Applying from the UK for a Bulgarian family visa

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Decide whether this is a visit or a move

“Family visa” can describe different procedures. A short visit to a relative generally involves checking the short-stay C visa rules. Moving to join family requires establishing the residence ground and whether a long-stay D visa is necessary. Marriage or kinship does not make these procedures interchangeable.

Bulgaria has issued Schengen short-stay visas since 31 March 2024, with internal land border checks lifted from 1 January 2025, as the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains ↗. Ordinary short-stay days count together with those in other Schengen countries; there is no separate additional Bulgarian allowance.

Establish your relative's status

Record their nationality, basis of residence in Bulgaria and relationship to you. A Bulgarian citizen's spouse, the family member of another EU citizen and the family of a foreign national holding Bulgarian residence permission can use different legal grounds.

For an EU citizen exercising free movement rights, check the facilitated family procedure and evidence of accompanying or joining them. An ordinary UK spouse visa does not transfer a family residence entitlement to Bulgaria. For a short visit, also establish whether your passport or valid European documents remove the visa requirement altogether.

Applying from the UK

Use the Bulgarian Embassy's London page ↗ as the starting point for the current appointment channel. For a short-stay application, check consular responsibility against your genuine itinerary and follow the appointed provider's instructions.

The official D visa leaflet ↗ provides for applications through the competent mission for the applicant's permanent place of residence, with a mandatory personal interview. Applying in a third country is described as an exception requiring an explanation. Before purchasing an appointment, check whether the mission accepts your particular category and UK residence evidence.

Documents for long-term residence grounds

Obtain the checklist for the specific family residence provision. You generally need to prepare the form, passport and copies, photograph, relationship evidence, the relative's documents, accommodation, financial means and required medical protection. An adult's initial application may require a criminal record certificate. Certificate format, Bulgarian translation and legalisation depend on where the document originated.

Check whether an advance decision from Bulgaria's migration authority is required. An invitation is not a substitute where the procedure requires approval. For a child, check parental signatures, consent and custody evidence separately.

Fees and the next stage

The Ministry identifies visa fee exemptions for specified family members of Bulgarian and EU citizens. Establish that you qualify first; translations, document preparation and centre services can still have separate charges.

A D visa and the subsequent residence permit are different stages. Before moving, check the deadline for action after entry, migration office appointments and the residence permit document list. A short-stay visa is not a promise of permission to settle.