Bulgarian citizens will still need visas for the USA
Bulgarian citizens will continue to travel to the United States with visas, it became clear following recent discussions on the topic. Although our country is making progress in diplomatic relations, it still does not meet all the necessary requirements for the visa waiver program.
The main obstacle for Bulgaria remains the refusal rate for U.S. visas. According to U.S. rules, for a country to be included in the visa waiver program, the number of refusals must fall below a certain threshold, which our country has not yet reached.
Authorities in Bulgaria continue to work actively on the issue, with the goal of facilitating travel for Bulgarian citizens for business or tourism. Experts note that additional efforts are needed to improve the indicators required by the American side.
At the moment, there is no change in the application procedure. All Bulgarians planning a visit to the U.S. must follow the existing rules and go through the standard visa issuance process at the embassy.
The issue remains a priority for Bulgarian diplomacy. Negotiations between the two sides are expected to continue in order to find a solution that would allow for freer movement of Bulgarian citizens in the future.