Everything about Bulgaria for tourists. Unusual laws of Bulgaria that every tourist simply needs to know about

As you know, Bulgaria is favorite place holidays for Russians. In addition to the favorable climate, sandy beaches, delicious national dishes and the absence of a language barrier, tourists from Russia are attracted by the opportunity to purchase local real estate. For travelers who constantly travel to Bulgaria and book hotel rooms on their own, the issue of obtaining a national visa is especially acute. We are not talking about Schengen holders here - they are allowed to visit with permits issued in different countries. Information about what documents are needed for a visa to Bulgaria will become more useful and relevant for ordinary people. This article is devoted to this issue.

Methods for obtaining a Bulgarian visa

The process of obtaining a visa to Bulgaria is not complicated; in practice, this can be done in two ways: contact a travel agency or go through all the steps yourself. Today, most tourists have absolutely no time to independently collect documents for a visa to Bulgaria. It’s easier for them to contact a specialized service or an accredited travel agency. For travelers who can afford to visit visa centers, completing all the documents will not be difficult.

Obtaining a visa through a travel agency

In Russia there are a large number of companies and travel agencies that issue national visas. They work directly with visa centers and control the process of obtaining documents. You only need to bring the necessary papers, they will do the rest themselves. Some companies even deliver visas to your home. Of course, this service is not free.

If the documents are submitted not by you personally, but by an authorized person, you need a power of attorney written by the owner of the foreign passport and certified by a notary.

Obtaining a visa yourself

It is not at all necessary to turn to intermediary companies for help; many travelers deal with the issue of obtaining tourist visas themselves. First you need to have necessary list documents. A visa to Bulgaria is made on the basis of the collected papers.

Visa centers in all regions of Russia are open five days a week from morning to evening. There is no pre-registration, so you can contact the document processing service at a time convenient for you. A visa center employee checks that the application form is filled out correctly, and after accepting all the necessary papers, the employee is obliged to issue you a special receipt with which you can receive a visa.

Information about the location of Bulgarian embassies and consulates in Russia will be useful. The Consulate General of Bulgaria is in Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. If you need an embassy, ​​then for this you will have to go to the capital. As for visa centers, they are located in the same largest Russian cities, including Moscow.

What else do tourists need to know? You need to pay a certain amount for paperwork. This fee is called 35 euros for a regular visa to Bulgaria (the list of documents is presented below). Russians also need to pay for urgency; the consular fee for such a document will be 70 euros. In addition to this mandatory fee, you must pay a service fee. It is charged from citizens in the amount of 836 rubles. This amount is the same for all visa centers and must be paid each time, regardless of the type of document.

Residents of the CIS countries, including Belarus and Kazakhstan, comply with all the rules of the visa regime; the consular fee for them is 2,640 rubles. However, if traveling with children, residents of neighboring countries must pay for a child visa. This applies to children under 6 years of age.

The processing time for a regular permit takes on average 5-8 working days, and for an urgent permit - 3 days. Only after personal visit It is possible to obtain a visa to Bulgaria. Documents can be collected from 11.00 to 16.00 at the Visa Application Center.

Tourists who have only or have not traveled anywhere are provided with some bonuses. Thus, travelers with “clean” passports are usually issued a visa for six months. If you have already been to Bulgaria, then you have the right to count on a different permit period - 1 year. However, the question of the period for which a national visa will be issued is not discussed with tourists.

Documents for a visa to Bulgaria

To travel abroad, any Russian tourist needs to obtain a special permit. To do this, you need to collect a whole package of documents:

1. Visa application form.

2. Foreign passport. Note to travelers, it must be valid for another 3 months, including the end date of the trip.

3. Color photography. Size - 3.5x4.5.

4. Copy of the initial page of the foreign passport (2 pcs).

5. Copies of pages with valid visas.

6. Ticket or reservation (copy and original).

7. Certificate of medical insurance for a coverage amount of at least 30,000 euros (copy and original).

8. Evidence of availability Money. The amount is calculated at 100 euros per day per person. Even if you are traveling for a couple of days, the amount of insurance must be at least 500 euros - this is the limit.

Traveling with children: documents for obtaining a visa

Young travelers also need a visa to Bulgaria. What documents are needed if you are planning to go on vacation with children?

1. (copy, it is advisable to have the original with you).

2. Completed application form. It is necessary even when information about children is included in the passport.

In the case when a child travels abroad with third parties or one of the parents, it is necessary to take with him a power of attorney from his mother/father, who remains in his home country. In addition, copies of the notarized permission and the initial page of the passport must be available.

When traveling with children you need to know that:

There is no need to pay a consular fee for a child if he is under 6 years old;

A child's photograph of their baby must be pasted into the mother/father's passport. This rule applies to children who are included in the parent’s foreign passport. Age restrictions - 6 years.

