# Visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens

Visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Bulgaria. As of 8 January 2025, Bulgarian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 178 countries and territories, ranking the Bulgarian passport 15th overall in terms of travel freedom (tied with the passports of Monaco and Romania), according to the Henley & Partners Passport Index.

## Visa requirements

| Country | Visa requirement | Allowed stay | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
| Afghanistan | Visa required | | |
| Albania | Visa not required | 90 days | ID card valid |
| Algeria | Visa required | | |
| Andorra | Visa not required | | ID card valid |
| Angola | Visa not required | 30 days | Maximum 3 entries per calendar year International Certificate of Vaccination required |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Argentina | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Armenia | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Australia | eVisitor | 90 days | 90 days on each visit in 12-month period if granted. Bulgarian Government officially considers that Australia maintains a visa regime towards its citizens. This was dismissed by the European Commission. |
| Austria | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Azerbaijan | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Bahamas | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Bahrain | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 14 days | Visa is also obtainable online. |
| Bangladesh | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Barbados | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Belarus | Visa not required | 30 days | Visa-free until 31 December 2024. |
| Belgium | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Belize | Visa not required | | |
| Benin | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days / 8 days | Must have an international vaccination certificate. |
| Bhutan | Visa required | | |
| Bolivia | Visa on arrival | 90 days | Free of charge |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 6-month period ID card valid |
| Botswana | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Brazil | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Brunei | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Burkina Faso | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Burundi | Visa on arrival | 30 days | All visitors can obtain their visa (business or tourist) on arrival at Bujumbura Airport, and any land or maritime entry points. A month-long visa costs $90 and a 3 day-long visa costs $40 |
| Cambodia | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | Visa is also obtainable online. |
| Cameroon | eVisa | | |
| Canada | Visa not required | 6 months | eTA required if arriving by air. |
| Cape Verde | Visa not required | 30 days | Must register online at least five days prior to arrival. |
| Central African Republic | Visa required | | |
| Chad | Visa required | | |
| Chile | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| China | Visa not required | 30 days | Visa-free from 30 November, 2024 to 31 December, 2025. 24-hour visa-free transit through any international airports of China, allows domestic travel through different airports. 72-hour visa-free transit through Changsha, Guilin and Harbin airports, or Beihai port. 144-hour visa-free transit through Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jieyang, Kunming, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xiamen and Xi'an airports, or Dalian, Guangzhou, Lianyungang, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Xiamen and Zhoushan ports. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan count as third countries under the 24, 72 and 144-hours transit without visa (TWOV) policies. |
| Colombia | Visa not required | 180 days | 90 days – extendable up to 180-days stay within a one-year period |
| Comoros | Visa on arrival | | |
| Republic of the Congo | Visa required | | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Visa required | | |
| Costa Rica | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | eVisa | 3 months | eVisa holders must arrive via Port Bouet Airport. |
| Croatia | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Cuba | Tourist Card required | 30 days | |
| Cyprus | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Czech Republic | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Denmark | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement (DK) ID card valid | Freedom of movement (DK) ID card valid |
| Djibouti | eVisa | 31 days | |
| Dominica | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Dominican Republic | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Ecuador | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Egypt | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| El Salvador | Visa not required | 6 months | |
| Equatorial Guinea | eVisa | | e-Visa holders must arrive via Malabo International Airport. |
| Eritrea | Visa required | | |
| Estonia | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement ID card valid | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Eswatini | Visa required | | |
| Ethiopia | eVisa | up to 90 days | eVisa holders must arrive via Addis Ababa Bole International Airport |
| Fiji | Visa not required | 4 months | |
| Finland | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| France | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement (in Regions of France) ID card valid |
| Gabon | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | Electronic visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport. |
| Gambia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Georgia | Visa not required | 1 year | ID card valid |
| Germany | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Ghana | Visa required | | |
| Greece | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Grenada | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Guatemala | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Guinea | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Guinea-Bissau | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Guyana | Visa required | | |
| Haiti | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Honduras | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Hungary | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Iceland | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| India | e-Visa | 60 days | e-Visa holders must arrive via 31 designated airports or 5 designated seaports. An Indian e-Tourist Visa may only be obtained twice within 1 calendar year. Foreigners of Pakistani origin or who hold a Pakistani Passport are not eligible for an e-Visa. Foreigners who are not Pakistani nationals, but whose parents or grandparents (either paternal or maternal) were born in, or were permanent residents in Pakistan, are also not eligible for an e-Visa. |
| Indonesia | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Iran | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Iraq | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 60 days | Visa on arrival for 15 days at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports valid for Iraqi Kurdistan only. |
| Ireland | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Israel | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Italy | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Jamaica | Visa on arrival | | |
| Japan | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Jordan | Free visa on arrival | 30 days | Conditions apply. |
| Kazakhstan | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Kenya | Electronic Travel Authorization | 3 months | |
| Kiribati | Visa not required | 90 days | May not exceed 90 days within any given 12 months period |
| North Korea | Visa required | | |
