On the eve of the beach season, many holidaymakers from the CIS countries are wondering whether a visa is needed to Bulgaria? On this account, there are many different contradictory rumors. Say, the country joined the European Union, so you need to open the "Schengen". Or, on the contrary, to attract the tourist flow, Bulgaria has simplified the conditions for entry, a visa can be obtained there, as in Turkey or Egypt, upon arrival. Let's try to understand the intricacies of access to this southern country.
The fact remains that Bulgaria joined the European Union. Therefore, the citizens of the EU, as well as Canada, the United States, Australia, Israel and some other countries, the way to this country is open. But the question: "Do I need a visa to Bulgaria for the Russians?" The answer is: "Yes, definitely." The same goes for the citizens of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova. For permission to enter, they need to contact the consular departments at embassies in their countries, to visa centers in Bulgaria or arrange it through travel agencies. What is the difference? The embassy needs to address each person separately, even if you leave the family. The package of documents is also collected independently. But this "pleasure" is somewhat cheaper. Only a visa fee of 35 or 70 euros is paid (the last price is for the speedy processing of documents).
The advantage of contacting intermediaries - the authorized centers of Bulgaria - is that only one member of the family can appear in such an item. There he will receive advisory assistance in preparing the file. But the cost of the treasured sticker increases in this case by 1000 Russian rubles. Appeal to the travel agency greatly simplifies the process of issuing an entry permit. It is even possible to answer the question whether a visa is needed in Bulgaria - with the intermediary services of a travel company, no effort is required to obtain it. You just buy a ticket, bring passports and other papers, and at the appointed time (with a visa) go on a trip.
But there are also pitfalls here. Travel agencies accredited to the Bulgarian embassy often issue group visas. And this means that the number and number of people entering the ticket must match the list of travelers. Thus, you can not change the departure date and will be "tied" to the hard tour frames of the whole group. In order to avoid excesses with laggards along the way, agencies select passports from their clients, so independent tours around the country also become problematic. Therefore, you need to think three times, do you need a visa to Bulgaria of this kind? After all, it costs a lot of money: about 130 euros for 15 days.
It must also be taken into account that the European Union and the Schengen zone are not the same. The last has not yet entered either Romania or Bulgaria. Do I need a Schengen visa to enter these countries? No, Bulgaria is still stating only national brands. And they do not give any right to enter the Schengen zone. However, there are some tricks here. If you have a valid "Schengen" with multi-entry, you do not need to specifically register a Bulgarian national visa. There is another plus. Stay in this southern European country is not counted in the 90 days that you can spend in the Schengen area.
Many resort countries, whose state budget largely depends on the tourist flow, introduce measures to simplify the visa regime. Bulgaria is not an exception. Do I need a visa? 2013 has not yet brought any pleasant surprises to the Russians and other CIS citizens. But business for the future. At least, even now, to get permission to enter Bulgaria is much easier than in any Western European country.