Do Russians need a visa to Bulgaria in 2019? Russian citizens require a visa to visit Bulgaria, for which they must apply to Bulgarian visa centers or to the visa departments of the embassy.

A visa to Bulgaria is issued independently in the same way as when applying through a travel agency, the difference is that in the first case, documents must be submitted to the visa center yourself. In general, obtaining visas to Bulgaria is practically not associated with any difficulties, so Russian tourists travel to the country quite steadily.

Holders of valid Schengen visas types C and D can freely enter the territory of Bulgaria and stay there within the framework provided by the Schengen visa. The maximum period is 90 days within six months.

Types of visas to Bulgaria

Visas to Bulgaria for Russians in 2019 are obtained in the same order. This needs to be separately stated, since there was a lot of information that the Bulgarian side plans to issue visas to Russian tourists directly upon arrival in the country, but such a practice would be contrary to the rules of the European Union, of which Bulgaria is a member.

Documents for a visa to Bulgaria

Standard and mandatory package of documents

• A completed application form for a visa to Bulgaria (all fields of the application form must be filled out. The application form must be signed by the person traveling with his own hand);
• A valid international passport with a validity period of at least 3 months after the end of the intended trip (+ a copy of its first page). The owner's signature in the passport is required;
• Color photograph 3.5x4.5 on a light background (including for the child included in the passport);
• Health insurance policy valid in European countries for the entire duration of the trip. The amount of coverage must be at least 30 thousand euros;

Medical travel insurance for a visa to Bulgaria. Specify the country and travel dates, then select the appropriate option and issue a policy.

• Air tickets (copy) or confirmation of ticket booking or documents for the car (copy of registration certificate, copy of driver's license, copy of Green card, free form itinerary).

Tourist trip

• Confirmation of hotel reservation (fax copy/electronic reservation). The confirmation must include the names of all travelers, length of stay, and hotel details. It is also necessary that the invitation confirms that the applicant has paid for the hotel;
• Certificate from the place of employment on company letterhead with a stamp indicating the address, work telephone number, position and salary of the applicant. Pensioners have the right to provide a pension certificate instead of an income certificate;
• Evidence of sufficient funds for the trip (certificate of currency purchase, traveler's checks or current bank account statement, etc.) at the rate of 50 euros per night per person (but not less than 500 euros for the entire duration of the trip).

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Private visit

Transit

• Photocopy of the visa of the point (country) of destination;
• If the applicant has a visa-free regime, it is necessary to provide documents confirming the purpose of the trip (invitation, hotel reservation, real estate documents, etc.).

Business trip

• An invitation from a Bulgarian legal entity of the established form (original and photocopy);
• A letter of recommendation issued by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry or the Bulgarian-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Moscow, or a copy of the contract, certifying joint business activities and intentions related to upcoming trips;
• Certificate from the place of employment on company letterhead with a stamp, indicating the address, work telephone number, position and salary.

Traveling with children

For children, regardless of whether they are included in the parents’ passport or not, a separate form is filled out, to which

A complete set of documents is attached. In addition to the general list, you must provide the following documents:

• a copy of the child’s birth certificate (it is advisable to have the original with you);
• if a child is traveling accompanied by one of the parents or third parties, a notarized power of attorney for the removal of the child from the remaining parent and its copy, as well as a copy of the first page of the principal’s passport, is required.

If one of the parents is deceased or absent, it is necessary to provide the relevant documents (death certificate, original police certificate, copy of a single mother’s book, etc.).

Children over 6 years of age who are included in their parents' passport must have a photograph attached. Children over 14 years old must have their own passport.

Photo requirements

• The photo must be in color, size 3.5x4.5, on a light background (including for the child included in the passport).
• The face in the photo should be clear, large, only from the front and occupy 70-80% of the photo. The eyes should not be red.
• Photos with glasses with tinted lenses, photos taken in a homemade way or cut out from amateur photographs are not accepted.

