Bulgaria: visas, documents and safety

Bulgaria at a glance

Key information to orient yourself in the country: current situation, essential facts and useful guidance.

Local time (UTC+02:00)

01:29:46

November 1, 2026

Capital

Sofia

Data status

Update delayed

7.1 °C

Rain

High 9.2°

Low 6.9°

Precipitation 0.7 mm

Wind 1.3 m/s

Today · Nov 1

Heavy rain

6.9° / 9.2°

Precipitation 14.7 mm

Tomorrow · Nov 2

Rain

8.1° / 11.3°

Precipitation 1.7 mm

Tuesday · Nov 3

Cloudy

8.1° / 8.2°

Precipitation 0 mm

Weather: Sofia (capital) Official API

Essential facts

Currency: Bulgarian lev (BGN)
Language: Bulgarian
Capital: Sofia
Population: 6,437,360
Timezone: UTC+02:00

Country overview

The Italian presence in Bulgaria brings together essential services, community organizations, official references and cross-country collaboration opportunities to support Italians traveling, living, working or connecting between countries.

Travel in Bulgaria

Planning a trip to Bulgaria means understanding entry requirements, the documents you need and safety guidance before you leave.

In this guide you will find information on visas for Italian citizens, passport validity, health and safety, along with embassy contacts, consular services and emergency numbers in Bulgaria.

Before you leave

Italian passport · citizens of Italy

Entry requirements

Visa rules, permitted stay, required documents and official sources. Always confirm what applies to you before you travel.

Freedom of movement

Source and verification date are shown in the card below.

Stay window · 180 days (rolling)

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry says Bulgaria has been part of the Schengen area since 31 March 2024, when checks at internal air and sea borders were abolished, and that checks at internal land borders were lifted on 1 January 2025. Its visa table marks no visa for ordinary-passport holders from countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan; nationals of the countries in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 are visa-free for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. EU nationals travel with a passport or ID card. The EU Visa Code sets the Schengen visa fee at EUR 90.

Passport validity: Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry says visa applicants need a passport valid for at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from Bulgaria, issued within the last 10 years and with at least 2 blank pages. The UK government gives British visitors the same 3-month and 10-year rules for the Schengen area.
Blank passport pages: At least 2 blank passport pages.
Travel insurance: Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry asks visa applicants for medical insurance valid in the EU for the whole trip, covering repatriation, urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment, of at least EUR 30,000, as the EU Visa Code requires. Canada's travel advice says Canadian visitors must present proof of medical insurance with at least €30,000 coverage valid in the EU.

Entry & documents

Open the «Travel without surprises» checklist for this destination

Safety

Travel advisory: Level 1 - Exercise Normal Precautions

Exercise normal precautionin Bulgaria Bulgaria is generally a safe destination for travelers.

Official source

Source: U.S. Department of State

Health

Official health guidance

World Health Organization (WHO) Viaggiare Sicuri (Italy) CDC Travel Health

Italian offices

4 offices listed

Office

Embassy - Sofia

Sofia

Office

Honorary consulate - Plovdiv

Plovdiv

Office

Istituto di cultura - Sofia

Sofia

View all offices

Automated data for information only. It does not replace guidance from local authorities, MAECI or Viaggiare Sicuri.

Data transparency

Sources and updates

Origin, time reference and terms of use for data shown for Bulgaria.

Sources and updates

Official references, verification dates and provenance of the information published on this page.

Last institutional source check: 8 Oct 2026, 02:00

Official country sources

Data used on this page

TravelRequirements.info Entry requirements for Italian citizens (Travel tab and /travel hub)

Official source Terms CC BY 4.0
MET Norway Weather conditions and forecast for the capital

Weather reference: 31 Oct 2026, 20:17 · Retrieved: 1 Nov 2026, 00:01 · Update delayed

Official source Terms NLOD 2.0 / CC BY 4.0
GeoNames Capital, coordinates and time zone

Official source Terms CC BY 4.0

Data is stored in the UnitedItalians database and refreshed periodically from the listed sources. Reference year, update date and availability may vary between providers.

Bulgaria

Today in the country

Today · Nov 1

Tomorrow · Nov 2

Tuesday · Nov 3

Essential facts

Country overview