Russian visa for citizens of Bulgaria

Published by Mike Lomberg June 11, 2020
Bulgarian passport cover

If you fancy traveling to Russia, whichever purpose you have – be it tourism, guest visits, work or study – you might want to know whether you need a visa to enter Russia, and how to get one.

Do citizens of Bulgaria need a visa to Russia?

Yes, they do.

Apart from holders of diplomatic and service passports, ordinary Bulgarian citizens require a visa to enter Russia. Read on and learn how to go about the entire visa application process, find a handy step-by-step guide to get your Russian visa in a quick and economical way.

Let’s crack on!

Step 1. Choose a visa type for your trip 

There exist several main Russian visa types. First of all, you should determine the dates of your trip and figure out which visa will suit your purpose best of all. 

Russian visa types overview

Visa typesValidity periodTravel purpose
Tourist visa30 daystourism and leisure
Private visa90 daysprivate guest visits. Not recommendable: see why here
Business visa30 -90 days (up to 1 year max)conducting business in Russia, looking for partners, negotiating, investing etc.
Transit visa3 -10 dayscrossing Russian territory on your way to another country
Student visa90 days and abovestudying a course in a Russian school or university
Work visa90 days and aboveworking under contract for a Russian employer
Electronic visa8 daysshort tourist, business or humanitarian visits

RUSSIAN TOURIST VISA FOR BULGARIANS

You need it if:

RUSSIAN BUSINESS AND HUMANITARIAN VISA FOR  BULGARIANS

You need it if:

RUSSIAN GUEST VISA FOR BULGARIANS

You need it if:

RUSSIAN STUDENT VISA FOR BULGARIANS

You need it if:

RUSSIAN WORK VISA FOR BULGARIANS

You need it if:

RUSSIAN TRANSIT VISA FOR BULGARIANS

You need it if:

RUSSIAN ELECTRONIC VISA FOR BULGARIANS

You are allowed to enter and leave through the same border point only and not leave the region which you entered. If you want to travel more freely, consider going on a regular tourist visa instead

Step 2. Get your documents in order for the application process

Have you decided on the visa type you need for your trip? Then let’s move on to the documents you’ll require for your application. Read the list below and collect what you should.

Step 3. Apply for a Russian visa in Bulgaria

Citizens of Bulgaria can submit their visa applications to one of the following places:

Find the contacts here:  Russian Consulates and Embassies

If you choose to apply at the Consulate you’ll only pay the Consular fee for your visa processing without any extras. But you should be very certain all your documents are correctly prepared. If there’s any mistake the consular officer won’t notify you, they’ll just reject your application.

When you apply at the visa center, you also pay for their services, but your documents will be proofread and you’ll be able to purchase some additional services like photocopies, premium application, courier delivery of your passport back.

The choice is yours.

Visa fees

Obligatory Consular fee:

Visa typeStandard processing 10 working daysUrgent processing in 3 working days
Tourist, Business, Private, Transit70 BGN140 BGN
Student, Humanitarian visafreefree
Work visa single entry140 BGN280 BGN
Work visa double entry420 BGN840 BGN
Work visa multiple entry420 BGN840 BGN

A Visa Center also charges 50 BGN extra for their work.

Visa fees are paid during the submission of your documents by credit/debit card or in cash. You’ll be given a receipt which you should present when you come back to collect your passport with visa.

Important: Visa fees are compulsory and non-refundable

Step 4. Collect your passport back and check your visa details

After the process of your application has finished, you can collect your passport back. Attentively examine the visa stamp. If has the following data on it:

Russian visa bears such information

Should you notice any mistakes, apply for correction before your trip. If everything is fine, prepare your luggage and start planning your trip and working out your route.

Step 5. Come to Russia and get registered

After you have arrived to the Russian border you’ll be given a migration card to fill. Save this document after having it stamped and carry along in your passport throughout the trip. You’ll need to return it back at the immigration control when leaving the country. It looks like this:

An example of a filled in Russian migration card

If you intend to stay in Russia over 7 working days you’ll also need to get yourself a Registration. Hotels will provide it for you. If you lodge at a private accommodation, agree with the owner that he’ll make it at the local post/police office department within the 7 days after your arrival. Carry it with you during your stay. It looks like this:

An Example of a filled in registration made in Russia

Now you have the necessary instructions and can start planning your trip to Russia and getting your Russian visa. If you still need some info, contact us by email and get a free consultation.

Have a nice trip and discover Russia!

Russian railway, a journey through Russia by train.