Submission requirements

To speed up the application process, the documents attached to it must be folded in the following order:

• A completed application form for a visa to Bulgaria with a pasted photograph;
• International passport;
• Photocopy of the main page of the passport;
• Documents confirming the purpose of the trip;
• Insurance policy;
• Air ticket reservation;
• Certificate from place of work;
• Documents confirming the availability of sufficient funds;
• For minors traveling unaccompanied by parents or guardians: a copy of the birth certificate and a notarized copy of the exit permit from the parents;
• Additional documents.

Visa validity periods

Validity of short-term (entry) visas

• A single entry visa gives the right to a single entry and stay in the country for up to 90 days within 6 months from the date of entry. The specific length of stay is indicated on the visa sticker;
• A double entry visa gives the right to two entries and stay in the country for up to 90 days within 6 months from the date
  first entry. The specific length of stay is indicated on the visa sticker. However, double-entry visa holders cannot enter the country twice through the same border crossing;
• A three-month multiple entry visa is valid for three months. The visa gives the right to multiple entries and a total stay in Bulgaria for up to 90 days. The specific length of stay is indicated on the visa sticker;
• A six-month multiple entry visa is valid for six months. The visa gives the right to multiple entries and a total stay in Bulgaria for up to 90 days. The specific length of stay is indicated on the visa sticker;
• A multiple-entry annual entry visa is valid for twelve months. The visa gives the right to multiple entries and a total stay in Bulgaria for up to 90 days within six months from the date of first entry. The specific length of stay is indicated on the visa sticker.

A transit visa (single, double or multiple) gives the right to travel through the territory of Bulgaria to third countries with the possibility of staying in the country for up to five days for each entry.

Cost of a visa to Bulgaria in 2019

The following categories of citizens are exempt from paying the consular fee::

In case of visa refusal, the consular fee and service fee are not refunded.

Duration of obtaining a visa to Bulgaria

Short-stay visas and transit visas are issued within 4-6 working days (depending on the place of application), and urgent single-entry short-stay visas and urgent single-entry transit visas are issued within 48 hours. You can find out about the status of processing visa documents on the page.

Who doesn't need a visa

Citizens of a number of countries do not need a visa to Bulgaria. These are the countries of the European Union, USA, Great Britain, Japan, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and some others.

A visa is not required for a short-term stay on the territory of the republic for holders of valid double and multiple-entry Schengen visas, long-term visas, as well as residence permits issued by the Schengen countries. The only condition for holders of such visas is that the number of entries and the visa corridor of the Schengen visa must not be exhausted.

So you took the risk of organizing a holiday in Bulgaria on your own, and rightly so! that's the right decision! Why pay more when you can save on choosing your own vacation spot, route, transport and housing. And the money you save is better spent on yourself and get more pleasure and benefit for the same amount.

Bulgaria, namely Bulgaria, because it loves Russian tourists and gives them a pleasant, interesting holiday with low prices and high quality. In Bulgaria, everything is as clear as home, the locals have a familiar mentality, they are hospitable and welcoming, have clear thinking and familiar jokes. Bulgaria is not Asia, it’s very difficult to get confused.

Today, almost everyone has an international passport, but each country has its own requirements for the validity of a foreign passport. To travel to Bulgaria, the validity period must be at least 3 months (180 days) from the date of departure from the country. To avoid troubles at customs, in case of extending your pleasant holiday, it would be better to increase the validity of your passport to 6 months.

Recently there have been rumors on the Internet that you do not need to take a visa to Bulgaria, you can get it upon arrival at the airport. Unfortunately, this information remained only at the level of rumors. A visa to Bulgaria is required.

A visa to Bulgaria can be obtained in two ways:
Method 1. Contact a travel agency, in this case all your headache becomes the travel agency's headache, but you will have to pay for it.
Method 2. Apply for a visa yourself.

Since you have decided to organize your own holiday to Bulgaria, it means that you will be interested in method number two. In this case, you need to prepare documents, prepare consular and service fees, and submit all this to one of the following authorities:
1 Visa Application Center
2 Visa department of the embassy
3 Consulate General of Bulgaria in St. Petersburg or Moscow

When applying for a visa to Bulgaria on your own, you need to keep in mind that the following types of visas are suitable for tourism purposes: guest, tourist, multiple-entry, or Schengen categories C or D.

