Bulgaria
Get information, make an appointment, and submit your application
Apply for a visa for France
Visa applications submitted in Bulgaria are processed by the Visa Office of the Embassy of France in Bulgaria, the only authority empowered to take visa decisions.
Residents of third country nationals need a visa to enter France for short and long stay, except for the holders of French or other Schengen countries resident card.
- For visa applications, you can submit your application not sooner than 15 days before the scheduled date of your departure.
Whom should I contact?
The reception of visa applicants residing in Bulgaria as well as the reception of the documents are assured, by appointment, by the consular section of the French Embassy in Sofia.
What are the application fees?
A visa application file can only be examined after paying the fees(pdf). The amount is collected only in cash, in léva (BGN).
Payment by check or credit card is not accepted. This right does not correspond to the cost of the visa but to the cost of examining the file. A receipt corresponding to the amount paid is given to the visa applicant.
No refund, even partial, is made in case of a visa refusal.
Book an appointment
When you are certain to have all the documents for the application of the visa you could contact the Embassy of France in Bulgaria to fix an appointment.
The appointment will facilitate the submission of your application and will diminish the waiting time for a better treatment of the application.
Délais de rendez-vous
The submission of the application is possible less than 6 months before the departure.
Meanwhile in periods of summer and winter holydays applicants should make their appointments in advance, which the rest of the time is limited to several days, in order to avoid delay in their departure
Visa office of the Embassy of France in Sofia
NA
(Appointment only)
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Pratical information
Weekly closing on Saturdays and Sundays.
Holidays in 2022:
Monday January 3: Special public holiday (New Year)
Thursday March 3: Bulgarian National Day
Friday April 22: Easter
Monday April 25: Easter
Monday May 2: Special public holiday (Labor Day)
Friday May 6: St. George’s Day
Tuesday, May 24: Feast of the Cyrillic Alphabet
Tuesday September 6: Reunification of Bulgaria
Thursday September 22: Independence of Bulgaria
Monday December 26: Christmas
Tuesday December 27: Special public holiday (Christmas)
Wednesday December 28: Special public holiday (Christmas)
Practical information on the progress of your application
Personal appearance: Visa applicants must appear in person for the submission of their applications at the Embassy.
Prepare for your visit
The following documents must be gathered before your visit to the visa section:
- Your valid passport. The end of the validity date must be at least 3 months after the end of the validity of the visa requested;
- The application form, printed, dated and signed, with a recent ID photo, in accordance with ISO/IEC (pdf).
- The list of supporting documents;
- The supporting documents appearing on the list, must be assembled in the order of the list and checked off the list;
The above mentioned documents must be provided in duplicate: a first file consisting of the originals, and the second consisting of photocopies in A4 format.
- The amount for visa fees is due in cash (in local currency).
We remind you that only visa officers are entitled to request additional supporting documents and that no external intermediary is approved for visas.
Collection of biometric data
All visas issued by France are biometric visas.
All visa applicants over the age of 12 are required to appear in person at the time of their first application. The following biometric identifiers are collected on this occasion: a photo, scanned or taken at the time of the application, and 10 fingerprints, taken flat and scanned.
However, it is possible to retrieve your biometric data, if a previous biometric Schengen visa was issued to you less than 59 months ago.
Children under 12 years old are exempted from biometrics, the application must be presented by one of the child's parents or by his custodian, however the presence of the child is mandatory at the time of the submission of the application. The photo in accordance with the ISO/IEC (pdf) of the child will be scanned.
Follow the progress of your application
To know the progress of your visa application you can call us on +359(0)2 965 11 00.
Pick up your passport
The withdrawal of your passport can only be done by you or by a duly authorized third party, on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 12 am.
Official passports
The visa application for holders of diplomatic or service passports are can apply for a visa and collect their passports without an appointment on Monday and Wednesday from 3 pm to 4:30 pm.
Important: incomplete applications couldn’t be accepted.
The visa application for holders of diplomatic or service passports should be submitted at least 72 hours before the departure.
Pick up your passport is possible at least 24 hours after you have applied for a visa.
Visas delivered to the holders of official passports on mission are free.
Visa for studies
Campus France: the French national agency for the promotion of higher education, international student services, and international mobility. It offers you:
- Information about your studies in France;
- Documentaries
- Online registration
- Individual interview
In case of any problem related to your visa application, the consular services are at your disposal to answer your questions on +359(0)2 965 11 00.