| South Korea | K-ETA required | 90 days | Bulgarian citizens can enter South Korea as a short term visit (e.g., tours, visiting relatives or friends, attending simple meetings) up to 90 days without a visa, though you should remain aware of the quarantine requirements. You must also have an onward or return ticket. It is illegal to work on a tourist visa, whether as a teacher or in any other capacity. You must be in possession of a Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) to enter Korea visa-free. You can complete your K-ETA application up to 24 hours before boarding your flight and it will be valid for two years from the date of approval. There is a small, non-refundable charge. |
| Kuwait | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 3 months | Available at Kuwait International Airport. |
| Kyrgyzstan | Visa not required | 60 days | |
| Laos | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | 17 of the 31 border crossings are only open to visa holders. e-Visa may be used to enter Laos through Luang Prabang, Pakse and Vientiane international airports, 3 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges and in Boten (road and railroad). Visa on arrival is available at Luang Prabang, Pakse and Vientiane international airports, the 4 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges and 6 border crossings. Visa on arrival is extendable for an additional 60 days at the Department of Immigration in Vientiane. |
| Latvia | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Lebanon | Visa on arrival | 1 month | 1 month extendable for 2 additional months Granted free of charge at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry if there is no Israeli visa or seal, holding a telephone number, an address in Lebanon, and a non refundable return or circle trip ticket. |
| Lesotho | eVisa | | |
| Liberia | Visa required | | |
| Libya | Visa required | | |
| Liechtenstein | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Lithuania | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Luxembourg | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Madagascar | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Malawi | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Malaysia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Maldives | Free visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Mali | Visa required | | |
| Malta | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Marshall Islands | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Mauritania | Visa on arrival | | Available at Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport. |
| Mauritius | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Mexico | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Micronesia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Moldova | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period ID card valid |
| Monaco | Visa not required | | ID card valid |
| Mongolia | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Montenegro | Visa not required | 90 days | ID card valid for 30 days |
| Morocco | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Mozambique | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Myanmar | eVisa | 28 days | eVisa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports or via land border crossings with Thailand — Tachileik, Myawaddy and Kawthaung or India — Rih Khaw Dar and Tamu. eVisa available for both tourism (allowed stay is 28 days) or business purposes (allowed stay is 70 days). |
| Namibia | Visa on arrival | 3 months | Available at Hosea Kutako International Airport. |
| Nauru | Visa required | | |
| Nepal | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Netherlands | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement (European Netherlands) ID card valid |
| New Zealand | Electronic Travel Authority | 3 months | International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy must be paid upon requesting an Electronic Travel Authority. Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority prior to departure. Such travellers are not required to pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. |
| Nicaragua | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Niger | Visa required | | |
| Nigeria | Visa required | | |
| North Macedonia | Visa not required | 90 days | ID card valid |
| Norway | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Oman | Visa not required | 14 days | 30 days e-Visa also available |
| Pakistan | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Palau | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Panama | Visa not required | 180 days | |
| Papua New Guinea | Easy Visitor Permit | 60 days | |
| Paraguay | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Peru | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 6-month period |
| Philippines | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Poland | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Portugal | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Qatar | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Romania | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Russia | eVisa | 16 days | e-Visa holders must arrive and depart via 29 checkpoints |
| Rwanda | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Saint Lucia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Samoa | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| San Marino | Visa not required | | ID card valid |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Visa not required | 15 days | |
| Saudi Arabia | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Senegal | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Serbia | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 6-month period ID card valid |
| Seychelles | Visa not required | 3 months | |
| Sierra Leone | Visa on arrival | | |
| Singapore | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Slovakia | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Slovenia | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Solomon Islands | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Somalia | Visa on arrival | | Available at Berbera, Borama, Burao, Erigavo and Hargeisa airports. 30 days, available at Bosaso Airport, Galcaio Airport and Mogadishu Airport. |
| South Africa | eVisa | | |
| South Sudan | Electronic Visa | | Obtainable online Printed visa authorization must be presented at the time of travel |
| Spain | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Sri Lanka | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Sudan | Visa required | | |
| Suriname | eVisa | | |
| Sweden | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Switzerland | Freedom of movement | | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Syria | eVisa | | |
| Tajikistan | Visa not required | 30 days | Visa also available online. |
| Tanzania | eVisa / Visa on arrival | 3 months | |
| Thailand | Visa not required | 60 days | |
| Timor-Leste | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Togo | Visa on arrival | 7 days | |
| Tonga | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Tunisia | Visa not required | 2 months | ID card valid on organized tours |
| Turkey | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period ID card valid. |
| Turkmenistan | Visa required | | |
| Tuvalu | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Uganda | eVisa / Visa on arrival | | May apply online. |
| Ukraine | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| United Arab Emirates | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| United Kingdom | Visa not required | 6 months | |
| United States | Visa required | | |
| Uruguay | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Uzbekistan | Visa not required | 30 days | |
| Vanuatu | Visa not required | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Vatican City | Visa not required | | ID card valid |
| Venezuela | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Vietnam | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Yemen | Visa required | | |
| Zambia | Visa not required | 90 days | |
| Zimbabwe | Visa on arrival | 3 months | 30 days for visits on business, 3 months for tourists |