If you are visiting Bulgaria on a Schengen visa, you should know the pleasant thing that the days you spend in Bulgaria on a Schengen visa are not counted in the number of days allotted for Schengen.

You can also get a free visa to Bulgaria, but in this case you will need a serious reason for this. A free visa to Bulgaria is issued only if the applicant travels to Bulgaria for language courses.

How to get to Bulgaria. There are many options to get to Bulgaria: plane, train, bus, your own transport, a ship on the Black Sea, hitchhiking, or a mix of different types of transport.

Of course the fastest, most comfortable and convenient plane. The flight from Moscow to Bulgaria is only 2 hours. Agree that this is a significant advantage when temporarily limiting vacation.

The fastest way to get to Bulgaria is by plane

For those who are thinking of making their trip to Bulgaria by train, you need to keep in mind that not only will you have a tiring 4-day train trip, you will also lose 4 days of your tourist visa. Those. If you received a visa to Bulgaria for 12 days, then taking into account traveling back and forth by train, the time spent in the carriage will be longer than the holiday in Bulgaria itself. You will also have to cross several borders with all the delights of customs, purchase a transit visa to Romania and travel in a trailer carriage.

For extreme sports enthusiasts – bus lovers. You can get from Moscow to Burgas in 2 days, travel through five countries, getting an unforgettable experience of communicating with a huge crowd of border guards from five countries (those who have passed this test say that this is truly an unforgettable “pleasure”)

Bus to Bulgaria, only for extreme sports and not for the faint of heart

Currency in Bulgaria. The main currency in Bulgaria is Lev (BGL), equal to 100 stotinki. The approximate exchange rate of the Bulgarian lion to the dollar today is 100 Bulgarian lions equal to 66 American dollars.

The import of Bulgarian and foreign currency is not limited. If the amount of imported currency exceeds 8,000 leva or the equivalent of this amount in another currency, then it is necessary to fill out a customs declaration.

You can exchange currency at exchange offices Exchange, Change, ATMs, banks, hotels. Banks are closed on weekends. On weekdays they work according to a standard schedule (from 9:00 to 17:00 with a lunch break from 12:00 to 13:00)

The national currency of Bulgaria is Lev

Currency in Bulgaria is best kept in dollars or euros. Russian rubles are exchanged only in exchange offices and at a very unfavorable rate.

Currency exchange fees should be included in the exchange rate difference. If you have any suspicions of fraud, you can call the tax office; video recording is carried out in exchange offices. Claims for exchange are accepted only before the extended cash receipt is signed, so before the exchange, it is best to clarify how much you will receive in your hands, think about it and only then change. Sometimes the rate at which your currency will be changed is very different from the rate you see on the billboard.

You need to keep in mind that the reverse exchange of local currency into dollars is possible only upon departure and only if you have a receipt for the exchange of dollars for lions. Those. If you brought Bulgarian lions with you, then you should not expect that you will be able to exchange them in Bulgaria for dollars, this is prohibited by law.

As for credit cards, they are accepted only in major tourist centers. If you have a problem with credit cards in Bulgaria, the 24-hour telephone numbers of the “Borika” service are available.

Holiday accommodation in Bulgaria. There are always a lot of vacationing tourists in Bulgaria, on the beaches in summer and in the mountains in winter. Types of housing in Bulgaria:
- hotels
- villas
- apartments
- private sector
- house by the sea

How pleasant it is to relax in a house made of white stone under tiles, among greenery and a sea of ​​flowers! To do this, you need to sit at the computer and look at the prices, and then select a city based on the prices, depending on the season and level of comfort. For example, in the city of Aheloy, ten meters from the sea, an apartment can be rented for 20 euros per day, and a villa in Varna, five hundred meters from the sea, for 250 euros per day. Early booking reduces prices by up to 25%. On average, prices for apartments start from 20 euros per day and depend on the popularity and fame of the resort. You can find accommodation for your vacation in advance yourself, or you can contact agents, they will do all the nasty and tedious work for you, unless you have to fork out for it, pleasure costs money.

