# Urgent Bulgaria Visa from India: Fastest Legal Options > Bulgaria lists no express visa service from India. What the VFS add-ons really change, the realistic timeline, and the legal ways to shave days off a rushed application. _Published: 2026-10-29 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1115_ ## TL;DR The Bulgaria fee lists published by VFS and the Embassy include no paid express or urgent processing. A short-term (C) visa takes around 15 working days per VFS, so speed comes from booking early, filing a complete application and using the options that save you trips, not from paying more. ## Key takeaways - No express or urgent processing fee appears in the Bulgaria fee lists for India. - Short-term (C) visas take around 15 working days per VFS; Bulgaria's MFA allows up to 15 calendar days, extendable to 45 in individual cases. - Optional VFS services such as Prime Time Submission (INR 2100) and Premium Lounge (INR 3360) are not described as shortening the decision. - Repeat travellers can submit through a representative with an authorisation letter; first-time applicants must appear in person. - The visa fee is INR 9900 plus the VFS Logistics charge of INR 2530 (incl. GST). **The Bulgaria fee lists from VFS and the Embassy include no paid express or urgent processing. A short-term (C) visa takes around 15 working days per VFS, and Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a decision takes up to 15 calendar days, extendable to 45 in individual cases. Your fastest legal route is a complete file lodged at the earliest slot at a VFS centre.** ## Article Everything below comes from VFS Global's Bulgaria pages and the Embassy of Bulgaria in New Delhi. Fees and processing times are as published on the official sources, checked on 10 October 2026. For the full category list and checklist, start with our Bulgaria visa guide for Indian travellers. ### The Bulgaria timeline you cannot pay to shorten The Embassy decides every application, and neither VFS nor the Embassy publishes a fee that buys a faster decision. These are the published times: VisaPublished processing timeShort Term (C): tourist, business, private visit, medical, transitAround 15 working days (VFS). Bulgaria's MFA: decision within 15 calendar days of an admissible application, extendable up to 45 calendar days in individual casesLong Term (Type D)Around 15 working days, excluding the day of submissionTwo things follow. First, "around" is not a promise; plan for the outer limits too. Second, working days leave out weekends and public holidays, so 15 of them stretch well past two calendar weeks. If your trip is closer than that, the honest options are to move the dates or accept the risk of the passport not returning in time. ### What the optional VFS services actually buy VFS sells several add-ons on top of the compulsory charges. Their prices, as listed: ServiceChargeWhat it changesVFS Logistics, short term (compulsory)INR 2530 (incl. GST)Nothing optional; paid by every C applicantPrime Time SubmissionINR 2100Your submission visitPremium LoungeINR 3360Your submission visitPrime time collectionINR 735Getting your passport backCourier / Courier with assuranceINR 735 / INR 1260Passport returned to your addressSMSINR 420Status updatesPhotographINR 315Photo taken at the centreNone of these is described as reducing the Embassy's decision time. They can save you a second trip or a queue, which matters when you are short of days, but they do not make the visa itself arrive sooner. Treat any offer of "guaranteed fast" Bulgarian visas with suspicion; there is no published official route for it. ### Legal ways to claw back days - Search every centre for the earliest slot. Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry lists visa application centres in 15 Indian cities (VFS named New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai for long-stay visas), with appointments booked online. Check whether a centre with an earlier date can take your application before you settle for a later one near home. - File it complete the first time. A missing document is the surest way to lose days. Use the checklist for your exact category, not a generic Schengen list. - Start the invitation first. For private and business visits, the Invitation-Declaration must be certified by a Notary Public and by the Migration Directorate of Bulgaria's Ministry of Interior, in the VFS format. Your host has to arrange this in Bulgaria, so it is usually the slowest piece. - Send a representative if you are not a first-timer. First-time applicants to Bulgaria or Schengen must apply in person; for later trips a representative can submit with an authorisation letter. That frees you from waiting for a slot that matches your own diary. - Choose courier return. At INR 735, courier saves you a collection visit once the decision is made. - Hold reservations, not tickets. The checklist asks for a return ticket or confirmed