On March 31, 2024, Bulgaria became a member of the Schengen Area via air and sea, and as part of that membership, it was authorised to begin issuing Schengen visas. Bulgaria has begun to accept applications through the so-called outsourcing centres run by VFS Global in an effort to facilitate the application process for foreign nationals seeking Schengen visas. Nevertheless, Bulgaria now only provides visa application centres in a few nations; more centres are anticipated to open soon. As the Ministry has revealed, visa application centres are currently operational in several strategic locations, including Russia, India, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and China, among others. At the moment, Bulgaria has the highest number of visa application centres in Russia. In Russia, Bulgaria Schengen visa applicants can submit their visa forms in a total of 20 application centres in different cities throughout the country. Visa application centres in Russia are situated in the following cities:

• Moscow
• Petersburg
• Arkhangelsk
• Irkutsk
• Kaliningrad
• Kazan
• Khabarovsk
• Krasnodar
• Krasnoyarsk
• Nizhny Novgorod
• Novorossiysk
• Novosibirsk
• Omsk
• Perm
• Rostov-on-Don
• Samara
• Saratov
• Ufa
• Vladivostok
• Voronezh

In addition to Russia, Bulgaria is accepting Schengen visa applications in outsourcing centres in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, Kazakhstan, Türkiye and China. Indians can also submit visa applications in several cities throughout the country: New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Mumbai, and Pune. Regarding Indonesia, the country has visa application centres for Bulgarian Schengen visas in Jakarta and Bali. On the other hand, Bulgaria has only one visa application centre Malaysia and Singapore. Applications from citizens of these two countries can be made centres in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore City, respectively. For applicants in the UK, visa applications can be submitted in centres located in London, Edinburgh, and Manchester. As for Kazakhstan, centres are located only in two cities, Nur-Sultan and Almaty. In contrast, Bulgaria has a higher number of visa application centres in Türkiye and China. In Türkiye, applicants can apply in centres located in Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya, Bursa, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Gaziantep, and Izmir. As for Chinese citizens, they can apply for a Bulgarian Schengen visa in centres located in Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Xi’an.

No More Checks When Flying From Bulgaria to Other Schengen Countries

Since Bulgaria has now partially accessed the Schengen Area, those who fly from Bulgarian airports to other Schengen member states are no longer required to undergo passport checks. This applies to foreigners too who already hold a valid Schengen visa issued by Bulgaria as the document permits unrestricted travel in the whole area. Travellers from other Schengen countries can also enter Bulgaria without having to undergo checks. However, travellers must keep in mind that Bulgaria can no longer be used as a base to reset the Schengen stay.