For lovers of a luxurious holiday, there are a lot of five-star hotels, among which it is worth noting:
- Marina Royal Palace
- Helena Park
- Riviera Beach
- Grand Hotel Primorsko
- Grand Hotel London
- Royal Palace Helena Sands

Five-star Marina Royal Palace Hotel

You will never have problems in hotels in Bulgaria, since many speak Russian and understand almost everything. Moreover, if you wish, you can always understand each other, sign language is clear to everyone, and a piece of paper with a pen at hand can generally become the most convenient translator, especially when clarifying the price.

Just when using sign language, you must not forget that gestures, yes - no, are the other way around in Bulgaria. Nod “no” - chin down, “yes” - turn your head from side to side.

Resorts and attractions of Bulgaria. Resorts in Bulgaria are divided into winter, summer, balneological, spa resorts, children's and youth camps.

Golden Sands and Sunny Beach, the best of Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts, are oriented to the East. According to legend, a very, very long time ago, on the coast near the city of Varna, sea pirates hid a huge treasure of gold, and when they returned they found sand instead of gold. Old-timers say that if you look hard enough, you can still find small gold nuggets today. Entrance to the beach is free, but you have to pay for a sunbed and umbrella.

Sunny Beach is one of the best beaches in Bulgaria

11 beaches in Bulgaria have been awarded the EU Blue Flag. Among them are Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Albena, Riviera, St. Constantine and Elena….

Fans of alpine skiing and snowboarding among winter resorts prefer Bansko, Borovets and Pamrovo, since these resorts are considered the best winter resorts in Bulgaria.

Among the most popular attractions are the National Art Gallery, the Aqua Paradise water park, the Aquapolis amusement park, the archaeological museum in the city of forty churches of Nessebar, and the Bani Bashi mosque. In total, there are more than 500 attractions worthy of attention and frequently visited by tourists - these are the Albotinsky rock monastery, the Alexander Tomb, unique nature reserves and much more that need to be seen.

Transport in Bulgaria. To have time to see and see as much as possible during your vacation, you need to use transport. The most popular form of transport in Bulgaria is the bus. The fare is 0.5 euros. Tickets are sold at kiosks, and if you want to save money, you can purchase a one-day, five-day or monthly pass.

In addition to buses, there are minibuses, trolleybuses, trams and one meter line in Sofia. Public transport in the resort area operates from 05:30 to 20:00.

Taxis in Bulgaria are always a pleasant yellow color

You can call a taxi by phone or pick it up at the parking lot. Basically, a taxi is paid according to the following scheme: the amount for boarding + the amount for each kilometer driven + the amount for each minute of waiting + the amount for an additional piece of luggage. At night there is a double rate. Sometimes you can find taxis whose drivers offer negotiated prices.

By rail you can reach all major cities. You can only rent a car after you are twenty-one years old. There is a special road tax for foreign tourist drivers

National characteristics and local customs of Bulgaria. In this country, it is customary to tip for service, usually 5% of the bill and depends on the quality of service. (How much you can give to a waiter in a restaurant or a maid in a hotel is your personal choice). There are nudist beaches in Bulgaria, although they are not registered in official naturist directories. They are located away from crowded places or on the edge of the beach. On an ordinary beach you can sunbathe topless without any problems; there will be no problems with the police or vacationers. In Bulgaria, naturists are treated tolerantly and favorably.

The opening hours of museums in Bulgaria are convenient for visitors. Many museums are closed on Mondays, and some on Tuesdays.

Wine connoisseurs believe that red wine should only be drunk in months with the letter “R” in the name, and white wine in the rest. Therefore, it is better for red wine lovers to relax in the winter, otherwise, according to the rules, they will have to drink white in the summer. At the beginning of spring, a wine festival is held in Plovdiv with mandatory tasting. For gourmets and true wine connoisseurs, snow wine is prepared from overripe, slightly frostbitten grapes.

An independent trip to Bulgaria is sometimes much cheaper than purchasing a tour, and is more profitable for those who want to purchase real estate. The possibility of traveling independently in Bulgaria is especially important when the buyer has already concluded a preliminary agreement.

