SOFIA – The Bulgarian authorities have announced harsh policy regarding Schengen visa, saying that the country will no longer apply the same rules as before regarding validity of the visa.
In line with a fresh decision that officially entered into force late April, the government has announced that all foreigners who hold a valid Schengen visa but have not used it to enter a Schengen member state prior to reaching Bulgaria will not be allowed entry to the country.
In a statement issued by the Bulgarian embassy, it was confirmed that holders of a double or multiple entry Schengen visa are only entitled to enter the Republic of Bulgaria if the double or multiple entry Schengen visa has been utilized at least once to enter a Schengen country.
The fresh announcement implies that all those who have just recently obtained a Schengen visa will have to make an entry to any of the 27 member countries or the issuing country in order to be allowed entry to Bulgaria.
Confirming the decision, the Embassy of Bulgaria in the United Kingdom said that those who are eligible could stay in the country for up to 90 days within a six-month period without requiring to have a Bulgarian short-stay visa.
It merits mentioning that Bulgaria is a European Union country but has yet to become a Schengen member state; the country applies a visa-free regime for all holders of valid Schengen visas.
The EU’s Common Visa Policy is in place since 2007 in Bulgaria though the country is trying to become a member of the Schengen zone.
“Joining the Schengen area is a key priority of our country. The Bulgarian government is highly committed to fulfilling one of the key national priorities – Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen area,” the statement of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads.
What is Schengen Zone
The zone was created in 1985 and allows people and goods to travel freely, usually without showing travel or customs documents. This creates oppurtunities for tourism related revenue for the countries and offers virtually no hurdle for travelers.
The following are part of the zone along with Croatia:
Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
As far as the visa requirements are concerned, the Schengen zone allows nationals of certain countries to enter the Schengen Area via air, land or sea without a visa for stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period, while determining the criteria others must meet when making similar visits to Schengen states.
Nationals of EU countries are not only visa-exempt but are legally entitled to enter and reside within each other’s borders visa free. This freedom of movement can, however, be limited in rare cases, as stipulated by EU treaties.
