Bulgaria Visa from Dubai: VFS, AED 360 Fee, Documents and Timeline

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Bulgaria: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa, because Bulgaria has been a full member of the Schengen area since 1 January 2025. You apply through VFS Global in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and either the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Dubai or the Embassy of Bulgaria in Abu Dhabi decides, depending on where you live. The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults, about AED 360, plus VFS's service charge of about AED 132. Processing takes at least 15 days, and the checklist asks for three months of bank statements.

Sofia's Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Rila Monastery in the mountains above it, Plovdiv's old town and the Black Sea resorts around Varna and Burgas are why most UAE residents go, along with skiing in Bansko in winter. Bulgaria issues Schengen visas, so a Bulgarian visa also covers the other Schengen countries, as long as Bulgaria is your main destination.

Bulgaria visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Schengen member	Fully since 1 January 2025 (air and sea since 31 March 2024)
Who decides	Consulate General of Bulgaria in Dubai (Dubai and the Northern Emirates), or the Embassy of Bulgaria in Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain)
Where to apply	VFS Global, Wafi Mall in Dubai or the World Trade Centre Mall in Abu Dhabi
Visa fee	EUR 90 adults (about AED 360), EUR 45 children aged 6 to 11 (about AED 180), free under 6
VFS service charge	About AED 132
Processing	At least 15 days, up to 30 on a case-by-case basis
Bank statements	Last 3 months, stamped by the bank, dated within 10 days of applying
Currency	Euro, since 1 January 2026

Who needs a visa for Bulgaria

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit Bulgaria and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015. They will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa, and so do most other nationalities living in the UAE. EU rules say you apply in the country where you legally live, so UAE residents apply in the UAE, not at home.

Apply to Bulgaria if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. Five nights in Sofia and on the Black Sea coast and two in Bucharest is a Bulgarian application; the reverse is a Romanian one. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works. If you already hold a valid Schengen visa from another Schengen country, you can visit Bulgaria on it, within its dates and days, because Bulgaria is now fully inside the Schengen area.

Bulgaria also joined the euro area on 1 January 2026. The euro has been its only legal currency since 1 February, so prices, including visa fees, are quoted in euro rather than lev. If you still have leftover lev from an earlier trip, Bulgaria's central bank exchanges them for euro free of charge; some commercial banks now charge a fee for the same service.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Fill in the Schengen application form online, then print it and sign it. For a child under 18, both parents sign, or the absent parent gives notarised consent.
2. Book an appointment on VFS Global's Bulgaria site for the UAE. Family members of Bulgarian or EU citizens, and applicants for a long-stay Type D visa, instead book by email directly with the Consulate General in Dubai.
3. Attend your appointment at VFS Global in Wafi Mall, Dubai, or the World Trade Centre Mall, Abu Dhabi (level B2), depending on your emirate. You hand in your documents, give biometrics and pay the fees. Bulgaria doesn't issue e-visas, so your original passport goes in for a sticker visa.
4. Wait at least 15 days. VFS forwards your file to the Consulate General in Dubai or the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and that mission decides.

Since 1 April 2025, the Consulate General's own counter in Dubai has taken visitors only by pre-booked appointment, for the family-member and Type D routes that don't go through VFS. The Consulate General is at Jumeira Road, Villa 18, Dubai, open for consular admission Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:30am to 1:30pm, closed Tuesdays. The Embassy is in the Al Nahyan Camp area, Jafn Street, Villa 6, Abu Dhabi.

Documents

VFS's Type C checklist for the UAE, updated in January 2026, asks for:

• The signed application form
• Passport valid at least six months from your intended entry date to Bulgaria, with at least two consecutive blank visa pages
• UAE residence visa copy, valid at least three months from your intended arrival date
• One recent colour photo on a white background, 4.5 by 3.5cm, no older than six months
• Travel itinerary: flight reservations and a return ticket
• Accommodation: a hotel reservation for every night, or a prepaid voucher from an accredited Bulgarian travel agency, showing your name
• Bank statements for the last three months, original and stamped by the bank, dated no more than ten days before you apply
• Proof of your situation: a signed, stamped employer letter with your position, salary and leave dates; or your trade licence if you own a business; or an NOC from your sponsor or spouse if you don't work; or a student certificate plus your parents' proof of funds if you're studying
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole Schengen area and your whole trip, including repatriation

All documents must be in Bulgarian or English. The consulate can ask for more documents or an interview, and an incomplete file can be rejected outright.