If you have already concluded a preliminary agreement for the purchase and sale of real estate in Bulgaria and you need to go to conclude the main agreement (receive a notarial deed of ownership of real estate) - why do you need a hotel in this case, if you, in fact, are already going to your home and in a couple of days will you officially become the owner of the coveted square meters on the Black Sea coast?

After numerous requests from our clients to us for help in obtaining visas, purchasing air tickets, insurance, etc., we decided to create a special page and explain how to do everything yourself and who to turn to for help?

VISAS AND AIR TICKETS

Air tickets to Bulgaria for individual trips can be found and purchased through the search engine on this site (column on the left), which looks for the cheapest options. When making connecting flights, carefully look at the date and time of the plane's arrival at the connecting airport so as not to wait too long. Sometimes it is more profitable to buy not the cheapest option!

Hot deals on air tickets at very low prices can also be found using our website by clicking on the corresponding banner in the left column.

Visas can be purchased from a travel agency in your city. If the travel agency does not provide such services without purchasing a tour, then you can contact VISA CENTERS or special companies that help in purchasing visas, of which there are many. Advice: to buy real estate, it is most profitable to take a 3-month, 2-entry visa. This is a little more expensive, but if you have to come to Bulgaria again to conclude a purchase and sale transaction and pick up the contract, there will be no unnecessary hassle.

Any travel agency will be happy to provide you with insurance (without which it is impossible to obtain a visa) for the duration of your trip. And if you want to save money, contact your local insurance company directly. True, it is better to know the nuances of insurance for those traveling abroad.

If you need a document confirming the rental of residential premises in Bulgaria for the duration of your trip or a document confirming the reservation of a hotel room (to obtain a visa), you can find a suitable hotel in the search engine on the website (left column) and book a room for free. Canceling a reservation is almost free, too.

We warn you in advance about a possible problem with air tickets. If you suddenly want to purchase an air ticket to fly to Burgas or Varna within 3 to 7 days during the high season (from June 15 to September 15), then there may not be tickets for charters or these tickets will cost through intermediaries 2 times more expensive.

If you do not want to overpay, then there are several options to solve the problem:

1. You can fly not from Moscow, but from St. Petersburg, where, as a rule, tour operators and intermediaries do not buy up all the seats on charters, and, accordingly, the likelihood of purchasing a cheap ticket is higher.

2. You can take a connecting (transit) flight through Europe. For example, through Munich. Let's say Moscow - Munich, Munich - Burgas. The price for such a ticket will be lower than a charter from Moscow to Burgas. However, instead of 2.5 hours, you will have to spend 5–6 hours on the road.

3. You can fly to Sofia on a regular flight. In summer, the price of air tickets to Sofia, as a rule, does not increase, and speculators are not interested in this direction. From Sofia to Burgas and Varna you can fly with a local Bulgarian airline (flight 30 - 40 minutes), and you can also get from Sofia by bus in 4 hours along the brand new high-speed route or by train (6 - 8 hours).

You can get from Varna to Burgas and vice versa by bus or minibus, which depart at least 1 flight per hour (sometimes, at certain times of the day, flights every 15 - 30 minutes) from the central bus stations. The distance between Burgas and Varna is about 130 km, travel time is about 2 hours. It is important to know: the LAST regular bus leaves no later than 19:00. We didn’t have time - taxi!!!

Examples of typical misconceptions of buyers from Russia and Ukraine and differences in determining the areas of real estate can be read in the article “Nuances, nuances, nuances...” on the main page. And ways to protect yourself from Bulgarian real estate scammers, information on taxes, tariffs and duties can be found in the “Good to know” section. We hope that this information will help you wisely invest your money abroad.

If there is an opportunity to travel to Bulgaria, then some are faced with a choice: buy a tour to Bulgaria or go traveling on their own? When traveling on your own, there is no need to stand in line at a travel agency, take the tours that are offered, and not the ones you would like.

There is nothing difficult about traveling on your own. You just need to have some information about the country, show your imagination, and you will save effort and money; moreover, during your “free sailing” you will get many unforgettable impressions.

