Bulgarian passport
A Bulgarian passport is a document issued to nationals of Bulgaria for the purpose of international travel, and may also serve as proof of Bulgarian citizenship. Every Bulgarian citizen is also a citizen of the European Union. The Ministry of Interior Affairs is responsible for the issuing and renewing of Bulgarian passports. For travel inside the European Union, Schengen and Common Travel Area countries, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Republic of Macedonia Bulgarian citizens are not required to carry a passport and can use only their national ID cards. The passport gives its bearer right to assistance and protection by Bulgarian and EU diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad and remains the property of the Republic of Bulgaria. Regular Bulgarian passports are issued for 5 years (no other validity option available yet).
Types
- Regular - available to all Bulgarian citizens.
- Service - issued to their staff on request by the respective government agency or directorate.
- Diplomatic - issued to diplomats, high-ranking state officials and their immediate families.
Physical appearance
Bulgarian passports are of the common EU design, being burgundy in color, with the Bulgarian Coat of arms emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The country's official long name "Република България" (Bulgarian) and the English form "Republic of Bulgaria" are inscribed in capital letters above the coat of arms, and the word "паспорт" (Bulgarian) / "passport" (English) below. It is issued for a period of five years, and contains 32 or 48 pages.
Security features include holographic images, micro printing, UV-visible features, watermarks, etc. In addition, the passport holder's photograph is digitally printed directly onto the paper, in standard ink as well as a holographic image. All passports are machine-readable.
Biometric passports
Starting March 2010 [1], all newly-issued Bulgarian passports will contain a chip with biometric data, and also feature the text "Европейски съюз" (Bulgarian) / "European Union" (English) above the country's official name, thus reflecting Bulgaria's EU membership. Additional design changes include the placement of pictures of famous Bulgarian landmarks and monuments on the inside pages of the passports. The new passport fees will be between 20-25 € (40-50 BGN) and with the same validity (5 years).
March 2010 [2] is the deadline for introducing biometric passports in Bulgaria. The European Union has given this time to Bulgaria and the other member states that still do not use the papers with embedded chips. After this date the states will be liable to sanctions different for each country.[4] In 2010, Bulgarians will travel abroad with new electronic IDs. To meet the EU requirements, Bulgarian international passports, ID cards, driving licenses and the rest of the documents verifying the identity of a person should have a chip with the personal data. [5]
Passport Note
The passports contain a note from the issuing state that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. The note inside Bulgarian passports states:
The Government of the Republic of Bulgaria requests all Civil and Military Authorities to let through the holder of this passport without hindrance and, in case of need, to render him/her the necessary aid and assistance in accordance with the international law.
This passport is valid for all countries.
Languages
The data page/information page is printed in both Bulgarian and English.
Visa-free travel
Europe
Africa
Americas
Asia
Oceania
† Passport not required — a valid Bulgarian ID card is sufficient.
1 Visa issued at point of entry.
2 $10 Tourist card required.
3 Officially no regulation at present "de facto" visa free same rules apply as for the country controlling that territory
4 A free 24 h transit visa issued upon arrival at the airport. Within 24 hours this must be converted into a full visa at the immigration office in Moroni. Also fee is payable
5 At port of entry passport 24-72 h transit pass is issued. This must be converted into a full visa valid up to 1 month at the immigration department in Banjul. Also fee payable
Visa-free for Diplomatic passport holders
In addition, Bulgarian holders of diplomatic passports may travel visa free to the following countries :
Fees (as of 2009)
Passport (32 pages)[3]
| Time for issue | 30 days | 3 days | 8 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children (1st passport, under 14) | 7 BGN | 14 BGN | 35 BGN |
| Children (under 14) | 15 BGN | 30 BGN | 75 BGN |
| Adult (between 14 and 58) | 30 BGN | 60 BGN | 150 BGN |
| Adult (between 58 and 70) | 15 BGN | 30 BGN | 75 BGN |
| Adult (over 70) | 7 BGN | 14 BGN | 35 BGN |
Passport (48 pages)
| Time for issue | 30 days | 3 days | 8 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult (between 14 and 58) | 45 BGN | 90 BGN | 225 BGN |
| Adult (between 58 and 70) | 22.5 BGN | 45 BGN | 112.5 BGN |
| Adult (over 70) | 10.5 BGN | 21 BGN | 52.5 BGN |
Note: Please remember that you also need to pay 25% commission to EIBank (Bulgarian: СИБанк) while you pay for the passport.
See also
- Citizenship of the European Union
- Bulgarian nationality law
- Bulgarian identity card
- Bulgarian diplomatic missions
- List of passports
- Foreign relations of Bulgaria
References
External links
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