Bulgaria visa for Vietnamese citizens

For the tourist visa, Bulgaria’s official sources give a standard fee of €90. Processing time, as Bulgaria states it: 15 calendar days as a rule; up to 45 days if more checks or documents are needed. Longest stay on the tourist visa: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Bulgaria has 1 mission in Vietnam, with its embassy in Hanoi.

In 2025, Bulgaria’s embassy and consulates in Vietnam (Hanoi) received 2,726 applications for short-stay Schengen visas and issued 2,445. The refusal rate was 5.7%. The refusal rate rose by 2.9 points from 2.8% in 2024. Applications rose by 195% compared with 2024 (923).

For comparison, all Schengen states together refused 9.4% of the applications lodged in Vietnam that year, from 3.6% at the consulates of Poland to 20.8% at those of Finland. Bulgaria’s consulates worldwide refused 12.5%. Bulgaria was the 8th most applied-for Schengen state in Vietnam.

You apply to the Schengen state that is your main destination (the longest stay or the main purpose; the state of first entry only when there is none), so a lower rate elsewhere is no reason to apply there. Bulgaria only began issuing Schengen visas on 31 March 2024, so its 2024 figures cover part of the year. The figures cover applications lodged in Vietnam, by any nationality: mostly citizens, but also residents from other countries.

Vietnamese citizens planning a trip to Bulgaria can compare how foreign ministries rate it: the US State Department rates Bulgaria at Level 1, exercise normal precautions (updated 8 October 2025), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not advise against travel to Bulgaria (updated 11 August 2026) and the German Foreign Office has no travel warning for Bulgaria (updated 13 October 2026). The advice is aimed at each government’s own nationals.

How long Vietnamese citizens can stay in Bulgaria

How long Vietnamese citizens may stay in Bulgaria is set by the visa issued, and the visa type must match the purpose of the trip.

How Vietnamese citizens apply

In Vietnam, applications go to the Bulgarian embassy in Hanoi, or to a visa centre acting for Bulgaria; fees, documents and processing times are published by Bulgaria.

Bulgaria and the Schengen area

A Schengen visa issued by Bulgaria lets Vietnamese citizens travel in all Schengen states; apply to Bulgaria when it is the main destination of the trip.

Bulgaria’s neighbours for Vietnamese citizens

North Macedonia, Greece, Romania, Turkey and Serbia require Vietnamese citizens to obtain a visa in advance.

Bulgarian citizens travelling to Vietnam

Bulgarian citizens do not need a visa for Vietnam: stays of up to 45 days are visa-free.