Europeans do not always use the services of travel agencies; independent travel has long been practiced there, especially since it is not necessary to obtain a visa to visit many countries of this continent.

Bulgaria is no exception; the country is attractive to tourists for its variety of natural landscapes, including the sea, mountains, caves, waterfalls, historical and cultural monuments, ancient cities, temples and monasteries.

The price of the tour offered by travel agencies includes flights to the holiday destination, transfer, hotel accommodation and meals, and possibly excursions. However, it will be cheaper to buy these services separately.

You will not be limited by the time frame of the trip and independently choose the duration of your stay in the country. Tourists who travel independently are unlikely to ever return to organized tourism.

On vacation, a sense of personal peace is very important for many; there is no need to be tied to a whole crowd of compatriots, where someone else chooses all the services for you, right down to restaurants and menus. Not to mention excursions that are uninteresting for you and unnecessary shops.

If you don't like the hotel, you have the opportunity to change it to a more convenient one. After all, prepayment is usually made 2-3 days in advance, approximately 30%, the rest is in place. In this case, you can search for yourself. There are many websites on the Internet dedicated to hotels. Find information about the hotel you are interested in, read reviews, . When purchasing a tour from an agency, it is almost impossible to change the hotel.

Traveling on your own is convenient when you have chosen a combined tour: for example, having arrived at your holiday destination, you would like to spend 5 days at sea, go to the mountains for 3 days or make a pilgrimage to some Christian shrine, travel around the country for 7 days and again return to the sea. You can plan your trip so as not to overpay for a hotel.

Organizing an independent tour will seem difficult only for the first time.

For those who decide to travel to Bulgaria on their own:

Flights

Choosing a hotel, apartment

There are different hotels, comfortable star hotels, family hotels, private apartments, rural houses.

Choose which option suits you best. Apartment – ​​an apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom. The price includes bed linen, dishes, refrigerator, TV, etc. But in the apartments, unlike the hotel, there are no maids or porters. The cost of the apartments will be cheaper, the level of comfort is not inferior to the hotel. Renting an apartment is not difficult, read how you can do it.

Insurance

A requirement for entry into many countries is. Insurance must be provided with other documents. It is best to buy insurance online, it will definitely be cheaper.

Transfer

Transfer – moving from the airport to your vacation accommodation. You can do this yourself, by public transport, in a pre-rented car or taxi. You can read about the peculiarities of transport in Bulgaria in the article

Golden Sands in Bulgaria for Soviet citizens was practically the only option for a foreign resort holiday, but for modern Russians it is something like a rare and exotic idea - to fly to where their grandparents went. Moreover, it’s worth doing it yourself: unlike Egypt, Thailand and Turkey, the help of a tour operator in arranging a trip will only get in the way; it’s best to plan the trip yourself.

Instead of a charter tied to dates, buy an inexpensive ticket to Varna, and from the international airport get to the resort area by bus - it will be cheaper and more convenient. And all other organizational issues of independent travel can be resolved quickly and without problems.

Visiting Bulgaria without the help of a tour operator

In order to organize an independent tour to Bulgaria, you need to follow a number of simple steps:

• choose and book a hotel;
• buy tickets for convenient flights;
• apply for a visa.

The easiest way to book a hotel is through the online booking system, filtering the necessary parameters to suit your taste and budget. The online booking site will offer a huge selection of inexpensive hotels, taking into account a lot of personal wishes, such as distance from the sea, hotel style, star rating, availability of a tour desk, etc. You can pay for your reservation on the spot, without bothering yourself with a transfer via the Internet.

You can obtain a visa at the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow or through a specialized visa center if getting to the capital is problematic. A list of documents can be found on the embassy website. It is important to remember that in order to obtain a visa, you must provide both a ticket reservation and insurance for each day of your planned stay in the country.

It is also worth knowing that during the registration period, confirmation of the reservation is usually not required, so you can safely print out the flight reservation sheet and go to the embassy with it. A ticket to Bulgaria is purchased and paid for after the visa has been approved and received. The cost of such a trip will be much lower than the price of a ready-made tour.