The Bulgarian visas are issued by the Bulgarian embassies and consulates abroad, not at the airports or the land and sea passport control points in Bulgaria.

By applying for a Bulgarian visa, the applicant agrees that his/her personal data appearing on the application form would be electronically stored and processed, and if necessary, passed over to the appropriate authorities of other countries in execution of Bulgaria's international commitments.
 
A visa is issued only to holders of passports or travel documents that are valid for Bulgaria for at least 3 months after the end of the intended stay and that contain a blank page for affixing of visa vignettes.

As from 1 January 2006, all children entering Bulgaria will need to have their own passport. Children included in their parents' passports will only be allowed in if the passport also contains their photograph.

Upon entry into Bulgaria, foreign nationals should declare in writing the purpose of their stay and the address at which they will reside. To this end they should fill in a registration form. Citizens of the European Union member-states and of the countries in the Economic European Area are exempt from this requirement.

І. Holders of valid ordinary passports from the following countries do not need a visa to visit Bulgaria for up to 90 days within each period of six months:  

Important Notice!
•    Family members of EU citizen, who do not have the nationality of the EU Member State, are entitled to the same rights as the EU citizens, for their travel to Bulgaria. This only applies to those having permanent residence in an EU country (ILR) and travelling together, or going to Bulgaria to join  their family member (s) who is (are) already in the country. Family members of the EU citizen should be in a position to present on request a Marriage Certificate or Birth Certificate, legalized and translated into the official language of an EU member country.

•    Persons with refugee status in an EU member country, and in possession of regular travel document issued of this EU member country, do not need a visa to enter Bulgaria.

•    The citizens of the Republic of Turkey possessing valid ordinary Turkish passports and Shengen visas or visas from other EU member countries, Switzerland and Lichtenstein, do not need visas for a transit trip through Bulgaria (up to 5 days) in case they travel to Turkey or from Turkey to the country for which they have the visa in question.

•    The holders of the following types of the British Passports need visas for travel to Bulgaria:
British Overseas Territories Citizen without Right to Abode
British Overseas Citizens
British Subjects without Right to Abode
British Protected Persons
 
II.    All holders of passports from countries not mentioned in the List above,  need visas to enter Bulgaria.

Visa applications are usually processed for a period of up to 10 working days, since each application needs to receive clearance by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry in Sofia.
 
Foreign nationals entering Bulgarian territory on a motor vehicle need to present a document of ownership for that vehicle, in cases such is not explicitly mentioned in the registration documents of the vehicle.

All foreign visitors should bear in mind that under Bulgarian Law they are required to contact the local police station within 48 hours of their arrival in Bulgaria and present in writing the address at which they will be staying. If they are staying in a hotel or private lodgings, the hotel management/host are obliged to register them at the local police station.