Documents for obtaining visa D

A long-term stay visa is issued to foreigners who are planning long-term or permanent residence in this country. Such citizens are issued a so-called D visa to Bulgaria. Documents need to be collected by those who wish to carry out either labor or commercial activities. In addition, the following have the right to obtain such permission:

Foreign specialists who arrived in the country under an international treaty;

Citizens who have a basis for permanent residence (for example, marriage with a resident of Bulgaria);

Representatives of companies that are registered with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry;

Family members of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus;

Foreign media correspondents, etc.

This permit is issued to those who plan to stay in the country from 90 to 360 days, but no more. A temporary residence permit is regulated by the Law of the Russian Federation “On Foreigners in the Republic of Belarus”, Article 24. The fee for processing such a document is 100 euros, the period for preparing the permit is from 30 working days.

Private visit to Bulgaria. What do tourists need to know?

For personal trip Russians can take advantage of an invitation from a citizen who has a residence permit, or from a native resident of this country. Based on this paper, a visa to Bulgaria is issued. Required documents must be notarized, and permission must be noted in the public organization at the place of residence of the inviting party. The same applies to family members of a Bulgarian citizen, the only difference is that instead of an invitation, you need to provide a civil status act, which takes into account the types of connections - family or marital. In order for spouses to enter the country, they must provide a marriage certificate, and children must provide a birth certificate. Both originals and copies of documents are required.

Personal tourist trip requires submission to Visa Center hotel reservation confirmation. Most often, they provide a copy of the fax with the signature of the responsible person. This confirmation must indicate all components of the tour: travel dates, name of the hotel, its address, email, telephone. In addition, it is necessary to record the payment of the hotel by the applicant. Sometimes the Visa Application Center may require them or therefore it is better to have them with you.

In principle, tourists from Russia can obtain documents for a visa to Bulgaria without any problems. The standard package allows you to do this without wasting time searching for some “important” information. Simple enough visa regime for our compatriots is one of the main reasons for their boundless love for Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is an amazing country for beach holiday and sightseeing for both independent tourists, and for lovers of holiday packages. To prevent possible troubles from ruining your holiday, take advantage of our tips for tourists in Bulgaria.

In Bulgaria you can find holidays for every taste. Resorts like Sunny Beach and Golden Sands consist of hotel complexes. From here you can go on any excursions around historical places Bulgaria. Connoisseurs of unique architecture, cobbled streets and cozy restaurants can recommend Sozopol and Nessebar. These cities also have new areas consisting solely of hotels and entertainment venues. These areas are noisier than the historical part of the city; such a holiday is suitable for lovers of active pastime. It is worth going on excursions to the ancient Bulgarian monasteries, as well as to the ancient capital of Bulgaria - Veliko Tarnovo - one of the most unusual small towns in the world, standing in the mountains on the edge of a gorge, extremely beautiful and cozy.

In Bulgaria you can limit yourself to breakfast alone, or you can take All-Inclusive. It's a matter of taste. IN tourist places There are many cafes and restaurants with fairly affordable prices. A good lunch with first, second and dessert can cost from 5 EUR. In tourist areas they sell pizza (serving from 1 EUR), kebabs (from 2 EUR), pancakes with various fillings (cheaper than pizza).

In Bulgaria it is not necessary to stay in a hotel. You can rent an apartment or an apartment for your vacation. Many residents of coastal cities and towns, as well as ski resorts, rent out one of the floors of a private house to tourists for a low fee. IN Bulgaria is enough low level crime, even local gypsies are mainly engaged in animal husbandry or blacksmithing.

Change currency in the morning. There are a few things to keep in mind when exchanging currency. At bank branches you will be asked for a passport. In simple exchangers, as a rule, it is not needed, unless you may be asked for your last name. The exchange rate is higher in the morning. If you need to exchange a large amount, then do not delay it until the evening. For example, in the morning the euro cost about 1.93 Bulgarian leva, in the evening it was already 1.91.

The weather at sea can change very quickly, That's why on the beach watch out for the flags, which are posted by rescuers. The principle is like a traffic light: green - you can swim, remembering the buoys; yellow - be careful and careful; When the flag is red, the lifeguards will whistle as soon as you go more than three meters into the sea.

Getting around Bulgaria most convenient on buses that run regularly between all relatively large cities. Buses are municipal (cheaper and simpler) and private (more expensive and more comfortable). Convenient for Russians is that the schedule and directions are written in Cyrillic. Services railways it makes sense to use only popular destinations, for example: Sofia - Varna or Sofia - Burgas, in other cases it is easier to get there by bus. When traveling by taxi, you need to be careful: it is best to order a car by phone.

