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    Student visa guide

    Bulgaria student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Type D long-stay visa plus prolonged residence permit for students costs $197 in fees nobody can skip, up to $302 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 9 official sources

    How much does a Bulgaria student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in Bulgaria on the Type D long-stay visa plus prolonged residence permit for students costs $197 in fees you cannot skip: Type D long-stay visa, six months ($115), Prolonged residence permit for students ($59) and Residence document (card) ($23). Situational extras (faster card issue, within 10 working days, second-year permit and card, medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 and apostille and Bulgarian translation of the criminal record certificate) add up to $105 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked September 2026.

    Type D long-stay visa plus prolonged residence permit for students cost breakdown

    Every line the Bulgaria application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of September 2026.

    Type D long-stay visa, six months$115
    EUR 100 under Article 15(1) of the Foreigners Act; a one-year visa under Article 15(2) for students on programs of up to a year is EUR 200 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria: Fees
    Prolonged residence permit for students$59
    BGN 100 under Article 10(2) of Tariff No 4 for a permit on the Article 24v ground, EUR 51.13 at the fixed rate Tariff No 4 for the fees collected in the system of the Ministry of Interior (published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
    Residence document (card)$23
    BGN 40 under Article 46(1) of Tariff No 4, EUR 20.45 Tariff No 4 for the fees collected in the system of the Ministry of Interior (published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
    Mandatory total$197
    What the Type D long-stay visa plus prolonged residence permit for students costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Faster card issue, within 10 working days$23
    The card fee is doubled for 10 working days and multiplied by five for 3 working days Tariff No 4 for the fees collected in the system of the Ministry of Interior (published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
    Second-year permit and card$82
    BGN 140 again at each yearly renewal, EUR 71.58 Tariff No 4 for the fees collected in the system of the Ministry of Interior (published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
    Medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000$0
    Required for the visa and again in Bulgaria, with no official price published, so it sits outside the total Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria: Visa for Bulgaria
    Apostille and Bulgarian translation of the criminal record certificate$0
    Charged by the issuing state and the translator rather than by Bulgaria Consulate General of Bulgaria in London: Long-term visa type D procedures
    If every extra applied$302
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. Bulgaria bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • The visa fee is already in euro; the permit and card fees are printed in leva in Tariff No 4 and settled in euro at the fixed rate of BGN 1.95583, so they no longer move with any exchange rate.
    • Students of Bulgarian origin and those admitted under the Council of Ministers' decrees for Bulgarians abroad and for North Macedonian citizens pay 5 percent of the permit fees under Article 18 of the tariff.
    • Euro figures convert at USD 1 = EUR 0.871, the ExchangeRate-API rate on 18 September 2026.

    How much bank balance do you need for a Bulgaria student visa?

    For the Type D long-stay visa plus prolonged residence permit for students, Bulgaria asks you to show EUR 620 (about $712). The accepted form is Bank statement, scholarship or other proof of stable, regular income for the period of stay, and it covers One month, at the 2026 minimum monthly wage of BGN 1,213 or EUR 620.20. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, Article 24v (State Gazette text on lex.bg), checked September 2026.

    Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, Article 24v (State Gazette text on lex.bg) · checked September 2026

    Bulgaria student visa requirements and documents checklist

    7 documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    Admission certified by the Ministry of Education and Science and by the universityeveryoneThe permit file carries a certificate of your admission to study in Bulgaria issued by the Ministry of Education and Science and a certificate from the higher school that you will study in the year concerned. The London consulate asks for both enrollment letters in the visa file too. source
    A type D visa applied for in person, from your country of residenceeveryoneApplications go only to the Bulgarian mission for your permanent residence, and no exception is made from the personal interview for a long-stay visa. Several posts, London included, now route student files through VFS Global centers. source
    A passport valid for 18 monthseveryoneThe London consulate's student checklist asks for 18 months of passport validity, well beyond the three months past departure the general visa rules require. source
    A criminal record certificate, apostilled and translated into BulgarianeveryoneApplicants over 18 present a certificate from their country of citizenship or habitual residence on the first application. The consulate wants it legalized with an apostille and translated into Bulgarian by an accredited translator. source
    Medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000, valid across the EUeveryoneThe visa file needs insurance covering repatriation, urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment for the whole stay indicated in the visa, with a sum insured of no less than EUR 30,000. The permit stage asks for compulsory medical insurance valid in Bulgaria unless you are covered under the Health Insurance Act. source
    Proof of housing and of the paid enrollment feeeveryoneThe permit application includes evidence of secured accommodation. The receipt for the university enrollment fee is presented after you have entered on the visa, not before. source
    Funds of at least the minimum monthly wage for the period of stayeveryoneArticle 24v requires stable, regular, predictable and sufficient means, no lower than the minimum monthly wage, the minimum scholarship or the minimum pension, for the time you will spend in Bulgaria. source

