๐ง๐ฌ Bulgaria visa requirements for British citizens
No visa needed โ British citizens can stay in Bulgaria visa-free for up to 90 days.
Entry rules for United Kingdom passport holders
Holders of a valid passport from United Kingdom can travel to Bulgaria for tourism or short business trips without applying for a visa, for stays of up to 90 days. You'll typically just need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, and you may be asked to show proof of onward travel or sufficient funds at the border.
The 90-day limit applies to the visit itself โ if you plan to stay longer, work, or study in Bulgaria, you'll need to apply for the appropriate visa or permit before traveling.
Entry rules can change at short notice. Always confirm current requirements with the official Bulgaria immigration authority or your nearest embassy before booking.
Bulgaria is in the Schengen Area
Your stay in Bulgaria counts against the same 90-day allowance as every other Schengen country, within a rolling 180-day period โ the clock does not reset when you cross an internal border.
See the full Schengen rules for British citizens โHow this compares
The British passport ranks #20 worldwide, opening 162 destinations without a visa arranged in advance (118 visa-free, 36 with a visa on arrival and 8 with an eTA). Bulgaria is one of them.
The arrangement is reciprocal: Bulgarian citizens traveling to United Kingdom face the same requirement (visa-free ยท 180 days).
Southeast Europe is fully open to British travelers โ all 9 destinations in the region can be entered without arranging a visa first.
About Bulgaria
- Capital
- Sofia
- Region
- Southeast Europe
- Currency
- Bulgarian lev (ะปะฒ)
- Languages
- Bulgarian
Planning a trip to Bulgaria?
- Travel insurance โ
- Tours and activities โ
- Airport transfers โ
- Claim flight compensation โ
- Rent a car locally โ
- City attraction passes โ
Some links above are affiliate links โ booking through them supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Do British citizens need a visa for Bulgaria?
No visa needed โ British citizens can stay in Bulgaria visa-free for up to 90 days.
How long can British citizens stay in Bulgaria without a visa?
British citizens can stay in Bulgaria for up to 90 days visa-free. Longer stays require a visa or residence permit arranged in advance.
What currency is used in Bulgaria?
The currency in Bulgaria is the Bulgarian lev (ะปะฒ). The capital city is Sofia.
Is this information up to date?
Current status: Visa-free ยท 90 days for British citizens traveling to Bulgaria. This page is built from the open Passport Index dataset, which was last updated on 2025-01-12. Visa rules can change between dataset updates, so always confirm with the Bulgaria embassy or immigration authority before booking.
More of Europe for British passport holders
- ๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐ฆ๐ฉ Andorra โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐ฆ๐น Austria โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐ง๐พ Belarus โ visa-free ยท 30 days
- ๐ง๐ช Belgium โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐ง๐ฆ Bosnia and Herzegovina โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐ญ๐ท Croatia โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐จ๐พ Cyprus โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia โ visa-free ยท 90 days
Popular destinations for British travelers
- ๐ฆ๐บ Australia โ eta required
- ๐ง๐ท Brazil โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐จ๐ฆ Canada โ eta required
- ๐จ๐ณ China โ visa required
- ๐ซ๐ท France โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐ฉ๐ช Germany โ visa-free ยท 90 days
- ๐ฎ๐ณ India โ e-visa
- ๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia โ visa on arrival
- ๐ฎ๐น Italy โ visa-free ยท 90 days
Going the other way? United Kingdom visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens โ
Source data last updated 2025-01-12.