Bulgaria Visa
A valid U.S. passport is required for U.S. citizens. Your U.S. passport must be valid for at least three (3) months from the expected date of departure from Bulgaria. U.S. citizens may stay in Bulgaria for a total of 90 days within any six-month period without a Bulgarian visa. This law is strictly enforced. Travelers who have been in the country for 90 days and then leave will not be able to re-enter Bulgaria before the six-month period expires. Please plan and apply for your visa early.
Visit the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Bulgarian Embassy website for the most current visa information.
Carry your U.S. passport at all times or a Bulgarian residence permit, known in Bulgaria as lichna karta.
U.S. passport cards are recognized as proof of citizenship and identity but are not sufficient for international air travel to and from Bulgaria.
Visitors are required to maintain medical insurance for the duration of stay in Bulgaria. You may be required to present proof of medical insurance at the port of entry. Medical evacuation insurance is recommended.
Traveling with Children Under 18 Years Old: Regulations apply to Bulgarian minors, Bulgarian-U.S. dual citizen minors, and U.S. citizen minors when one or both parents are Bulgarian.
If a Bulgarian or dual U.S. citizen-Bulgarian child is traveling out of Bulgaria with only one or no parent, the absent parent(s) must sign a declaration authorizing temporary custody for travel purposes. The declaration must be certified by a Bulgarian notary public. See more information on Bulgaria’s Border Police website. While not required, some travelers have been asked to produce a child’s birth certificate.
If the declaration is signed in the U.S., it must be certified by a U.S. notary public and the court in the jurisdiction where the notary is licensed, have an apostille, and be translated into Bulgarian by a licensed translation company.
If you fail to present the properly notarized and/or apostilled declaration, Bulgarian authorities will not allow you to depart the country with the child. The U.S. Embassy is unable to intervene in such circumstances.