    How to apply for a Bulgaria student visa

    1. Get admitted and collect the ministry's admission certificate

      International admissions to Bulgarian universities are confirmed by the Ministry of Education and Science, and that certificate anchors both the visa and the permit.

      source
    2. Apply for the type D visa and pay EUR 100

      A long-stay visa application under Article 15(1) of the Foreigners Act costs EUR 100. The visa is a six-month multiple-entry visa whose purpose is to give you time to register with the Migration Directorate and obtain the residence permit.

      source
    3. Allow 35 working days for the visa decision

      The consulate puts the decision at 35 working days and warns it can be extended. Fees are not refunded if the visa is refused.

      source
    4. Enter Bulgaria, notify your address within five days and apply at the Migration Directorate

      On arrival you have five days to notify the authorities of your address, then you file the permit application at the Migration Directorate or the migration unit of the regional directorate of the Ministry of Interior for where you live.

      source
    5. Pay BGN 100 for the permit and BGN 40 for the card, now settled in euro

      Tariff No 4 charges BGN 100 for a prolonged residence permit granted under Article 24v and BGN 40 for the residence document itself, with the document fee doubled for issue within 10 working days and five times for 3 working days. Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026 at the fixed rate of BGN 1.95583 to the euro, so those are EUR 51.13 and EUR 20.45.

      source
    6. Renew every year, with 18 months on the final year

      The permit is granted for up to one year and renewed against the university's certificate for the coming year. For the last year of the program it is issued for 18 months. A change of study program is not allowed on the same permit; that means a fresh application.

      source

    Bulgaria student visa processing time

    The London consulate puts the type D visa decision at 35 working days, which can be extended. The Migration Directorate publishes no fixed time for the student permit itself.

    Consulate General of Bulgaria in London: Long-term visa type D procedures · checked September 2026

    Bulgaria student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    A student may work without a work permit for 20 hours a week during the academic year and during official holidays.

    sourcecompare all countries

    After graduation

    After finishing education a graduate has nine months to seek and start work, and may use the Employment Agency's brokerage services by registering within seven business days. Working after that means a work permit under the same conditions as any other non-EU national.

    sourcecompare all countries
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the Bulgaria student visa fee?
    The Type D long-stay visa plus prolonged residence permit for students application charge is $115 (Type D long-stay visa, six months). Add the other mandatory items (Prolonged residence permit for students $59 and Residence document (card) $23) and the all-in mandatory total is $197. Optional extras add up to $105 on top.
    How much bank balance is required for a Bulgaria student visa?
    EUR 620 (about $712), held as Bank statement, scholarship or other proof of stable, regular income for the period of stay, covering One month, at the 2026 minimum monthly wage of BGN 1,213 or EUR 620.20. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. The Foreigners Act asks for stable, regular, predictable and sufficient means of at least the minimum monthly wage, the minimum scholarship or the minimum pension for the whole period of stay, without recourse to social assistance. Council of Ministers Decree 243 of 13 November 2025 set the wage at BGN 1,213 from 1 January 2026, EUR 620.20 at the fixed conversion rate. USD figure at EUR 1 = USD 1.149, ExchangeRate-API on 18 September 2026. Source: Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria, Article 24v (State Gazette text on lex.bg) (September 2026).
    Can you work on a Bulgaria student visa?
    A student may work without a work permit for 20 hours a week during the academic year and during official holidays. Source: EU Immigration Portal: Student in Bulgaria (September 2026).
    How long does a Bulgaria student visa take?
    The London consulate puts the type D visa decision at 35 working days, which can be extended. The Migration Directorate publishes no fixed time for the student permit itself. Source: Consulate General of Bulgaria in London: Long-term visa type D procedures (September 2026).
    What's not included in the Type D long-stay visa plus prolonged residence permit for students fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified September 2026.