Citizens of the Russian Federation (RF) wishing to visit Bulgaria, first of all, need to obtain an official permit to enter this country, that is, to open a visa. This can be done both with the help of the staff of a specialized travel agency, or on your own. This article will focus on how and where a visa to Bulgaria in Moscow is issued without intermediaries.
Algorithm of actions
Whatever visa you plan to receive - tourist, study, transit, work and so on, first of all, you need to fill out an application form at the embassy / consulate / visa center. All data should be entered in block letters, name and surname - in Latin, other information - in Cyrillic.
When filling out the application form, corrections are permissible (no more than 3 pieces), each of which must be certified by the applicant with a personal signature.
If a visa to Bulgaria is also issued for children, separate application forms are issued for each of them. A child aged 14-17 signs the form with his own hand, and next to it is the signature of one of the parents. For children under 14 years old, only parents or legal representatives sign. The accompanying person must have a permit to take the child out.
One color photo measuring 3.5 by 4.5 cm, made on a light background, is pasted into the application form. The face should be clearly visible, it is better if the long hair is pulled back behind the ears. The height of the face in the center should not be less than 3 cm, that is, it should occupy from 70 to 80% of the entire photo. If the photo does not meet the requirements, the application for a visa to Bulgaria in Moscow will not be accepted for consideration.
In addition to the application form, you need to submit the following documents to the visa center, embassy or consulate:
- international passport (its validity must exceed 3 months from the date of expiry of the visa) and a copy of its first page;
- medical insurance policy;
- documents that confirm the purpose of the trip (certificate from work, invitation from a private or legal entity, letter of recommendation, confirmation of family ties);
- copies of booking tickets for transport and hotel rooms;
- documents confirming the availability of funds necessary for living in Bulgaria (bank statement, sponsorship letter);
- for those traveling with children - a copy of the child's birth certificate. If a minor is sent to Bulgaria with only one of the parents, you will need a power of attorney issued by the other parent and certified by a notary office to take the child abroad, as well as a copy of the parent's Russian passport giving consent to leave.
The consulate has the right to demand additional documents from the applicant who wishes to apply for a visa to Bulgaria in Moscow, as well as invite him for an interview, regardless of his place of stay.
Where to go for a visa
Here are the addresses of several metropolitan institutions, contacting which you can open a visa:
- Embassy of Bulgaria in Moscow (consular section)
Address: st. Mosfilmovskaya, house 66.
Contact phone: +7 (495) 234-02-26
Official website: https://www.mfa.bg/ru/embassies/russia
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 17.30
- Bulgarian Visa Application Center in Moscow.
Address: Suschevsky Val, house 31, building 2 (metro station "Maryina Roshcha" or "Savelovskaya").
Contact phones: +8 (499) 703-37-488, +8 (499) 709-92-81
Official website: http://www.vfsglobal.com (on the VFS Global website you can find the addresses of the Bulgarian visa application centers in other cities of Russia).
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00
- Unified Visa Application Center
Address: Tsvetnoy Boulevard, 34, office 410 (Tsvetnoy Bulvar metro station).
Contact phone: +7 (495) 109-00-23.
Official website: http: //www.www. single visa center.rf.
Working hours: from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00, receiving calls 24/7.
- Bulgaria Visa Application Center.
Address: Leninsky prospect, 2A, 5th floor (metro station "Oktyabrskaya").
Contact phone: +7 (499) 394-67-62.
Official website: http://bulgaria-vac.ru.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 19.00.
Thus, focusing on the location and working hours of official institutions, each applicant has the right to independently decide where to get a visa to Bulgaria in Moscow will be most convenient for him.
Processing times and prices
Often, it takes 4-6 working days to consider applications from citizens of the Russian Federation (not counting the day of filing). Citizens of non-CIS countries have to wait a little longer - an average of 10 days. By the way, documents from the latter are accepted only if they have been legally staying in Russia for a long time (for example, having a residence permit, work visa and, accordingly, temporary registration in the country).
The maximum waiting period cannot exceed 30 working days from the date of submission of documents. An urgent visa to Bulgaria in Moscow is issued quite quickly: within 2 working days (not counting the day of submission) and will be only one-entry.
It is cheaper to order a visa yourself than to use the services of an intermediary. If the application is regular and not urgent, a visa fee of € 35 was required in 2021. An urgent permit was twice as expensive - 70 euros.
The cost of a Bulgarian visa in Moscow includes a separate article of a service fee, the amount of which in both cases in 2021 was 19 euros. Children under the age of 6 are exempted from paying visa and service fees. If the applicant is denied a visa, none of the fees will be refunded to him.
Tariffs are determined in accordance with the current exchange rate. Therefore, the prices for visas in 2021 will need to be clarified by contacting the employees of the visa centers.
How to know if a visa is ready
Applicants who have decided to obtain a Bulgarian visa on their own in Moscow have the opportunity to see online at what stage of processing it is.
For example, if the application was submitted to the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow, you need to go to its official website and enter the requested data in the form offered for verification. You will need the following information: the client's name and surname (in Latin), the number of the foreign passport, the number and date of registration of the application.
Similarly, you can check the readiness of the Bulgarian visa and on the websites of visa centers.
Which countries can you go to with a Bulgarian visa
Despite the fact that Bulgaria is a member of the European Union (EU), it is not yet part of the Schengen area. In this regard, holders of a Bulgarian visa are not entitled to unhindered movement within the Schengen area.
Nevertheless, there are a number of European countries where it is possible to travel with a Bulgarian visa. This list includes Romania, Croatia, Cyprus: you can travel along them not only on your own, but also on tourist routes, joining one of the excursion groups departing from Bulgaria.
What types of Bulgarian visas exist
The main criterion for the classification of permits for crossing the Bulgarian borders is the purpose for which they are issued. The answer to the question of which visa can be used to enter Bulgaria is contained in the Law “On Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria” dated July 5, 1999.
Russian citizens may need a visa:
- type C (short-term residence permit, which is necessary for tourists, businessmen, persons making private visits);
- type D (immigration, required by those wishing to obtain a residence permit in Bulgaria or a permanent residence permit in the country).
Entry permits differ in terms of validity. So, you can open a visa to Bulgaria in Moscow, single, double or multiple.
Outcomes
Bulgaria is a state with rich recreational resources, modern European universities, favorable conditions for the development of private business. The number of foreign travelers arriving in this country is increasing every year.
Russian citizens who wish to visit Bulgaria must first issue a permit to cross its borders. Today, obtaining a Bulgarian visa in Moscow is possible both through intermediaries (travel companies) and without their participation (independently). The second method allows you to draw up documents relatively inexpensively and in the best possible time.