Visiting family or friends

For a private visit, VFS's checklist asks for the original and a copy of a declaration-based invitation, issued by the Migration Directorate of Bulgaria's Ministry of Interior and notary-verified. Your host in Bulgaria applies for it there, so start this step before you book flights.

Children

Bring the child's original birth certificate, legally translated into Bulgarian or English if it was issued elsewhere. Both parents sign the application; if only one does, the other must give notarised consent, also translated, unless you hold sole custody, in which case bring the court decision. A child listed in a parent's passport still needs their own application form, and every child attends the appointment in person.

How much money you need to show

Bulgaria doesn't publish a daily amount for UAE applicants. The checklist asks for three months of stamped bank statements instead, so a steady salary across that period matters more than one month's balance.

Fees and processing time

Fee	Amount
Visa fee, adults	EUR 90, about AED 360
Visa fee, children aged 6 to 11	EUR 45, about AED 180
Visa fee, children under 6	Free
VFS service charge, every applicant, tax included	EUR 30, about AED 132
Total for one adult	About AED 492

VFS says its dirham amounts follow the exchange rate and can change without notice. You can apply up to six months before you travel and no later than 15 calendar days before; the average decision takes at least 15 days, and the Consulate General says it can extend to 30 on a case-by-case basis, longer around Eid, the summer break, and Christmas and New Year. Fees aren't refunded if you're refused.

If you're refused, Bulgarian law lets you appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sofia or to the Administrative Court in Sofia, and you don't have to be in Bulgaria to do it. One 2026 legal guide puts the deadline at 14 days from the refusal notice, but check your own refusal letter, since the UAE mission's page doesn't set out a Dubai-specific appeal route or fee.

At the border

Since April 2026, Bulgaria and every other Schengen country register non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• flydubai flies non-stop from Dubai to Sofia. Emirates sells seats on the same flights under its own flight numbers.
• From Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, you connect through Dubai or a European hub.

Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Bulgaria visa in Dubai?

At VFS Global's Bulgaria visa centre in Wafi Mall, Dubai, or at VFS in the World Trade Centre Mall, Abu Dhabi. The Consulate General of Bulgaria in Dubai or the Embassy of Bulgaria in Abu Dhabi decides, depending on where you live.

Do Abu Dhabi residents apply at the embassy or through Dubai?

The Consulate General of Bulgaria in Dubai says it serves Dubai and the Northern Emirates: Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Abu Dhabi and Al Ain fall under the Embassy of Bulgaria in Abu Dhabi, and VFS has a centre there too: confirm which centre to use when you book.

How much is the Bulgaria visa fee in Dubai?

EUR 90 for adults, about AED 360, and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, about AED 180, plus VFS's service charge of about AED 132: roughly AED 492 for one adult. Children under 6 pay no visa fee. Dirham amounts move with the exchange rate.

How long does a Bulgaria visa take from Dubai?

At least 15 days, according to VFS and the Consulate General. It can extend to 30 days, or longer around holidays, so apply as early as six months before you travel and no later than 15 days before.

Can I enter Bulgaria with a Schengen visa from another country?

Yes. Bulgaria has been a full Schengen member since 1 January 2025, so a valid Schengen visa from another Schengen country covers it, within that visa's dates and days. Apply to Bulgaria itself if it is your main destination.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Bulgaria?

No. UAE citizens can visit Bulgaria without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Bulgaria

Four days covers Sofia, with a day trip up to the Rila Monastery; a week adds Plovdiv's old town or a few nights on the Black Sea coast at Varna or Burgas in summer, or skiing in Bansko in winter. Romania and Greece are both short flights or drives away and in Schengen too, so one visa can cover a wider trip. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Bulgaria application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Romania visa from Dubai
• Greece visa from Dubai
• Croatia visa from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the websites of the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Dubai and the Embassy of Bulgaria in Abu Dhabi, VFS Global's Bulgaria pages and document checklist for the UAE, the EU Council decisions on Bulgaria and Romania joining Schengen, the EU Visa Code and fee regulation, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System, the Bulgarian National Bank's euro changeover notices, and airline schedules and reports. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with VFS Global, the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Dubai or the Embassy of Bulgaria in Abu Dhabi before you apply.