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Bulgaria visa photo requirements

The 35 × 45 mm photo rules set by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria for the Bulgaria visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 9 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Bulgaria visa photo?

For a Bulgarian visa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for a full colour photo of 3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm, 1.38 x 1.77 in) against a light-coloured background, full face, with the face taking up 70% to 80% of the photo. Dark glasses, red eyes, non-professional photos and photos cut out of amateur pictures are refused. Bulgaria has issued Schengen visas since 31 March 2024, and land border checks ended on 1 January 2025.

Bulgarian visas are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Bulgaria's embassies and consulates, and in many countries applications are collected by visa application centres run by VFS Global. Bulgaria joined the Schengen area at air and sea borders on 31 March 2024 under Council Decision (EU) 2024/210, and checks at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania were lifted on 1 January 2025 under Council Decision (EU) 2024/3212. Since 31 March 2024 Bulgaria issues uniform Schengen visas: type A for airport transit and type C for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Type D visas are national long-stay visas for people who will settle in Bulgaria, for example to work, study or join family, and they are cancelled once the Migration authorities issue a residence permit. A D visa application is lodged at the mission for your permanent residence and always includes a personal interview. For every visa type the Ministry's document list asks for the same printed photo, and the rule extends to a child entered in a parent's passport.

Bulgaria visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria:[1]

Print size3.5 x 4.5 cm (35 x 45 mm, 1.38 x 1.77 in), colour, for every visa type
Digital sizeNo upload described: the print goes with the typed and signed visa application form
Head heightFace takes up 70% to 80% of the photo, shown full face
BackgroundLight-coloured background (MFA); VFS checklists in Turkey ask for white
ColourFull colour photo
Photo ageNot stated by MFA; EU photo guidelines and VFS checklists: no more than 6 months old
Print qualityProfessionally made; EU guidelines: sharp, high-quality print on photo-quality paper, no ink marks or creases
Pixels when printed413 × 531 px at 300 dpi · 827 × 1063 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
35 mm45 mm31.5–36 mm
35 × 45 mm photo drawn to scale, with the 31.5–36 mm head height from chin to crown. Background: light-coloured background.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

the following is ineligible: photos with dark glasses; non-professional photos or cut out of amateur photos

Visa for Bulgaria[1]

Key requirements

  • One standard for A, C and D visas

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' list of documents for a visa application names one photo: full colour, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, on a light-coloured background. Its leaflets on transit and short-stay visas also ask for a passport-size colour photograph.

  • Face fills 70% to 80%

    The face must be clear, large and shown full face, taking up 70% to 80% of the photo. The EU photo guidelines describe the same framing as a close-up of the head and top of the shoulders.

  • Professional photos only

    Non-professional photos are ineligible, and so are pictures cut out of amateur photos. Have the photo taken and printed by a photographer.

  • No dark glasses, no red eyes

    Photos with dark-tinted glasses are refused, and the Bulgarian text adds that the eyes must not be red. The EU guidelines add that frames must not cover the eyes and that lenses must show no flash reflection.

  • A photo for each child

    The Ministry says the same rule holds for a child entered in a parent's passport, so a child travelling on that passport still needs a photo of their own.

  • Photo and fingerprints for the VIS

    The Ministry's notice on the Visa Information System says that collecting the data on the Schengen form, taking your photograph and taking your fingerprints are mandatory for a short-stay application to be assessed; without them the application is inadmissible.

  • Visa centres can add detail

    VFS Global checklists for Bulgaria in Turkey ask for 35 x 45 mm biometric colour photos on a white background, no older than six months, and two of them for a business visit.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Use a 3.5 x 4.5 cm colour photo for each applicant
  • Choose a light-coloured, plain background
  • Have the photo taken by a professional photographer
  • Make sure your face fills 70% to 80% of the frame
  • Check your mission's or visa centre's checklist for extra copies
  • Bring the passport, its copies and travel insurance with the photo

Don't

  • Do not wear dark or tinted glasses
  • Do not cut a photo out of a holiday or family picture
  • Do not submit a photo showing red-eye
  • Do not wear a hat or cap unless for religious reasons
  • Do not include toys, chair backs or other people

Sample photos

How a Bulgaria visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 35 × 45 mm, head height and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuses photos with darkened lenses but does not ban ordinary glasses. The EU photo guidelines for Schengen visas allow them if your eyes are clearly visible, there is no flash reflection on the lenses, the lenses are not tinted and the frames do not cover any part of the eyes. The guidelines also suggest lighter frames instead of heavy ones where you have them.

