 31 March 2024, Bulgaria will partially join Schengen. At this point, Bulgaria will only join Schengen for border control-free travel via air and sea. Border controls will remain at all land and river borders, including those within the Schengen zone. Visits to any other Schengen countries in the 180 days before you travel to Bulgaria will count towards your 90 day visa-free limit.

From 31 March 2024 if you’re travelling to Bulgaria (and all other Schengen countries) without a visa, make sure your whole visit to the Schengen area is within the 90-day limit.

To stay longer (to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons), you must meet the Bulgarian government’s entry requirements. Check which type of visa or work permit you need with the Bulgarian Embassy.

If you stay in Bulgaria with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and certificates you need in TravelHealthPro’s Bulgaria guide.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Bulgaria. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Taking food and drink into the EU

You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food. Check the rules about taking food and drink into the EU on the European Commission website.

Taking money into Bulgaria

Only exchange money at licensed exchange points, banks or hotels.