In Bulgaria, the language barrier is practically not noticeable, but you shouldn’t relax too much. Holidays in Bulgaria are comfortable because the staff of hotels and restaurants, as well as most local residents They speak Russian tolerably well (the only exceptions are small towns in the mountainous and central parts far from the sea). It's somewhat relaxing. However, to avoid misunderstandings, orders in cafes and restaurants must be stated clearly and clearly, without hesitation to ask again whether you were understood correctly.

It is worth remembering that a nod of the head, indicating our agreement- "yes" means negation in Bulgaria- "No", and vice versa.

In cafes and restaurants it is customary to leave a tip of about 10% of the bill value.

As souvenirs from Bulgaria they are transporting Bulgarian ceramics, textiles with embroidery, rose oil and cosmetics based on it, rose petal jam, Turkish delight and alcoholic drinks: Bulgarian wine and rakia, as well as handmade leather, copper and silver products. It is cheaper to buy alcohol, jam and Turkish delight in supermarkets. Ceramics and magnets in large quantities sold in tourist areas, in the old town. At the same time, in Duty Free at the airport the same clay plates cost almost three times more. The cheapest place to buy leather products is in Nessebar. In Sofia, the best shops are located along Vitosha Boulevard and in the gallery in front National Palace culture (NDK).

As in many southern countries, at lunchtime, when the sun is especially hot, Bulgarians relax. That's why Many private service establishments are closed in the summer from 12 to 16 hours.

Telephone communications in Bulgaria

You can call in Bulgaria from almost anywhere. A call from a post office or a call center will cost much less than, for example, from a hotel. Calls within the country by mobile phone are very cheap, so in order to call each other within the country, we recommend that Russian tourists purchase local SIM cards. Pay local mobile communications The most convenient way is by payment cards, which are sold everywhere and cost from 5 to 60 leva. You must remember that payment cards must correspond to the company whose SIM card you purchased.

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 stated separately, since there was a lot of information that the Bulgarian side plans to issue Russian tourists visas immediately 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 in. The application form must be signed by the person leaving in person);
• 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).

Important information! Take part in the joint Tourist campaign. Ru and Booking.com. You will get 4% back of your hotel booking price on Booking.com. More details at.

Private visit

Transit

• Photocopy of the destination (country) visa;
• If for the applicant visa-free regime— you must 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. 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 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

Visas for short stays and transit visas are issued within 4-6 working days (depending on the place of application), and urgent single-entry visas for short-term stays and urgent single-entry transit visas - 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 countries European Union, USA, UK, 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.

Before departure at the airport

If you bought tourist voucher to Bulgaria, then a flight to this country awaits you. You must arrive at the airport two hours before the departure of your flight, because check-in usually ends 40 minutes before departure.

A trip to Bulgaria can also be by bus. In this case, you must arrive at the group meeting place half an hour before the scheduled departure of the bus.

Required documents

You must have a foreign passport with a visa stamped on it (the validity of your passport should not be less than 180 days from the day your trip ends).

If you are traveling with a child aged five years or older, he must not only be included in your passport, but his photograph must also be included.

If you have been entrusted with someone else’s child under 16 years of age to travel, then you must have permission from both parents, certified by a notary, and the child’s birth certificate.

Also, you will need insurance policy, air tickets, voucher And Bank reference, if for each person during export there are more than three thousand European currency.

If necessary, then power of attorney for a child.

So, you have the entire package of documents in your hands, go to registration on your own, going through passport control, and in 40 minutes you are ready to fly to Bulgaria.

Flight time is 1 hour 30 minutes. The baggage allowance is 20 kg.

There are no visa problems when traveling to Bulgaria. Its cost is 35 euros. The visa is issued within a week. You will not be interested in intimate details. For example: what bank account do you have, or what wages you receive.

While you are in Bulgaria, if any document or luggage is lost, you must immediately notify your host guide. They will help you with the problem that has arisen.

are developing at a rapid pace. New hotels are being built and old hotels are being reconstructed. Their comfort is increasing, approaching the European level. At the same time, the price of holidays in Bulgarian resorts is much lower. Another advantage is a relatively short flight, only 2.5 hours, and the language is close to Russian.

In Bulgaria the local currency is Lev. Upon arrival at the airport, tourists need to exchange rubles for local currency. You should only change it at an official exchanger. You should immediately pay attention to the exchange rate. The commission on the exchange amount can be 1% - this will be written in capital letters in the exchanger. But, usually this concerns large amounts, so read carefully everything that is written in smaller letters. Small amounts can be exchanged for you with a percentage of 15-20. Be sure to keep receipts when exchanging.