booking. A verifiable flight reservation keeps you flexible if the visa takes longer, and embassies generally advise against buying non-refundable tickets before the decision. Requirements vary, so check the official checklist. ### Medical trips and other genuine emergencies Bulgaria has a separate Medical Treatment visit category. The file needs a certificate from the Bulgarian medical facility with a specified treatment plan and a discharge summary from your local hospital, plus proof of accommodation. If the patient cannot appear in person for medical reasons, an authorised person may submit the application. The Embassy of Bulgaria at 16/17 Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, also accepts consular applications by appointment requested through consular.delhi@mfa.bg. If your case is genuinely urgent, that address is the official channel to explain the situation. It is not a shortcut for ordinary holidays, and the Embassy is under no published obligation to speed anything up. ### Errors that cost a rushed applicant the most time - Unsigned fields. The form must be signed in field 37 and in the last field. - Wrong photo. One colour photo, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, face covering 70-80% of the frame. Cut-out or amateur photos are ineligible. - Two years of ITR instead of three. Bulgaria asks for Income Tax Acknowledgement or ITR-V for the last three years, which is more than some other Schengen checklists. - Thin funds. The minimum is EUR 50 per day of stay but at least EUR 500, shown with three months of bank statements. - Insurance below EUR 30,000 or not covering the whole stay. - An old passport. It must be issued within the previous 10 years, valid three months after you leave Bulgaria, with two empty pages back to back. One more check if you already hold a valid Schengen visa: Bulgaria has been part of the Schengen area since 31 March 2024, and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs says days spent in Bulgaria on a valid uniform (Schengen) visa count towards the 90 days allowed in any 180-day period, so you may not need a new application. Check the visa's validity, entries and remaining days first. When the dates are tight, Yatra For Fun's Gurugram office can turn around the supporting paperwork: flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, with packages from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation up to INR 3,000 for all four. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write through our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Is the Bulgaria visa fee refunded if I cancel my urgent trip? No. Visa fees are not refundable. The short-term (C) visa fee is INR 9900 and is payable by card, cash or UPI. #### Do children pay the Bulgaria visa fee? The fee notes say there are no fees for children aged 12 and below and for members of Bulgarian and EU citizens' families. The VFS service charges are listed separately. #### Can I apply for a Bulgaria visa without visiting a VFS centre myself? Only if this is not your first application to Bulgaria or Schengen. First-time applicants must apply in person; for later trips a representative can submit the application with an authorisation letter. #### How much money do I need to show for a Bulgaria tourist visa? At least EUR 50 per day of stay, with a minimum of EUR 500, or a document showing prepaid tourist services. Support it with three months of bank statements and three years of income tax returns. ## FAQ ### Is the Bulgaria visa fee refunded if I cancel my urgent trip? No. Visa fees are not refundable. The short-term (C) visa fee is INR 9900 and is payable by card, cash or UPI. ### Do children pay the Bulgaria visa fee? The fee notes say there are no fees for children aged 12 and below and for members of Bulgarian and EU citizens' families. The VFS service charges are listed separately. ### Can I apply for a Bulgaria visa without visiting a VFS centre myself? Only if this is not your first application to Bulgaria or Schengen. First-time applicants must apply in person; for later trips a representative can submit the application with an authorisation letter. ### How much money do I need to show for a Bulgaria tourist visa? At least EUR 50 per day of stay, with a minimum of EUR 500, or a document showing prepaid tourist services. Support it with three months of bank statements and three years of income tax returns. ## Sources 1. [VFS Global - Apply for Visa to Bulgaria in India](https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/bulgaria/india/english/) — VFS Global 2. [Bulgaria MFA - Embassy of Bulgaria in India](https://cpadmnew.mfa.bg/en/embassyinfo/india) — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria 3. [VFS Global media release - Bulgaria long-term visa services in India](https://www.vfsglobal.com/en/PDF/media-releases/2025/MR_Bulgaria_D_visa_services_rollout_in_India_Oct_2025.pdf) — VFS Global