## Territories and disputed areas

Visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens for visits to various territories, disputed areas, partially recognized countries and restricted zones:
| Visitor to | Visa requirement | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
| Europe |||
| Abkhazia | Visa required | |
| Mount Athos | Special permit required | Special permit required (4 days: 25 euro for Orthodox visitors, 35 euro for non-Orthodox visitors, 18 euro for students). There is a visitors' quota: maximum 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox per day and women are not allowed. |
| Brest and Grodno | Visa not required | Visa-free for 10 days |
| Crimea | Visa required | Visa issued by Russia is required. |
| Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus | Visa not required | 3 months; ID card valid |
| UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus | Access Permit required | Access Permit is required for travelling inside the zone, except Civil Use Areas. |
| Faroe Islands | Visa not required | ID card valid |
| Gibraltar | Visa not required | ID card valid |
| Guernsey | Visa not required | |
| Isle of Man | Visa not required | |
| Jan Mayen | Permit required | Permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours. |
| Jersey | Visa not required | |
| Kaliningrad Oblast | eVisa | Currently 16-days common e-visa is available instead of 8-days free regional e-visa |
| Kosovo | Visa not required | ID card valid |
| Russia | Special authorization required | Several closed cities and regions in Russia require special authorization. |
| South Ossetia | Visa not required | Multiple entry visa to Russia and three day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia. |
| Transnistria | Visa not required | Registration required after 24h. |
| Africa |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Special permit required | Special permit required. |
| Eritrea outside Asmara | Travel permit required | To travel in the rest of the country, a Travel Permit for Foreigners is required (20 Eritrean nakfa). |
| Mayotte | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Réunion | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| Ascension Island | eVisa | 3 months within any year period |
| Saint Helena | Visitor's Pass required | Visitor's Pass granted on arrival valid for 4/10/21/60/90 days for 12/14/16/20/25 pound sterling. |
| Tristan da Cunha | Permission required | Permission to land required for 15/30 pounds sterling (yacht/ship passenger) for Tristan da Cunha Island or 20 pounds sterling for Gough Island, Inaccessible Island or Nightingale Islands. |
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | | Undefined visa regime in the Western Sahara controlled territory. |
| Somaliland | Visa on arrival | 30 days for 30 US dollars, payable on arrival. |
| Sudan | Travel permit required | All foreigners traveling more than 25 kilometers outside of Khartoum must obtain a travel permit. |
| Darfur | Travel permit required | Separate travel permit is required. |
| Asia |||
| Hong Kong | Visa not required | 3 months |
| India PAP/RAP | PAP/RAP required | Protected Area Permit (PAP) required for whole states of Nagaland and Sikkim and parts of states Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh. Restricted Area Permit (RAP) required for all of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Sikkim. Some of these requirements are occasionally lifted for a year. |
| Iraqi Kurdistan | Visa on arrival | Visa on arrival for 15 days is available at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports. |
| Kazakhstan | Special permission required | Special permission required for the town of Baikonur and surrounding areas in Kyzylorda Oblast, and the town of Gvardeyskiy near Almaty. |
| Kish Island | Visa not required | Visitors to Kish Island do not require a visa. |
| Macau | Visa not required | 90 days |
| Sabah and Sarawak | Visa not required | These states have their own immigration authorities and passport is required to travel to them, however the same visa applies. |
| Maldives | Permission required | With the exception of the capital Malé, tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of Maldives. |
| North Korea outside Pyongyang | Special permit required | People are not allowed to leave the capital city, tourists can only leave the capital with a governmental tourist guide (no independent moving) |
| Palestine | Visa not required | Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed. |
| Taiwan | Visa not required | 90 days |
| Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province | OIVR permit required | OIVR permit required (15+5 Tajikistani Somoni) and another special permit (free of charge) is required for Lake Sarez. |
| Tibet Autonomous Region | TTP required | Tibet Travel Permit required (10 US Dollars). |
| Turkmenistan | Special permit required | A special permit, issued prior to arrival by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is required if visiting the following places: Atamurat, Cheleken, Dashoguz, Serakhs and Serhetabat. |
| Korean Demilitarized Zone | Restricted zone. | |
| UNDOF Zone and Ghajar | Restricted zone. | |
| Phú Quốc | Visa not required | 30 days |
| Yemen | Special permission required | Special permission needed for travel outside Sana’a or Aden. |
| Caribbean and North Atlantic |||
| Anguilla | Visa not required | 3 months |
| Aruba | Visa not required | 30 days, extendable to 180 days |
| Bermuda | Visa not required | Up to 6 months, decided on arrival |
| Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba | Visa not required | 3 months |
| British Virgin Islands | Visa not required | 30 days, extensions possible |
| Cayman Islands | Visa not required | |
| San Andrés and Leticia | Tourist Card on arrival | Visitors arriving at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport and Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport must buy tourist cards on arrival. |
| Curacao | Visa not required | 3 months |
| French Guiana | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement ID card valid |
| French West Indies | Freedom of movement | Freedom of movement ID card valid French West Indies refers to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. |
| Greenland | Visa not required | |
| Margarita Island | Visa not required | All visitors are fingerprinted. |
| Montserrat | Visa not required | ID card valid (max.14 days). |
| Puerto Rico | Visa required | |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Visa not required | ID card valid |
| Sint Maarten | Visa not required | 3 months |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Visa not required | 90 days |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Visa required | |
| Oceania |||
| American Samoa | Entry permit required | |
| Ashmore and Cartier Islands | Special authorisation required | Special authorisation required. |
| Clipperton Island | Special permit required | Special permit required. |
| Cook Islands | Visa not required | 31 days |
| Lau Province | Special permission required | Special permission required. |
| French Polynesia | Visa not required | ID card valid |
| Guam | Visa required | |
| New Caledonia | Visa not required | ID card valid |
| Niue | Visa on arrival | 30 days |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Visa required | |
| Pitcairn Islands | Visa not required | 14 days visa free and landing fee US$35 or tax of US$5 if not going ashore. |
| Tokelau | Entry permit required | |
| United States Minor Outlying Islands | Special permits required | Special permits required for Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island. |
| Wallis and Futuna | Visa not required | ID card valid |
| South Atlantic and Antarctica |||
| Falkland Islands | Visa not required | Visa is not required. |
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | Permit required | Pre-arrival permit from the Commissioner required (72 hours/1 month for 110/160 pounds sterling). |
| Antarctica | | Special permits required for British Antarctic Territory, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Argentine Antarctica, Australian Antarctic Territory, Chilean Antarctic Territory, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Peter I Island, Queen Maud Land, Ross Dependency. |
* Visas for Cambodia, Myanmar, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Turkey are obtainable online.