It is prohibited to take levs out of the country, so all remaining local currency will need to be exchanged for rubles, and for this you need to have a receipt from the exchanger. IN major cities Rubles are accepted for exchange; you can first find out whether our currency is accepted at the resort where you are going. Local “business people” may offer to exchange rubles at a very favorable rate. This should not be done, since for your currency they may give you old-style banknotes that are out of circulation.

There is another way to cheat. At the exchange office they sell magnets with symbols of the European Union and the USA, and next to it is the price that tourists accept as the exchange rate. As a result, the currency is exchanged at a very unfavorable rate. Search exchange offices with the inscription “no commission” - here you can change currency without commission. Tourists also need to know that they can receive a VAT refund (20%) in the TaxFree system when purchasing goods for at least 1000 leva.

Resort hotels

Buying a ticket from full board, you should keep in mind that there will not be a variety of food. It is better to take a trip with breakfast or half board. Get acquainted with local cuisine You can visit numerous cafes and restaurants. If you are vacationing with children, you should choose hotels with a children's menu. Tourists should know that on their second purchase in the same store, they can get a discount of 5 to 20%. Ask the seller about this, some may simply not inform you about this.

IN last years a lot of money is being invested in the reconstruction of old “Soviet” hotels. But the service leaves much to be desired. Still, some “three rubles” suffer from nostalgia of Soviet times. Especially in cheap hotels, you can still see that everyone who enters is asked for documents. You may encounter poor quality room cleaning and a pitiful breakfast. Many of us think that since we are vacationing in southern country, then the juices here are of course only natural. This is not true, often these are concentrates. It is better to wash fruits in such a hotel before eating.

Pay attention to how the hotel pool is cleaned. If this happens irregularly, and this can happen, then it is better not to swim in this pool. When leaving your hotel room, close the balcony and windows. In Bulgaria, hotel thefts occur during the tourist season. No one can penetrate closed doors and windows, but an open balcony is a bait for thieves. Therefore, when choosing a vacation in 2019, in particular a hotel, think about what you need to pay attention to. Reviews from tourists will help you take into account all the pros and cons and help you avoid troubles on vacation.

About beaches, weather

Going on vacation in your own car is a certain independence; you can visit several resorts. Don't ignore paid parking. Car theft and damage are quite common in Bulgaria. You should carefully consider your route and stops in order to protect yourself. Lovers tent rest must be attentive to the surrounding area. There are quite a lot of flying and crawling species here.

It is believed that this is almost our south and the sun is not as hot as in Turkey or Egypt. This is true, but in May and June you should beware of sunburn and sunbathe only with protective cream. According to tourists, the sea is not clean everywhere. Also in August you can find jellyfish, algae and insects that resemble caterpillars in the water. This phenomenon is seasonal, however travelers should be aware of it. The Black Sea in Bulgarian resorts warms up by the end of June. In May, you can only bask in the already burning sun, but you will have to swim in the pool.

The beaches are mostly public, but you will have to buy sunbeds and awnings. Prices are very different; a cheaper package of a sunbed and umbrella can be purchased near an inexpensive hotel. But there is one minus. In Bulgaria there are many holidaymakers on social packages, German pensioners. If this neighborhood doesn’t bother you, then you can sunbathe on such a beach and save money.

About communication, shopping

There are no problems with telephone communication; you can call another country from a payphone installed on the street. To do this you need to purchase a calling card. Here you may encounter a problem when cards from one company do not work in telephones from another. Bank cards can only be used in the resort area. If you go inland, then bank card you won't need it.

It will not please those who love shopping, the goods are mostly Turkish, you can buy local souvenirs in the form of a magnet or crafts from local artisans and Bulgarian Rose cosmetics. In large supermarkets they can deceive you; if you take loose products (fruits, vegetables), they weigh them at the checkout. This is where you need to be more careful and check the numbers on the receipt with the actual weight. This is more difficult to do in small shops. If you are eating with a child, you should take into account that the choice baby food Supermarkets are small and you may not find the brand you need.

There is an opinion that everything is very cheap in Bulgaria. This was the case until the exchange rate of the dollar and euro began to rise. Now it's not so cheap anymore. Especially on famous resorts. Be sure to check with the tour operator everything about the hotel where you want to relax. Very often, a vacation can be ruined by construction nearby. But construction is going on everywhere and this creates inconvenience. There is very little or very poor entertainment for children.

For tourists accustomed to elite resorts Europe, you are unlikely to enjoy a holiday in Bulgaria. There are few palm trees here, the sea is not replete with corals and exotic things. If, no matter what, you want to spend your holiday at a Bulgarian resort, choose the place where your friends have been and find out more reviews.