Headwear and religious dress

The Ministry's own list sets no headwear rule. The EU photo guidelines allow head coverings only for religious reasons, and then the face must be shown from the bottom of the chin to the top of the forehead with both edges of the face visible.

Some VFS checklists in Turkey are stricter: the checklist for the spouse of a Bulgarian national says women should not wear a headscarf and that facial contours, neck and ears must be visible. Check the list of the centre or mission where you apply.

Babies and children

A minor's visa application is lodged by the parents or legal representatives, or by a person expressly authorised. A child entered in a parent's passport needs a photo to the same standard. For a child travelling without the parents, add a copy of the birth certificate and a notarised authorisation from both parents, or from one parent, agreeing to the trip.

The EU photo guidelines say the child must be alone in the photo, with no toys, chair backs or other people visible, looking at the camera with a neutral expression and mouth closed.

A Bulgarian visa photo is a print. The Ministry lists it among the documents submitted with the application form, which is filled in with typed letters and signed by the applicant personally. The Ministry describes no online upload for the photo.

The print measures 3.5 x 4.5 cm, which is 35 x 45 mm or 1.38 x 1.77 inches. Because the Ministry refuses non-professional photos and photos cut out of amateur ones, a home print is not the route to take. The EU guidelines also ask for photo-quality paper and a sharp print with no ink marks or creases.

Where to submit the photo

Apply at the Bulgarian embassy or consulate, or at a VFS Global visa application centre where the Ministry has opened one; its list includes centres in India, China, Russia, Turkey, the UK, the USA, the UAE and other countries. Applications can be lodged personally or through an authorised agent. A long-stay D visa is lodged at the mission for your permanent residence, or exceptionally in a third country where you stay legally, and requires an interview.

Your passport must be valid for at least three months after you plan to leave Bulgaria, have at least two blank pages and have been issued within the last ten years.

How to get your Bulgaria visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Bulgaria visa: 35 × 45 mm print, light-coloured background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: one standard for A, C and D visas; face fills 70% to 80%; professional photos only; no dark glasses, no red eyes.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. A Bulgarian visa photo is a print. The Ministry lists it among the documents submitted with the application form, which is filled in with typed letters and signed by the applicant personally. The Ministry describes no online upload for the photo.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Apply at the Bulgarian embassy or consulate, or at a VFS Global visa application centre where the Ministry has opened one; its list includes centres in India, China, Russia, Turkey, the UK, the USA, the UAE and other countries.

Make this photo online

Bulgaria visa photo FAQ

3.5 x 4.5 cm, which is 35 x 45 mm. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks for a full colour, full-face photo on a light-coloured background, with the face taking up 70% to 80% of the picture.

Yes. Bulgaria has issued uniform Schengen visas since 31 March 2024, when checks at internal air and sea borders were lifted. Checks at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania ended on 1 January 2025, and a Bulgarian Schengen visa allows travel in the whole Schengen area within the 90-in-180-day rule.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says non-professional photos and photos cut out of amateur pictures are ineligible. Use a professional photographer and keep to the 3.5 x 4.5 cm size and a light background.

Clear glasses are possible, but dark glasses are refused. Under the EU photo guidelines your eyes must be clearly visible, with no tinted lenses, no flash reflection and no frames over the eyes.

No. The Ministry's list sets the same 3.5 x 4.5 cm colour photo for all visa applications. Some visa centres ask for two copies, so check the checklist of the mission or centre where you apply.

Yes. The Ministry states that the photo rule also applies to a child entered in a parent's passport. Under the EU guidelines the child must appear alone in the photo, with no toys or other people.

The Ministry asks for a light-coloured background, and VFS Global checklists for Bulgaria in Turkey specify white. A plain white background therefore meets both, while a dark or patterned one meets neither.

Related photo specifications

Other Bulgaria documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 35 × 45 mm

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Official sources

  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Visa for Bulgaria mfa.bg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Виза за България (Bulgarian version) mfa.bg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Short-stay visa (type C) leaflet mfa.bg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Long-stay visa (type D) leaflet mfa.bg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Visa information system (VIS) and processing of personal data mfa.bg. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. VFS Global for the Embassy of Bulgaria in Turkey. Checklist for Bulgaria Business Visit visa (Turkey) vfsglobal.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. VFS Global for the Embassy of Bulgaria in Turkey. Checklist for visa of spouse of Bulgarian national (Turkey) vfsglobal.com. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Applying for a Schengen visa home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. ICAO photograph guidelines for Schengen visa applications home-affairs.ec.europa.eu. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

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"Bulgaria visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/bulgaria/visa-photo

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