Embassy
Embassy of Bulgaria in Italy
Via Pietro Paolo Rubens 21
Italy visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens
Bulgarian citizens can visit, live and work in Italy without a visa.
Passport
BGR
Bulgaria
Going to
ITA
Italy
Free to visit, live and work
People with a Schengen residence permit or long-stay visa can make short visits.
- Visa
- Not required
- Fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 11 November 2026
What to do
Check your passport is valid for the whole stay, ideally six months beyond it.
Carry proof of onward travel and of funds; border officers can ask for both.
Note the maximum stay and count your days in Italy.
Ways into Italy
Some visitors need a visa; others can visit without one.
Visa not requiredVisit with Schengen documentsPeople with a Schengen residence permit or long-stay visa can make short visits.
- Stay
- 90 days
- Fee
- Free
How to apply
- Check that your permit or long-stay visa is valid.
- Carry it with your passport and proof of funds.
Documents required
- Passport accepted by Italy
- Schengen residence permit or long-stay visa
- Proof of enough money
- Stay up to 90 days in any 180 days in other Schengen countries.
- This does not give you permission to move to Italy or work there.
Visa on arrivalUrgent border visaBorder staff may grant a visa for an urgent need you could not foresee.
How to apply
- Explain your urgent need to border staff.
- Show why you could not apply before travel.
- Provide proof and complete the border checks.
Documents required
- Valid travel document
- Proof you could not apply earlier
- Proof of urgent need
- Proof of return or onward travel
- Border staff decide whether to grant this visa; approval is not guaranteed.
- Get your visa before travel for a normal planned trip.
Visa requiredTourist visaA short-stay visa for people visiting Italy for tourism, friends or family.
- Stay
- 90 days
- Fee
- €90
- Processing
- 15–45 days
How to apply
- Check the Italian visa office serving where you live.
- Book an appointment using that office's instructions.
- Bring your form, passport and trip documents.
- Give fingerprints if asked and pay the fee.
- Check your visa's dates, stay limit and allowed entries.
Documents required
- Signed form
- Passport and copies
- Recent passport photo
- Trip plan and return booking
- Place to stay or host details
- Proof of enough money
- Travel health insurance
- Proof you live where applying
- 2 blank pages
- Hotel booking
- Fingerprints
- Interview
- Stay within your visa's limit and 90 days in any 180 days across Schengen.
- Insurance must cover urgent care and return home across Schengen for at least 30,000 EUR.
Sources (38)Last updated 11 November 2026
- Polizia di Stato: Entering Italy; search text available, direct page access denied
- Ministry of the Interior: visas and residence permits; direct access restricted
- General conditions for entry into Italy
- Passports and equivalent travel documents
- Short-stay visa-exempt nationalities; some details superseded by later European law
- Airport transit nationalities and exemptions
- Visa types and duration
- Visa application procedure
- Application windows and visa processing periods
- Responsibility for visa issuance and exceptional border visas
- Using visas and requesting residence permits
- Entry into Italy: official questions and answers
- Visa for Italy: official eligibility and document database
- Italian Embassy New Delhi: visas
- Italian Embassy London: visas; services handled by London and Edinburgh consulates
- Italian Consulate New York: visas
- New York: foreign citizen services and national visa fingerprints
- New York: study visa requirements
- New York: employed-work visas
- New York: independent-work visas
- New York: digital nomads and remote workers
- Italian Embassy Washington: business visa checklist
- Italian Consulate Toronto: business visa
- Italian Embassy Nairobi: tourist and visitor checklist, 2026
- Italian Embassy Nairobi: non-EU family reunification checklist, 2026
- Italian Embassy Islamabad: Italian/EU family reunification
- Italian Embassy Islamabad: medical-treatment checklist
- Italian Embassy Washington: elective residence
- Italian Embassy Washington: remote-work checklist, 2026
- Italian Embassy Singapore: remote-work route
- Italian Embassy Harare: visa fees, October–December 2026
- Italian Embassy Ulaanbaatar: fees and exemptions, October–December 2026
- Italian Embassy Belgrade: Schengen questions and transit
- Italian Embassy Manila: denial of claimed June 2026 e-visa launch
- Official European ETIAS questions and current operating status
- Consolidated European visa nationality regulation
- European Visa Code, including exceptional border issuance
- Official Italy tourism portal: travel documents
Embassies for this trip
For lost passports and emergencies.
Embassy
Embassy of Bulgaria to the Holy See
Via Ferdinando Galiani, 36
Trips to Italy
Day-by-day itineraries by snuck, shaped around you.
Coming from Bulgaria
- Plugs C F LNo adapter
- MoneyEUR €Same as home
- Time−1h
- DrivingOn the rightSame as home
- LanguageItalian
- Emergency112 police
Planning your Italy trip
- Rome's ancient sitesSee the Colosseum, Roman Forum, aqueducts and Appian Way, along with museums of Roman remains.
- Pompeii and HerculaneumThese well-preserved ancient sites lie just south of Naples.
- FlorenceExplore Renaissance art and architecture, and enjoy the city view from Piazza Michelangelo.
- St Peter's and the Vatican MuseumThese major Christian sights are in the Vatican, a separate country within Rome.
Scams to watch for in Italy
- Pickpockets and distraction teamsThieves take valuables from pockets or bags. They may work in pairs or teams. One person distracts you while another steals. Street vendors or an insistent beggar may act as the distraction.
- Taxi banknote switchYou hand over a €50 note. The driver switches it for a €10 note and claims you paid only €10.
- Previous taxi fare left on the meterThe driver leaves the previous passenger's fare running. The taxi arrives with a large amount already on the meter. Phone-booked taxis do legitimately charge for the journey to collect you, which can make this trick harder to spot.
About Italy
Italy is a republic on a southern European peninsula, with Sicily, Sardinia and many smaller islands.
- Capital
- Rome
- Money
- Euro (€)
- Languages
- Italian, Catalan
- Time zone
- UTC+01:00
- Cars drive on the
- right side
- Calling code
- +39
Other Europe passports
Going to Italy
Easier trips nearby
Places close to Italy with simpler entry for you.
Questions
Do bulgarian citizens need a visa for Italy?
Bulgarian citizens can visit, live and work in Italy without a visa.
Do italian citizens need a visa for Bulgaria?
Italian citizens can visit, live and work in Bulgaria without a visa.
Do other Europe passports get easier entry to Italy?
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 5 more can enter without applying before they travel.
Which countries near Italy are easier for bulgarian citizens?
Andorra, San Marino, Vatican City, Cyprus Greece, and 3 more let bulgarian citizens in without applying before travel.
What should I carry to Italy?
Check your passport is valid for the whole stay, ideally six months beyond it. Carry proof of onward travel and of funds; border officers can ask for both.
What money is used in Italy?
Euro (€). Carry some cash for arrival, especially if a visa fee is paid at the border.
What language do people speak in Italy?
Italian and Catalan.
How strong is the Bulgaria passport?
It ranks #8 and reaches 154 destinations without applying ahead.
Reviewed by @snuck