## Non-ordinary passports

Holders of various categories of official Bulgarian passports have additional visa-free access to the following countries – Azerbaijan (diplomatic or service passports), China (diplomatic or service passports), India (diplomatic or official passports), Indonesia (diplomatic or official passports), Iran (diplomatic or service passports), Kazakhstan (diplomatic or service passports), Kuwait (diplomatic or service passports), Mauritania (diplomatic and service passports), Mongolia (diplomatic or official passports), North Korea (diplomatic or service passports), Qatar (diplomatic passports), Russia (diplomatic and service passports), South Africa (diplomatic, official or service passports), Turkmenistan (diplomatic or service passports) and Vietnam (diplomatic, official, service or special passports). Holders of diplomatic or service passports of any country have visa-free access to Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Mali and Zimbabwe.

## Right to consular protection in non-EU countries

When in a non-EU country where there is no Bulgarian embassy, Bulgarian citizens as EU citizens have the right to get consular protection from the embassy of any other EU country present in that country.
See also List of diplomatic missions of Bulgaria.

## Non-visa restrictions

Many countries have entry restrictions on foreigners that go beyond the common requirement of having either a valid visa or a visa exemption. Such restrictions may be health related or impose additional documentation requirements on certain classes of people for diplomatic or political purposes.

### Blank passport pages

Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages. Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.

### Vaccination

Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, require all incoming passengers older than nine months to one year to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana.
Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

### Passport validity length

Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.
However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).
Some countries, such as Japan, Ireland and the United Kingdom, require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.
In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.
Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand. Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.
Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.
Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.
Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives and South Africa.

#### Maximum passport age

Countries of the Schengen area require non-EU passports to be less than 10 years old upon entry. A number of holders of British passports, which until September 2018 could be issued with a validity period of up to 10 years and nine months if the previous passport was not expired, were unable to travel to the EU subsequent to Brexit due to this restriction.

### Criminal record

Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States, routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record, while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.

### Persona non grata

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning them from entering the country or expelling them if they have already entered. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity.

### Israeli stamps

Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.
Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.

### Biometrics

Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside.
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan, Argentina, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Japan, Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken), Malaysia upon entry and departure, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by its own legislation), intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.
Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa.