Bulgaria Short-Stay (Type C) Verified 2026-04-29Sports / Cultural / Artistic / Scientific Visa (Short-Stay, Type C)
Bulgaria visa for cultural events, sports competitions, artistic performances, scientific exchange. Short-Stay (Type C). ₹9,900 + ₹2,530 VFS. Requires invitation from the Bulgarian organising body.
- Processing time
- About 3 weeks
- after you submit
No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the Bulgaria visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.
Processing
Up to 15 calendar days
Stay Duration
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Starting Fee
₹9,900
Apply At
10 VFS centres
Your whole Bulgaria Cultural Event Visa,
handled for one honest price.
A strong Bulgaria file clearly explains your travel purpose, funds, and ties to India. We structure and submit everything properly — so your case is presented clearly and professionally.
All-in · 18% GST included · no hidden charges
File-ready in 3–5 working days after documents
5★ · 100+ reviews · reply in 5 min
Everything below — included, nothing extra
- Document checklist
- Application form guidance
- Document review
- Cover letter
- Purpose of travel structure
- Financial proof review
- Sponsor document guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Post-submission guidance
Not sure you qualify? Start with a refundable ₹499 possibility report — an honest Yes / Maybe / No, credited to this fee.
Price is for our consultancy service only and includes 18% GST. No agency can guarantee a visa — the final decision rests with the visa authority.
Your fee, in one glance
What the ₹14,999 fee covers for a Bulgaria file
- We work out what your case actually is, before touching a form
- We build the checklist around your profile, not a template
- We read your documents against each other, not against a list
- Financial proof review
- Purpose of travel structuring
- Cover letter / explanation support
- Return ties review
- Sponsor / invitation guidance
- Application form guidance
- Submission & appointment support
- Biometrics guidance
- Post-submission support
Government, VFS, insurance, ticket and hotel costs are separate and charged at cost. Read what each item means, in full.
Good to know before you apply
Rules that apply to every Bulgaria visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.
- 1Indian-resident applicants apply via VFS Global India. Direct Embassy submission only by prior appointment for special EU-family or compassionate cases.
- 2Status queries and missing-document submissions go to bgconsuldelhi@yahoo.com — emails to other Embassy addresses are disregarded.
- 3Bulgaria became a full Schengen member on 1 January 2025. Holders of Schengen Type C (two/multiple entry), Type D (long-stay), or Schengen-state residence permits can enter Bulgaria WITHOUT a separate Bulgarian visa for stays up to 90 days in 6 months.
- 4Diplomatic and Official Indian Passport holders can transit / enter Bulgaria visa-free for short-term visits up to 90 days in 6 months (since 02 July 2009).
- 5The applicant bears responsibility for ALL content of the application — an authorised representative cannot accept liability.
- 6The Embassy can request additional documents at any time during examination and may call applicants for an interview.
- 7Possessing a valid Bulgaria / Schengen visa does NOT guarantee entry — final entry decision rests with the border immigration officer.
Who Can Apply
- Cultural events — Ministry of Culture-organised performances, festivals, exhibitions
- Sports events — competitions, training camps, exchange programmes (under Sports Federations / Sports Clubs)
- Artistic events — film shoots, music performances, theatre tours
- Student / scientific exchange programmes (universities, schools, research bodies)
- Academic conferences (Bulgarian Academy of Science / universities)
What it costs
Government & VFS fees
Paid directly to Bulgaria / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Adult visa (Short-Stay, Type C) | ₹9,900 |
| Children 6–12 years | FREE |
| Members of Bulgarian / EU citizens' families | FREE |
| VFS Logistics service charge | ₹2,530 |
| Optional Courier | ₹735 |
| Optional Courier with assurance | ₹1,260 |
| Optional SMS service | ₹420 |
| Optional Premium Lounge | ₹3,360 |
| Optional Photograph at VFS | ₹315 |
| Optional Prime Time Submission | ₹2,100 |
Visa fees and VFS service charges are non-refundable, regardless of visa outcome. From 12 August 2024, applicants can pay visa fees and VFS logistics via Card / Cash / UPI. Approximate total for an adult short-stay visa: ₹12,430 (₹9,900 + ₹2,530). Long-Term D total: ₹14,080. Diplomatic and Official Indian Passport holders can transit / visit Bulgaria visa-free for up to 90 days within 6 months.
Flights · Hotels · Insurance · Itinerary
What Bulgaria actually requires — and what it does not.
Bulgaria applies the Schengen rules, so travel insurance is not a nice-to-have — it is a legal condition of the visa.
2 of 4 are compulsory for Bulgaria
Flight reservation
The Bulgaria consulate wants a return itinerary with a real PNR covering your exact dates. It does not want a paid ticket, and buying one before a decision puts your money at risk for nothing.
Where people slip: Flying into one city and out of another with nothing showing how you travel between them. Officers read the whole route, and an unexplained gap reads as a plan that does not hold together.
How to hold a flight without payingHotel booking
Accommodation for EVERY night of the stay. Not most nights — every one. A gap is a documented refusal ground under the Schengen code.
Where people slip: Free-cancellation bookings are accepted, but if the entire file is free-cancellation the officer sees a trip nobody has committed to. Some of it should be real spend.
Refundable hotel booking, explainedTravel insurance
Minimum EUR 30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen state, including repatriation and emergency medical evacuation, for the full period of stay. Regulation (EC) 810/2009 — this is law, not preference.
Where people slip: Buying cover for the adults and forgetting the children. Every traveller needs their own EUR 30,000, infants included — a real refusal we have seen on a family of four.
What the cover must actually sayTravel itinerary
A day-by-day plan matching your flights, your hotels and the country you applied to. Bulgaria must be your main destination or your first point of entry, or you are at the wrong consulate.
Where people slip: Spending more nights in another Schengen country than in Bulgaria. That gets a file rejected before it is even assessed.
The letter your itinerary attaches toWe arrange all four for your Bulgaria file.
We are a B2B travel agency as well as a visa consultancy, working with partners including Riya Travel — so the flight, the hotel and the policy all come from us, issued the same day, and you deal with one team instead of four. Every booking is a real one under your own name.
What to gather
Documents required
Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.
Mandatory — every applicant must provide
9 items- Bulgaria Visa Application FormRequired
Fully completed in English or Bulgarian, signed in two places (field 37 + last field). For minors under 18 — signed by parent/guardian.
- Valid passportRequired
Valid 3+ months beyond intended return; minimum 2 empty pages back-to-back; issued within the previous 10 years; NO alterations or handwritten amendments on the data page
- Copy of current passportRequired
Data pages, plus pages with evidence of previous valid + expired visas / travel
- Original of previous passports (or proof of loss)
If applicable — to demonstrate travel history
- One recent passport-size photograph (3.5 × 4.5 cm)Required
Light background; face covers 70-80%; ICAO-compliant; see Photo Specifications section below. NOT older than 6 months.
- Cover letterRequired
Explaining the purpose of the trip and duration of stay
- Proof of residence
If applicable — applicants temporarily residing in another state should submit a photocopy of the stay permit (e.g. valid Indian Residency Permit or return visa to India)
- Travel medical insurance — minimum €30,000 coverRequired
Valid for Bulgaria for the entire period of intended stay; covers repatriation for medical reasons + emergency medical care + hospital treatment in case of emergency or death. Must be issued by an EU/VFS-approved insurance company. For multiple entries, additional declaration form required.
- Means of transportationRequired
Return travel ticket OR confirmed booking (for air / surface / sea transport)
Proof of financial means — every applicant
3 items- Three months bank statement (saving + current a/c)Required
Most recent 3 months — both savings and current accounts where applicable
- Three years Income Tax Returns (ITR / ITR-V)Required
Personal AND company (if applicable) — last 3 assessment years
- Subsistence funds proofRequired
Either: minimum €50 per day of stay (or equivalent in another convertible currency, but at least €500 total); OR a letter from the inviting organisation/institution covering all expenses of the applicant's stay in Bulgaria
Proof of social and professional status (one applicable)
3 items- If EMPLOYED — Service letter from employerRequired
On company's official letterhead — establishing position, years in service, grant of leave, salary certificate of last 3 months
- If SELF-EMPLOYED / BUSINESS OWNER — Visa request letterRequired
On official letterhead with company registration / ownership papers
- If STUDENT — Letter from school / universityRequired
Confirming enrolment, grant of leave, plus copy of valid student ID
If the applicant is a MINOR (under 18)
4 items- Birth certificate (if parents are legal guardians)Required
- Decision of competent authority appointing legal guardian
If applicable
- Notarised consent — if minor travels with ONE parent onlyRequired
Original notarised consent from the OTHER parent / legal guardian, including: their personal info, the purpose, period and length of stay in Bulgaria, the period for which consent is issued, plus their signature and copy of passport / ID
- Notarised consent from BOTH parents — if minor travels aloneRequired
Original notarised consent from BOTH parents / legal guardians (same content as above)
Cultural exchange (additional)
1 item- Invitation letter from Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria AND/OR mayor of the respective municipalityRequired
Signed by authorised representative, certified by official stamp; includes upcoming event details (venue, organisers, accommodation, contact person, who covers expenses)
Sport events (additional)
1 item- Invitation letter from sports federation and/or sports club in BulgariaRequired
Signed by authorised representative; certified by official stamp; includes event details
Student / scientific exchange (additional)
2 items- Invitation letter from a University, School, or other Bulgarian legal personRequired
Signed and stamped
- Exchange agreement / Exchange programme documentRequired
For current academic exchange
Conference (additional)
1 item- Invitation letter from a University, Bulgarian Academy of Science, or other legal personRequired
Confirming conference details + applicant participation
Common requirements for the invitation letter
3 items- Signed by the person authorised to represent the inviting organisation/institution + certified by official stampRequired
- Information about upcoming event: venue, organisers, accommodation, contact personRequired
Including phone, email of the contact person
- Information on who will cover accommodation + subsistence costs of event participantsRequired
Required · optional / if applicable
The journey.
5 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.
- 01
Secure the appropriate invitation letter
Cultural → Ministry of Culture; Sports → Federation/Club; Student exchange → University/School + exchange agreement; Conference → University/Bulgarian Academy of Science.
- 02
Verify invitation contains required info
Authorised signature + official stamp + event details (venue, organisers, dates) + accommodation info + contact person + cost coverage.
- 03
Gather all common documents
Application form, passport, photos, insurance €30,000, financials, etc.
- 04
Submit at VFS in person
First trip in person. Pay ₹9,900 + ₹2,530.
- 05
Track and collect
Up to 15 calendar days.
What works
21 levers that flip a borderline case.
- Travel medical insurance must be issued by an APPROVED EU / VFS-listed insurer with minimum €30,000 cover. Without it your application will be rejected outright.
- Bank statements must show last 3 months of activity — both saving + current accounts where applicable.
- Three years of ITR / ITR-V are mandatory — personal AND company (if you are self-employed).
- Application form MUST be signed in TWO places: field 37 + the last field. A common mistake.
What kills cases
Top 3 refusal triggers we see.
- 1Invitation letter not from authorised body (e.g. private organisation instead of Ministry of Culture for cultural events)
- 2Invitation missing required details (venue, organisers, dates, contact, cost coverage)
- 3No exchange agreement document for student exchange
Download official forms
Each link opens the official Bulgaria page on VFS Global (we never host third-party forms): pick your visa category there and use its "Download Form" section for the current version.
VFS application centres
Schengen Tourist Visa Eligibility Check
Answer 10 quick questions to see your likelihood of approval. This is not a guarantee — final decision is always with the Embassy — but it flags common weak spots so you can address them before applying.
What's the primary purpose of your trip?
How long do you plan to stay?
Have you previously visited any Schengen country?
Have you ever been refused a Schengen (or any country's) visa?
Past refusals must be disclosed — they show up in VIS database across Schengen countries.
Do you have confirmed travel bookings?
Reservations are enough — don't buy tickets until visa approval.
What's your current employment status?
What's your typical 3-month bank balance?
Schengen needs ~₹700/day covered. For a 10-day trip, minimum ₹70,000 stable balance.
How many years of Income Tax Returns (ITR) can you show?
What are your strongest ties to India (return-intent)?
Embassies want evidence you'll come back — not overstay.
Who are you travelling with?
Indicative only — final decision is always with the Embassy.
Frequently asked
Questions, answered straight
The Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria, OR the mayor of the respective municipality. Letters from private cultural organisations alone are insufficient.
The respective sports federation AND/OR sports club in Bulgaria. The federation's letterhead and authorised signature are required.
Universities, schools, or other Bulgarian legal persons. Plus the Exchange Agreement / Exchange Programme document for the current academic exchange.
Up to 15 calendar days from Embassy receipt. May extend to 30-60 days if scrutiny needed. Apply 4+ weeks before the event start date.
Members of EU / EEA / Swiss Confederation citizens' families are exempt from presenting proof of subsistence/accommodation/transportation. Holders of service and diplomatic passports are similarly exempt.
Yes. We coordinate with Indian institutions (IMPPA, sports bodies, universities) and Bulgarian counterparts to ensure the invitation letters meet Embassy standards. Book a ₹499 consultation.
Reviewed by Sherbir Singh Grewal, SureshotVisa — a government-licensed consultancy (Licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024). Verify us.
How we get it done
Your Bulgaria Sports / Cultural / Artistic / Scientific Visa, from your first message to your passport back.
5 questions about this visa specifically. The first two are open — tap any other to read it.
Refused? Our full service fee comes back.Government and visa-centre fees are the one part nobody can refund.
+Who has to sign my Bulgaria business invitation, and what must it say?
The inviting company signs it, on its letterhead, naming you personally, the exact dates, the purpose of the meetings and — crucially — who is paying for what. Officers verify these: a letter with no signatory title, no company registration detail and no reachable phone number is worse than no letter, because it fails a verification call. Your own side matters just as much: a leave sanction or board resolution, your employment or directorship proof, and a travel history that fits the seniority the letter claims for you.
+Can I attend meetings, sign contracts or get paid on this visa?
Meetings, negotiations, conferences, trade fairs and training you attend are normally fine. What is not permitted is gainful employment — being paid by an entity in Bulgaria, or doing work that a local would otherwise be hired for, even unpaid in some categories. That line is where business visas get refused and, worse, where they get cancelled at the border. If your trip involves anything close to it, tell us the actual plan and we will tell you which route it needs.
+How long does a Bulgaria Sports / Cultural / Artistic / Scientific Visa take, start to finish?
Three things sit between today and your trip: preparing the file properly, waiting for an appointment, and the mission's own processing. Bulgaria currently states Up to 15 calendar days from when the Embassy receives your complete application. May extend to 30 or up to 60 calendar days when further scrutiny is needed. VFS centres outside Delhi forward to the Embassy promptly. Applications cannot be lodged less than 15 calendar days before departure or more than 3 months ahead. for the decision itself. We control the first, which is usually days. The middle depends on slot releases. The third is entirely the mission's and no consultant can shorten it — anyone telling you otherwise is selling something they cannot deliver. Tell us your travel date and we will tell you honestly whether it is realistic.
+How much of what I pay for the Bulgaria visa is actually your fee?
Most of it is not ours. The Bulgaria government fee (currently ₹9,900) goes to the mission and the visa-centre fee goes to VFS — both charged to you at cost, never marked up, and shown as separate lines on one GST invoice in the registered company name. Our service fee is the only part we set, and it is published rather than quoted case by case.
