There is a wide variety of things to do and see in Bulgaria, from seeing one of the country’s many historical monuments to relaxing on one of the country’s world-famous beaches. However, you may need to renew a Bulgaria visa in order to visit one of these warm, golden beaches or the stunning capital city of Sofia.
A Bulgarian passport is a travel document and evidence of citizenship that is issued to Bulgarian citizens by the Bulgarian government. In addition to establishing the bearer’s right to travel abroad and Bulgarian citizenship, a passport makes it easier to contact consular officials in other EU member states for help in the event of an emergency or to locate a Bulgarian consular officer overseas.
According to the Henley & Partners Passport Index, as of 19 July 2022, Bulgarian passport holders can enter 173 countries and territories without a visa, making it the 17th most flexible passport in the world. Bulgarian citizens have the freedom to freely migrate and reside inside the European Union, as guaranteed by Article 21 of the EU Treaty.
Every person who was born in Bulgaria is automatically a member of the European Union. Passport holders also have the right to freely travel about and live, work, and open a business in any country belonging to the European Union or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), thanks to the national identity card.
Learn more about Bulgarian visas, including how to apply, what documents you’ll need, and answers to some frequently asked questions, in this article.
You must submit a first-time application if you do not meet the requirements for mail-in renewal. If you submit your application and fee via mail to the U.S. Embassy after applying online, you won’t even have to show up in person.
A valid U.S. or foreign credit or debit card, an electronic money transfer from a U.S. bank account, Amazon Pay, or PayPal are all acceptable methods of online payment for the $130 passport renewal fee for eligible adult applicants. Following the day they receive your application and payment, the processing time is estimated to be four weeks.
If the following are true, you can renew your membership by mail and pay online:
When your last passport was granted, you were at least 16 years old. Note that you must submit a first-time application if your most recent passport was issued when you were younger than 16 years old.
It has been no more than 15 years since you received your most recent passport. Passports expire after 15 years, so if yours have expired you will need to reapply as a first-time traveler.
Your present documents prove that you go by the same name as what appears on your most current passport, or that you have legally changed your name due to marriage or court order.
The following are the steps for U.S. citizens living in Bulgaria to submit their DS-82 applications via courier and pay the associated fees online:
First, you’ll need to renew your passport by filling out form DS-82. Please fill out this form completely and print it. Put your name and the date where it says to do so.
Get a recent full-face, frontal, color passport photo that’s 2 inches square (5 cm square) and photographed against a white or off-white background.
Enclose your current passport in the envelope you send to the Embassy (this passport will be canceled and returned to you along with the new passport). Sign your passport before you travel.
Step 4: Enclose a single photocopy of the information page of your existing passport (one color and one black and white).
If your current passport was issued more than a year ago and you would want to change the name on your new passport due to marriage, divorce, or court order, you must submit legal documentation of the name change together with your application. Authentic originals with an English translation, if necessary, are required for all documents. Along with your new passport, you’ll receive these documents back.
Use the secure U.S. government payment site to pay the $130 application fee.
The electronic receipt of payment you will receive after making the payment must be printed and included in the materials you send to the Embassy. Regardless of whether your old passport reflects your current legal name or not, it is required that you use your current legal name in the name boxes. Enter the name of the person whose passport you are renewing and for whom you are paying. They need you to fill out every single one of those fields. Please be aware that this form can only be used to submit payment for a single passport application. All renewal application fee payments must be paid individually.
Call 0700 17 700 (press 1) and provide the DHL representative with your account number (it starts with 316103248).
Have the replacement passport delivered by DHL by visiting http://92.247.68.203/. A waybill in your name has been sent to the Embassy. It currently costs 8.78 BGN to ship in a single direction.
If you can pay for and submit your application online and via courier, we recommend not scheduling an appointment to come to the Embassy in person.
Getting your Bulgarian passport renewal in the USA is not difficult if you follow the set-out procedure. If you have gone through this process before or you are about to go about this, you can kindly share your experience with others via the comment section below.