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Bulgaria Visa Photo Requirements: Full Colour 3.5 x 4.5 cm, Light Background, Face 70-80 %, No Dark Glasses

Bulgaria visa photo: full colour 3.5 x 4.5 cm on a light background, full face at 70-80 % of the photo. No dark glasses, no cut-outs of amateur photos.

Published 3 min read

Paper illustration of a studio portrait photo with sunglasses and scissors set aside next to a visa form
In this article · 6 sections
  1. 01What the photo must be
  2. 02What is not accepted
  3. 03Other documents with the application
  4. 04Fingerprints
  5. 05Questions
  6. 06Official sources

Key points

5 points
  1. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry asks for a full colour photograph, 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
  2. A light-coloured background and a full-face photo.
  3. The face is clear and large enough: it takes up 70-80 % of the photo.
  4. Not accepted: photos with dark glasses, non-professional photos, cut-outs of amateur photos.
  5. A child entered in the parent's passport needs a photo too.

For a Bulgarian visa you need a full colour photograph, 3.5 x 4.5 cm. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria lists it on its "Visa for Bulgaria" page among the documents that go with the application. The rules are short, so read them carefully.

What the photo must be

  • Full colour, 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm).
  • A light-coloured background.
  • A full-face photo with a clear, large enough face that takes up 70-80 % of the photo.
  • The same applies to a child entered in the passport: the child needs a photo too.

What is not accepted

Not acceptedWhat it means for you
Photos with dark glassesTake sunglasses and tinted glasses off
Non-professional photosThe ministry wants a proper photo, not a casual snapshot
Cut out of amateur photosDo not crop yourself out of a holiday or group picture
The same formats at one scale

BulgariaVisa · requirements

Other documents with the application

  • A photocopy of the first page of your travel document.
  • A photocopy of your last Bulgarian and Schengen visas or visas for the UK and the US, if you have them.
  • Medical insurance valid in the EU member states for the whole trip, covering repatriation and urgent medical care, of at least 30,000 euros.
  • Tickets (original and copy), a booking confirmation, or proof of financial means.
  • For a trip by car, a copy of the car's technical passport.
  • For children travelling without their parents, a copy of the birth certificate and a power of attorney from both parents, certified by a notary.

The ministry also asks for a regular travel document valid at least 3 months after the intended departure, with at least 2 blank pages, issued within the last 10 years.

Fingerprints

Under the EU Visa Code, for short-stay visas fingerprints are taken in person at the first application and copied to later ones if first collected less than 59 months earlier; children under 12 are exempt.

Need a 3.5 x 4.5 cm photo with the face at 70-80 % on a light background? Make it on our Bulgaria visa photo page.

05Questions

5 answers
01What size is a Bulgaria visa photo?

3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm), in full colour.

02What background should it have?

A light-coloured background.

03How big should the face be?

Clear and large enough: 70-80 % of the photo.

04Can I wear sunglasses?

No. Photos with dark glasses are not accepted.

05Can I crop a photo from my holiday pictures?

No. Non-professional photos and cut-outs of amateur photos are not accepted.

06Official sources

  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria — Visa for Bulgaria
    mfa.bg
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria — home page
    mfa.bg
  3. EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code), consolidated text
    eur-lex.europa.eu

Author: Yevhen Kravchenko. Published . Checked against official sources on .

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