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Invest Bulgaria
5 Hristo Kovachev St
Sofia 1527, Bulgaria
Tel: (+359 889) 58 98 61
Office: (+359 2) 843 0416
Fax: (+359 2) 843 0416
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Entry
Visas
If
you
are
from
an
EU
member
state,
the
UK,
Canada,
USA
or
Israel
you
do
not
need
a
visa
to
enter
the
country.
Those
from
EU
countries
may
stay
in
the
country
for
up
to
90
days
in a
six-month
period,
counting
from
the
first
date
of
entry.
For
citizens
of
the
US,
Canada,
the
UK
and
Israel
this
period
is
up
to
30
days
within
a
six-month
period,
counting
from
the
first
date
of
entry.
It
doesn’t
matter
whether
you
leave
and
re-enter
the
country
within
that
period,
as
the
total
number
of
days
is
what
matters.
Travelers
who
are
not
citizens
of
the
US
or
the
countries
listed
above
should
obtain
an
entry
visa
in
advance
from
the
Bulgarian
Embassy
or
Consulate
in
their
country.
For
this
they
will
need
to
provide
a
letter
of
invitation
from
a
Bulgarian
host,
on a
standard
form,
provided
by
the
municipality,
or a
business
partner,
as
well
as a
letter
from
their
company
or
institution
if
they
are
traveling
on
business.
Applicants
for
visas
should
note
that
incomplete
forms,
absence
of
photographs
or
inadequate
payment
usually
result
in
the
return
of
the
application
to
the
applicant
without
further
action,
and
that
turnover
in
the
embassies
is
quite
slow.
Staying
On
For
those
wishing
to
stay
longer
than
the
permitted
period
the
situation
is
difficult,
even
if
their
reasons
for
being
here
are
quite
genuine.
In
order
to
obtain
a
residence
permit
(1
or 5
years)
one
should
either
own
a
company
which
employs
at
least
10
Bulgarian
staff
and/or
invest
at
least
$500,000
in
the
country.
Oh
yes,
and
to
get
a 5
year
residence
permit
you
will
soon
have
to
sit
a
test
in
Bulgarian
language
proficiency!
You
can
get
more
information
by
visiting
the
Passport
Office
for
Foreigners
at
48
Maria
Luiza
Blvd.
in
Sofia,
where
the
treatment
is
less
than
friendly
and
the
waiting
long,
but
these
are
really
the
only
people
who
can
give
you
a
straight
story.
Transit
Visas
Transit
visas
allow
a
stay
in
Bulgaria
of
24
hours
or
less.
Airline
tickets
and
evidence
of
right
of
entry
into
the
next
country
of
travel
will
be
required.
Possession
of
airline
tickets
does
not
guarantee
the
granting
of
an
entry
visa.
Medical
Insurance
Although
citizens
of
the
countries
listed
above
do
not
require
visas
for
stays
of
up
to a
certain
period,
depending
on
their
countries,
they
should
be
able,
on
request,
to
show
evidence
of
medical
insurance
valid
for
Bulgaria.
The
travel/medical
insurance
should
be
for
at
least
$5000
and
should
cover
emergency
medical
expenses,
repatriation,
transport
of
mortal
remains,
funeral
and
hospitalisation.
If
the
visitor
has
insurance
of
this
type,
a
copy
of
the
policy,
with
legible
policy
number,
company
name,
duration
of
validity
and
sum
of
coverage
or a
letter
from
the
insurance
company
including
these
data,
should
be
submitted
with
the
visa
application.
If
the
traveller
does
not
have
such
insurance,
a
visa
application
can
be
made
without
it,
but
the
insurance
must
be
obtained
after
the
consulate
has
informed
the
applicant
that
the
visa
is
approved.
The
visa
will
be
issued
only
after
proof
of
insurance
is
submitted.
General
Information
Bulgaria
has
liberalized
its
visa
policy
as a
gesture
of
reciprocity
and
to
conform
to
international
standards.
A
valid
passport
is
all
that
is
required
for
visitors
from
the
EU
and
European
Free
Trade
Association
(EFTA)
member
states
for
stays
up
to
30
days.
In
addition,
the
citizens
of
Cuba,
Croatia,
Czech
Republic,
Estonia,
Hungary,
the
Republic
of
Korea,
Lithuania,
Macedonia,
Poland,
Romania,
Slovakia,
Slovenia,
Serbia
and
Montenegro,
Tunisia,
Turkey
and
Switzerland
may
enter
the
country
without
a
visa
for
a
period
of
30
days
with
a
normal
valid
passport.
A
visa
is
also
no
longer
required
of
visitors
from
the
US,
Israel,
Japan,
Cyprus,
Hong
Kong,
Canada,
Australia
and
New
Zealand,
for
stays
of
up
to
30
days.
A
border
tax
of
about
$20
will
be
collected
from
such
individuals
on
entering
the
country.
If
the
planned
stay
is
to
be
more
than
30
days,
or
if
traveling
on a
diplomatic
or
official
passport,
a
visa
is
required
and
must
be
obtained
in
advance.
US
citizens
with
regular
passports
intending
to
stay
more
than
30
days
can
get
them
free
of
charge
under
a
reciprocal
US-Bulgaria
agreement,
but
a
$20
processing
fee
is
collected
per
passport.
Travelers
who
have
a
one-year
multiple
entry
visa
for
Bulgaria
may
stay
up
to
90
days
altogether
within
six
months.
If a
traveler
comes
to
Bulgaria,
stays
in
the
country
for
90
days
and
then
leaves,
he
or
she
will
not
be
able
to
enter
the
country
within
the
next
90
days.
Although
citizens
of
the
countries
listed
above
do
not
require
visas
for
stays
of
up
to
30
days,
they
should
be
able,
on
request,
to
show
evidence
of
medical
insurance
valid
for
Bulgaria.
The
travel/medical
insurance
should
be
for
at
least
$5000
and
should
cover
emergency
medical
expenses,
repatriation,
transport
of
mortal
remains,
funeral
and
hospitalization.
If
the
visitor
has
insurance
of
this
type,
a
copy
of
the
policy,
with
legible
policy
number,
company
name,
duration
of
validity
and
sum
of
coverage
or a
letter
from
the
insurance
company
including
these
data,
should
be
submitted
with
the
visa
application.
If
the
traveler
does
not
have
such
insurance,
a
visa
application
can
be
made
without
it,
but
the
insurance
must
be
obtained
after
the
consulate
has
informed
the
applicant
that
the
visa
is
approved.
The
visa
will
be
issued
only
after
proof
of
insurance
is
submitted.
Travelers
who
are
not
citizens
of
the
US
or
the
countries
listed
above
are
expected
to
provide
a
letter
of
invitation
from
a
Bulgarian
host,
on a
standard
form,
provided
by
the
municipality,
or a
business
partner,
as
well
as a
letter
from
their
company
or
institution
if
they
are
traveling
on
business.
Transit
visas
allow
a
stay
in
Bulgaria
of
24
hours
or
less.
Airline
tickets
and
evidence
of
right
of
entry
into
the
next
country
of
travel
will
be
required.
Possession
of
airline
tickets
does
not
guarantee
the
granting
of
an
entry
visa.
Applicants
for
visas
should
note
that
incomplete
forms,
absence
of
photographs
or
inadequate
payment
usually
result
in
the
return
of
the
application
to
the
applicant
without
further
action.
Those
traveling
with
pets
should
have
a
certificate
of
veterinarian
examination,
carried
out
within
a
week
before
departure,
as
well
as a
certificate
of
rabies
shots
done
during
the
past
six
months.
Motor
vehicle
insurance
can
be
arranged
at
the
Bulgarian
border
point
of
entry.
For
motorists
an
international
driving
license
is
required.
Travelers
with
children
with
them
should
note
that
Bulgaria
is
party
to
steps
against
international
child
abduction.
These
usually
include
requiring
documentary
evidence
of
parental
relationship
and
permission
for
the
child's
travel
from
the
parent(s)
or
legal
guardian
not
present.
Having
such
documentation
on
hand
may
help
to
avoid
complications.
Bulgaria
introduced
new-style
visas
in
2002,
with
extra
security
features
including
the
integration
of a
color
photograph.
The
new-style
visa
is
an
electronic
type
linked
to
the
database
of
the
central
system
for
visa
control
of
foreigners.
The
visa
is
of a
similar
type
to
be
introduced
by
European
Union
states
between
2003
and
2007.
It
is
rare
now,
but
upon
arrival
you
may
be
asked
to
show
or
prove
that
you
have:
-a
return
ticket
if
arriving
by
air,
bus
or
train
-sufficient
funds
for
the
length
of
your
stay.
At
the
website
of
the
Bulgarian
Foreign
Ministry,
http://www.mfa.government.bg/index_en.html,
you
can
find
information
about
the
customs
formalities
upon
entering
the
country
as
well
as
the
addresses
of
all
embassies
in
the
country.
