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I hope I can ask the community a few questions about visiting Bulgaria given the new air/maritime Schengen expansion.
A relative of mine (third country national) wants to visit Europe in mid April this year and would like to include Bulgaria in their trip. The problem is that they have a single entry Schengen visa and it’s not possible for them at this point to apply for dual/multi entry Schengen visa or a Bulgarian Tourist Visa, which are usually[1] needed to visit Bulgaria. However, upon researching, I found that new Schengen rules[2] will be applicable from 1st of April which as per my understanding might enable single entry Schengen visa holders to visit Bulgaria as long as they come by air/water.
1. Do you think there’s a chance they can visit Bulgaria with their single entry Schengen visa based on the new rules?
2. Is there any reason that MFA.bg have not updated their website to reflect the new rules?
3. Who can we contact to make sure there won’t be a problem at the border control at one of the airports in Bulgaria?
Thank you for your time and any help!
[1] https://mfa.bg/en/services-travel/consular-services/travel-bulgaria/visa-bulgaria
[2] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/12/30/schengen-area-council-takes-move-towards-lifting-border-controls-with-bulgaria-and-romania/
edit: clarification
by duniyakanagrik