Bulgaria will begin to accept applications for Schengen visas

On Tuesday, April 2, the Consulate General in St. Petersburg will begin to apply for applications for Schengen visas for Russians. This was reported by the VFS Global visa operator. Fontanka reported that the diplomatic officers are still connecting the system, so they can fully accept applications only from next week.

Context. Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen zone on March 31, reported on the website of the European Commission.

What you need to make visas. According to the VFS Global website, Russians over 12 years old need to hand over fingerprints and prepare the documents necessary for the Schengen visa, for example, an extract from a bank account.

The visa fee in the Consulate General of Bulgaria will be 80 euros.

When you can apply for a visa to Romania. TASS reported the start of receiving applications from March 31 - on the day of Bulgaria and Romania entered the Schengen zone.

Representatives of the country's Consulate General told Fontanka that Russians will be able to apply only on the next Monday, April 8.

How now to move between Bulgaria, Romania and other members of the European Union. Border control, according to the European Commission, will be canceled by air and water transport.

The checkpoint at the ground boundaries will remain until the corresponding decision of the EU Council.

Will it be possible to get to other European countries after receiving a visa. The movement between EU member countries is possible only in the presence of a Schengen multivisa.

According to the assumptions of tour operators, Bulgaria and Romania will issue only visas to the Russians for the dates of the trip. It will be possible to stay according to these visas only in these countries.

What else is known. Only local real estate owners will issue Bulgarian and Romanian visas, tour operators say. The demand for tourist trips to these countries was low even before the pandemic.

Photo: Alexandr Bormotin / Unsplash