Bulgaria

Information for all students

All students should note, Bulgaria is now a full member of the Schengen area as of January 1st 2025. This means that the visa free days you spend in Bulgaria now add to the total 90 visa-free days allowed in Schengen area.

Students should ensure that their passports are signed and stamped when entering and exiting Border Control. These stamps will prove the duration of your visit and, more importantly, prove to the visa official that you have not overstayed your 90-day visit. 

It is important to understand the Schengen 90/180 rule. You are allocated 90 visa-free days to use within the Schengen Zone, however you must remember these are rolling days and are added onto a cumulative total of days in the Schengen region. Leaving and entering does not reset your calculator – only leaving for a period of 90 days in a non-Schengen country will reset your visa-free 90-day allowance.

Read more about the Schengen rules

Studying for less than 3 months

All students can enter Bulgaria for up to 90 days in a 180-day period to complete the following activities:

• tourism
• visiting for family or friends
• attending business meetings
• cultural or sports event
• short-term studies or training

Depending on nationality, you may need a visa to enter Bulgaria for up to 90 days, as part of a short-study stay.

UK students are exempt from needing a visa to enter Bulgaria to study for a duration of up to 90 days.

A short-stay visa is issued to a foreigner who enters the country once or multiple times for a total term of up to 90 days, within 6 months of the date of the first entry.

Gather your documents

In order to apply for a short-stay visa, you must gather the following documents:

• regular foreign travel document
• photocopy of the pages of the foreign travel document, including your personal information and any previous visas and/or permits
• recent passport-size, colour photograph
• proof of sufficient means of subsistence*
• documents certifying the possession of the required funds for accommodation⁺
• proof of accommodation in a tourist facility, or an invitation-declaration from intended host
• confirmation that your intended host intends to cover all occurring costs for the period of your stay in Bulgaria (if applicable)
• documents certifying the possession of the required funds to leave the country, or a ticket proving intention to return to home country
• insurance policy

*Amounting to a minimum of EUR 50 per day of the stay requested with the visa application/equivalent in another convertible currency. A document of prepaid tourist services is also acceptable.

⁺At least EUR 50 per day of the stay requested with the visa/equivalent in another convertible currency. A document of prepaid tourist services is also acceptable.

Discover the full list of required documents.

How to apply

Applications for a short-term visa should be submitted to one of the four VFS Global Centres in the UK: London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Cardiff.

Studying for more than 3 months

A long-stay visa covers a stay of up to 6 months/1 year and can be issued to:

• foreigners who perform science research
• students under tuition programmes for up to one year
• post-graduate or trainee students
• foreigners sent on assignment by a foreign employer to perform specific tasks

Gather your documents

Students who wish to apply for the long-stay National visa (D) must gather the following documents:

• visa application form
• regular foreign travel document
• photocopy of the pages of the foreign travel document, including your personal information and any previous visas and/or permits
• recent passport-size, colour photograph
• original documents substantiating the application for a long-stay visa under the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act and the Regulation on its implementation
• 2 copies of the original documents
• proof of sufficient means of subsistence
• proof of accommodation
• proof of funds for accommodation
• health insurance

Discover the full list of required documents.

How to apply

Your long-stay visa application should be submitted at the nearest Bulgarian Consulate in your home country.

Working for less than 3 months

If you are working in Bulgaria for up to 90 days in a 12-month period, you must register for short–term employment.

Prior to applying for a visa, students must make sure their employer applies for an approval for the issuance of a single permit at the Employment Agency. Approval depends upon the labour market test.

Your employer must show that:

• they have actively searched for a suitable candidate for the past 15 days
• there are no Bulgarian/EEA/Swiss nationals that match the required profile
• there are no long-term residents of Bulgaria or non-EU works that match the required profile
• there is no possibility of training existing personnel for the role
  

Citizens of third countries, posted to the Republic of Bulgaria by their foreign employer for a period 3–12 months, can perform certain tasks without a work permit, based on a one-time registration of employment with the Employment Agency.

Workers from third countries can carry out labour activities in the Republic of Bulgaria for the specific receiving enterprise only. You may only carry out work after receiving an approved declaration from the Employment Agency.

Gather your documents

Students applying for short-term employment must gather the following documents:

• UK passport with 2 blank pages, valid for 3 months after your intended departure date
• 3 completed original application forms (not photocopies), signed and stamped by the Bulgarian company
• service contract between your UK employer and the Bulgarian company
• assignment agreement with your UK employer
• declaration of compliance with Bulgarian labour laws
• original company registration certificate for the UK company
• confirmation letter issued by your UK employer, detailing the terms and conditions of your short-term work

Employer responsibilities

Your Host employer must register your employment with the central administration of the Employment Agency, either in person or by registered post. If sending it by post, they must ensure they get evidence of delivery (e.g.: a return receipt). This is to show it was submitted at least 10 days before you’re due to start work.

Once you're registers, your Host employer must notify the General Labour Inspectorate of where you’ll be working. They must do this within 7 days of registering your employment.

Working for more than 3 months

Prior to starting work, your employer must submit your work permit application to the Bulgarian Migration Directorate (local authority). Once your work permit has been approved, you can go ahead and apply for your visa.

UK Students must apply for a National visa D. You can then collect your work permit once you get to Bulgaria. If you’re staying longer than your visa allows, you must also apply for a Residence Permit.

Gather your documents

In order to apply for your Single Permit, you must gather the following documents:

• copy of national ID
• certificate showing no previous convictions, issued by your country of origin/country of usual residence
• evidence of stable, regular and sufficient maintenance funds (without referring to the social assistance system)*
• proof of accommodation
• health insurance
• proof of secondary professional education (or higher), or specific professional qualifications and experience corresponding to the objective requirements of the occupation (if required by the employer)

*In an amount no lower than the minimal monthly work salary/minimal stipend/minimal pension for the country, covering the duration of your stay in Bulgaria.

Discover the full list of required documents.

How to apply

Once your work permit has been approved, you should apply at the nearest Bulgarian Embassy/Consulate in your home country.

Upon arrival

Once you arrive, you have five days to notify the competent authorities of your residence address.