+How does SureshotVisa handle my Bulgaria Sports / Cultural / Artistic / Scientific Visa, from first message to passport back?
You send what you have on WhatsApp and a licensed consultant says the same working day whether the case is ready. We build the file around your profile, check every document against the others, write the cover letter to match them, and hold the file complete so the first workable appointment can be taken the moment it appears. You attend biometrics; we track the file to the decision (Bulgaria currently states Up to 15 calendar days from when the Embassy receives your complete application. May extend to 30 or up to 60 calendar days when further scrutiny is needed. VFS centres outside Delhi forward to the Embassy promptly. Applications cannot be lodged less than 15 calendar days before departure or more than 3 months ahead.). Government and visa-centre fees (₹9,900 for this visa) are charged at cost; our own fee is published, and if the visa is refused that fee comes back in full.
Before you file
A Bulgaria Sports / Cultural / Artistic / Scientific Visa goes one of two ways.
Filed on a guessed checklist, the government fee is gone on a refusal and the refusal follows every future application. Filed after a licensed consultant has read the papers against each other, the file answers the officer's questions before they are asked. Same Bulgaria rules, different outcome. How we do that is written once, in full, on the method page rather than repeated here.
Other Bulgaria Visa Types
Tourist Visa (Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for a Bulgaria Tourist Visa from India — Short-Stay (Type C). ₹9,900 visa fee + ₹2,530 VFS service. 15 calendar days processing. Complete document checklist + photo spec.
View guideBusiness Visa (Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for a Bulgaria Business Visit Visa from India — Short-Stay (Type C). For meetings, conferences, trade shows. ₹9,900 + ₹2,530 VFS. 15 calendar days. Requires Invitation-Declaration from Bulgarian host.
View guideFamily / Friend Visit Visa — Private Visit (Short-Stay, Type C)
Bulgaria Private Visit Visa for visiting family or friends in Bulgaria. Short-Stay (Type C). Requires Invitation-Declaration from the Bulgarian host. ₹9,900 + ₹2,530 VFS.
View guideMedical Treatment Visa (Short-Stay, Type C)
Apply for a Bulgaria Medical Treatment Visa from India — Short-Stay (Type C). Requires Bulgarian medical facility certificate + treatment plan. ₹9,900 + ₹2,530 VFS.
View guideTransit Visa (Short-Stay)
Bulgaria Transit Visa for travellers passing through Bulgaria en route to a third country. ₹9,900 + ₹2,530 VFS. Up to 3 transit passages × 2 days each.
View guideAirport Transit Visa (Short-Stay)
Bulgaria Airport Transit Visa for travellers staying in the international transit zone at a Bulgarian airport en route to a third country. ₹9,900 + ₹2,530 VFS.
View guideLong-Term Visa (Type D, >90 days)
Apply for a Bulgaria Long-Term Visa (Type D) from India — for stays >90 days for work, family reunification, study, or other long-stay purposes. ₹11,000 visa fee + ₹3,080 VFS.
View guideSource & Disclaimer
Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global Bulgaria website and Embassy of Bulgaria. Last verified 2026-04-29. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.
Also relevant
More for Bulgaria applicants
Bulgaria visa fee calculator
Embassy fee + VFS charge + service fee in INR
Schengen visa refused? Recovery guide
Same refusal patterns across all 29 Schengen states
Live Bulgaria visa appointments — India 2026
Updated weekly across every Indian VAC city
Bulgaria Schengen Tourist Visa from India 2026
Bulgaria joined full Schengen on 1 Jan 2025 — the newest door into Europe. What changed fo…
Bulgaria Visa from India 2026 — Schengen Type C, Fees, Process
Bulgaria runs on slow time — yogurt cultures, rose harvests, fifteen-day visa cycles. A gr…
Which Schengen Country to Apply Through from India
Learn the Schengen main-destination rule and discover which country to apply through from …
Ready?
Want us to check your Bulgaria visa case?
Share your travel purpose, employment/business profile and funds. We'll tell you honestly where your file stands.