In
the
light
of
the
events
of
September
2001
and
the
general
rise
of
terrorism,
recently
the
authorities
starting
enforcing
the
existing
rule
for
registration
quite
vigorously.
All
travelers
are
required
by
law
to
register
with
the
regional
passport
office
for
foreigners
or
the
police
within
48
hours
of
their
arrival
in
the
country
and
to
inform
the
office
about
any
change
in
their
address.
Those
staying
at a
hotel,
a
private
boarding
house
or
an
apartment
rented
through
an
accommodation
company,
registration
is
taken
care
of
by
the
proprietor.
If
you
are
staying
with
friends
or
live
in a
private
lodging,
you
must
go
to
the
closest
police
station
to
have
yourself
registered.
Otherwise
upon
leaving
the
country
you
might
have
to
pay
a
hefty
fine
for
not
doing
so.
Keep
in
mind
the
process
is
slow
as
the
bureaucracy
in
the
state
institutions
is
cumbersome
and
inefficient.
Be
prepared
for
spending
at
least
several
hours
(if
you’re
lucky)
being
pointed
from
one
counter
to
another
and
trying
to
explain
yourself
to
surly
employees
who
as a
rule
do
not
speak
foreign
languages.
You’ll
also
have
to
fill
in
several
forms
in
Cyrillic.
Best
idea
is
to
bring
a
friend
(local
would
be
best)
to
do
the
talking
and
filling
in
for
you.
As
of
the
beginning
of
2004
the
Government
decided
to
introduce
new
road
taxes,
collected
through
special
stickers
pasted
onto
the
windshields
of
the
cars
and
other
vehicles.
There
will
be
several
types
of
stickers,
which
will
allow
the
motorists
to
choose
how
much
road
tax
to
pay.
The
stickers
will
be
valid
for
one
week,
one
month
or
one
year
and
will
allow
their
owners
to
use
the
highways,
and
the
first,
second
and
third-class
roads
in
the
respective
period.
The
use
of
city
and
town
streets
as
well
as
roads
which
are
a
part
of
the
municipal
infrastructure
will
be
free
of
charge.
From
the
beginning
of
2004,
all
Transit
International
Routier
(TIR)
trucks
will
be
obliged
to
have
such
stickers,
and
from
July
2004
so
will
busses
and
trucks.
From
the
beginning
of
2005
all
motorists
will
be
obliged
to
purchase
such
stickers.
The
stickers
would
be
sold
at
the
border
checkpoints.
Their
prices
for
foreigners
are
higher
than
those
for
Bulgarians.
It
is
expected
that
by
2007
the
prices
would
become
the
same.
If
driving
over
a
border,
be
sure
to
go
around
all
the
trucks
piled
up
and
waiting
because
they
go
through
a
different
line
than
cars
do
(not
so
with
tour
buses,
though,
so
try
to
pass
as
many
as
you
can
on
the
road
up
to
the
border).
The
standard
car
papers,
including
proof
of
ownership
as
well
as
international
insurance
("the
Green
Card")
must
be
shown.
For
customs
declarations,
you
will
probably
be
asked
to
open
the
booth,
and
sometimes
they
actually
search
the
whole
car.
Everyone
gets
to
pay
about
five
leva
to
be
able
to
drive
through
a
shallow
pool
of
disinfectant
to
be
sure
they're
not
bringing
any
weird
things
on
their
tires
into
the
country.
Taking
a
bus
across
the
border
is a
long
process,
so
be
patient,
have
snacks
available
and
a
book
or
magazine.
The
passports
of
all
the
travelers
on
the
bus
are
processed
all
at
once
(you
will
probably
be
asked
to
give
yours
to
the
bus
driver
or
assistant,
who
will
do
most
of
the
work).
Chances
are
also
good
that
you
and
the
rest
of
the
passengers
will
have
to
get
your
luggage
and
display
it
for
the
customs
officers,
who
may
or
may
not
ask
you
to
open
it
for
their
inspection.
If
you're
crossing
by
train,
it
is a
long
process
as
well,
and
very
annoying
if
in
the
dead
of
night
while
you're
trying
to
sleep.
The
conductors
and
customs
people
coming
around
several
times
to
stamp,
re-stamp
and
re-check
passports,
and
you
may
have
to
get
off
the
train
to
go
to
the
customs
desk
in
person,
on
one
or
both
sides
of
the
border.
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