Currently Bulgaria issues national visas only. Those visas do not give their holders the right to enter the Schengen area.
Students from non-EU countries may need a visa to enter the territory of Bulgaria. Ordinance on the terms and conditions for issuing visas and determining the visa regime can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: here.
Holders of valid Schengen visas have the right 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 the first entry, without need to have a Bulgarian short-stay visa. Anyway it is an option only for part-time students or doctoral degree students. For full time studies candidates need to obtain a visa type D.
The types of visas issued to foreigners are as follows:
# When is it issued?
A long-stay visa is issued to a foreigner who wishes to settle for a long term or permanently in the Republic of Bulgaria.
# Stay duration
A long-stay visa of up to 6 months and a right to stay of up to 180 days is issued to foreigners who wish to settle for a long term or permanently in the Republic of Bulgaria (under article 15, paragraph 1 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act)
A long-stay visa with a validity term of up to one year and a right to stay up to 360 days may be issued to foreigners who perform science research or are students under tuition programmes for up to one year, post-graduate or trainee students, foreigners sent on assignment by a foreign employer for the performance of specific tasks, related to control and coordination of a tourist services contract as well as foreigners sent on assignment by a foreign employer for implementing investments under the Investment Promotion Act (under article 15, paragraph 2 of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act).
# Definition
The long-stay visa entitles the holder to multiple entries in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria within its validity term.
The long-stay is cancelled on issuing a permit of stay by the authorities for administrative control of foreigners.
# Application
The application for issuing a long-stay visa is submitted only in the diplomatic and consular missions at the permanent place of residence of the applicant or the missions accredited in the state of the applicant’s permanent residence. Information on the diplomatic and consular missions for all countries is available: click here.
Persons staying legally in a third country, different from the country of their permanent residence, may, as an exception, apply in this third country after explaining the reasons thereof and if their return to the state of permanent residence is guaranteed.
# A requirement for an interview with the applicant
No exception shall be made from the requirement for a personal interview when applying for a long-stay visa.
# Documents to be presented by the applicant
When applying for the issue of a long-stay visa the applicant shall present the following documents:
# Other requirements
In order to obtain long-stay permission, the person should have a home, obligatory health insurance, sufficient subsistence means, without resorting to the social assistance system, amounting to at least the minimum monthly wage or the minimum pension according to Bulgarian law for the period of stay.
# Initial application
On the initial application for permission for stay the persons who are over the age of 18, with the exception of the stateless persons, shall present a previous convictions certificate issued by the state whose citizens are or by the state of their customary residence.
For more information about Visa issues and Residence permits see the information on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: click here.
Non-EU citizens are required to register at Varna Migration Office within five days after their arrival to Bulgaria.
All students from non-EU countries studying at the University of Economics - Varna must apply for Residence Permit Cards (RPC) at Varna Migration Office of the National Migration Directorate before their Visa type D expires. Upon registration and approval, the students will obtain an official permission to stay and study in the country for a period of 6 or 12 months. The RPC must be renewed before its expiration date every time until the study course of the non-EU citizen ends. Failure to renew the RPC on time may result in financial sanctions or deportation.
Each student must hold a valid RPC at all times during his/her studies at UE-Varna. This permission is granted upon submission of a verification issued by UE-Varna to certify that the applicant is registered as a student at the university.
Required documents for a residence permit:
Note that every student is responsible for his/her residence permit card and all other personal documents.
Please, contact the International Relations Office for assistance with the registration procedure and the required documentation.
The grounds for issuance of long-term residence certificates are:
In order to apply for a long-term residence certificate, the European citizen should submit an application to the Varna Migration Office of the National Migration Directorate within three months after his/her first entry in the Republic of Bulgaria.
In case some of the necessary documents are missing or not valid, the European citizen shall be granted a seven-day term to correct them. If the person fails to correct the omissions within this term the competent authority shall deny the issuance of a long-term residence certificate.
The right of entry and the right of residence in the Republic of Bulgaria of a European citizen may be restricted in exceptional cases and on grounds related to national security, public order or public health.
Please, contact the International Relations Office for assistance with the registration procedure and the required documentation.
