Bulgaria family visit visa
Required documents, fees and processing time for a Bulgaria family visit Schengen visa when you apply from Ireland.
SCHENGEN · VISA C✈ DOCUMENTS
🇧🇬 Bulgaria·····✈·····🇮🇪 from Ireland
To
Bulgaria
Type
C · FAMILY
Apply at
IE
Centre
VAC
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Action neededVisiting family / friends — short stay (Type C) · applying from Ireland.
Documents ready00 / 11
Competent authority
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Dublin (Consular Office) - covers residents of Ireland
Application centre
none / applies directly at the embassy
Recommended — commonly expected even when not on the official list
Cover letterA letter of introduction stating who you are and why you are travelling.
Travel itineraryA day-by-day plan of your trip to attach to the application.
Fees
Consular (Type C)
€90
Service fee
—
Est. total (adult)
€90
Long stay (Type D)
€100
The short-stay (Type C) consular fee is harmonised at €90 for adults across all Schengen states; collected in EUR · centre: direct_consulate.
Fee notes
Own embassy in Dublin, direct applications, no VAC. Full Schengen member (land borders Jan 2025). Type D €100 standard (€200 expedited).
Timeline
low confidenceProcessing
15–45 days
End-to-end
2–7 weeks
Centre
VAC
Appointment wait
No official published figure; embassy-direct office, generally lower demand than the major VFS channels. Estimated a few weeks.
Application centre
Embassy-direct — no VAC. Embassy of Bulgaria, 22 Burlington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Consular appointments by phone (14:00-16:00) or consular.dublin@mfa.bg.
Timeline notes
Bulgaria has an embassy in Dublin handling visas directly (no outsourcing). Full Schengen member from 1 Jan 2025, so uniform 15/45 baseline applies. Wait/total estimates inferred (no official data).
Funds to show
high confidenceThe amount you must be able to prove, per the Schengen Borders Code reference amount. It depends only on the destination — not on your nationality or where you apply.
Per day
€50
Minimum
€500
In EUR ≈
as shown
Floor
subsistence funds must be at least EUR 50/day but not less than EUR 500 total (floor), or proof of prepaid tourist services
Notes
Figures are officially denominated in EUR (Art. 17 of the Visa Ordinance, Decree 198/2011, last amended 13.05.2022). National currency was the lev (BGN, fixed peg 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN); Bulgaria adopted the euro on 01/01/2026. Extra: EUR 100 required if entering by self-driven vehicle; transit visa needs >= EUR 50/transit (+ EUR 200 for self-driven land transit).
Consulates apply discretion and may expect a buffer above this figure — treat it as a floor, not a guarantee.
Funds source ↗⚠ Special cases & caveats
- Spouse/child of a Bulgarian citizenUse sample form Apl.3 with marriage/birth certificate and the Bulgarian citizen's passport; may be exempt from the fee as an EU-citizen family member.
- Non-Irish/non-EU residents of IrelandResidence permit must be valid beyond the intended return date.