What you need to enter Bulgaria with a New Zealand passport

Authorization system

None operational yet (ETIAS delayed)

Bulgaria has been part of the Schengen area since 1 January 2025 (full accession, including land borders) and of the future European ETIAS system (a travel authorization for nationalities exempt from a Schengen visa). As of the verification date, ETIAS is NOT operational. Once launched: cost €20, validity 3 years, applicable to passport holders from countries exempt from a Schengen visa.

What ETIAS is, who it will affect and when it starts →

Fee

Doesn't apply until ETIAS is operational. For consular Schengen visas, the fee depends on the visa type and hasn't been verified specifically for Bulgaria.

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• A valid visa, if your nationality requires one. It is not needed if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen State (Art. 6(1)(b))
• Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay: an accommodation booking or a declaration of invitation from your host, and a return or onward ticket (Art. 6(1)(c) and Art. 6(3), which points to the non-exhaustive list in Annex I)
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole stay and for the return to your country of origin, or of being in a position to acquire such means lawfully. They are assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging in budget accommodation (Art. 6(1)(c) and 6(4)). Cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and declarations of invitation or of sponsorship all count as proof (Art. 6(4))

Vaccinations

• No mandatory vaccines for entry: no international certificate of vaccination (yellow fever included) is required under the International Health Regulations.
• Recommended, not checked at the border: Bulgaria is going through a measles outbreak (441 cases reported over 12 months to mid-2026 according to ECDC, close to 18% of the EU/EEA total, concentrated in the Vratsa and Pleven provinces and mostly among children). Check before traveling that you have the complete MMR vaccine schedule (measles, mumps and rubella).

Health insurance

Not mandatory for this visa-exempt entry, though it's strongly recommended. The border officer may still ask for proof of sufficient funds and accommodation for your stay — a separate requirement from insurance.

Transit rules

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area. Internal border controls between Bulgaria and the rest of Schengen were lifted on 1 January 2025; even so, a valid ID document or passport must be carried, and police may ask for it in spot checks, especially in areas near the external borders with Turkey and Serbia.

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →

Customs limits

Cash

Declare to the Bulgarian Customs Agency (Агенция «Митници») if entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in another currency), a threshold harmonized across the whole EU by Regulation (EU) 2018/1672. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026.

Alcohol

Arriving from outside the EU (age 17+): 1 liter of drinks over 22% alcohol, or 2 liters at 22% or under; plus 4 liters of still wine and 16 liters of beer — allowances published by the National Customs Agency, matching the floor limits of Directive 2007/74/EC.

Tobacco

Arriving from outside the EU (age 17+): 200 cigarettes (or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of smoking tobacco) if arriving by air; only 40 cigarettes (or 20 cigarillos, or 10 cigars, or 50g of tobacco) if arriving by land or sea — the National Customs Agency applies the reduced land-border limit allowed by Directive 2007/74/EC.

Overstay penalties

The Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act (art. 48) penalizes anyone staying beyond the authorized period with a fine of 500 to 5,000 leva (the law states the amount in leva; ~€256 to €2,557 at the fixed conversion rate of 1.95583), rising to between 1,000 and 10,000 leva for a repeat offense. In addition, the person must leave the country at their own expense and a re-entry ban of up to 5 years, valid across the whole Schengen area, may be imposed. The amount could not be confirmed against the official text via direct fetch, only against sources citing it.

What happens if you stay past 90 days →

Common reasons for denial

• Producing a false or falsified travel document, or reasonable doubts arising about the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted or the truthfulness of their content (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 32(1)(a)(i) and 32(1)(b)).
• Failing to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay (Art. 32(1)(a)(ii); the same entry condition appears in Art. 6(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, so it is also checked at the border).
• Failing to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole intended stay and for the return to the country of origin or residence, and not being in a position to acquire such means lawfully (Art. 32(1)(a)(iii)).
• Having already used up the 90 days of stay within the current 180-day period on the territory of the Member States (Art. 32(1)(a)(iv)).
• Being the subject of an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry (Art. 32(1)(a)(v)).
• Being considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any Member State (Art. 32(1)(a)(vi)).
• Failing to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable (Art. 32(1)(a)(vii)).
• Reasonable doubts arising about the reliability of the statements made or about the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa applied for expires (Art. 32(1)(b)).