Indian professionals, students and family-reunion applicants eyeing Bulgaria will soon find the paperwork easier. The Bulgarian Embassy in New Delhi has signed an addendum with outsourcing giant VFS Global that allows long-term ‘D’ visa files to be submitted not only in the capital but also in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai starting 1 November 2025.
Appointment slots for the regional centres open in mid-November, ending the need for costly overnight trips to Delhi and speeding up biometrics collection. The ‘D’ visa is a pre-condition for residence permits covering work, study and family reunification; demand from India has risen 38 % year-on-year, driven by IT services companies and medical universities in Sofia and Plovdiv.
VFS Global will handle front-office intake, document digitisation and courier return, while all decision-making remains with Bulgarian consular officers. Typical processing times are 45–60 days, but officials hinted that decentralisation could shave a week off average turnaround once volumes stabilise.
For Indian employers relocating talent to the EU, Bulgaria’s relatively low income-tax rate (10 %) and rapid Blue-Card conversion make the country an attractive alternative to saturated Western hubs. Mobility managers should update cost-estimate calculators to reflect reduced domestic travel expenses for visa filing.
Immigration counsel advise applicants to keep an eye on appointment-availability alerts, as November slots are expected to fill quickly due to pent-up demand after the Diwali holiday break.
Appointment slots for the regional centres open in mid-November, ending the need for costly overnight trips to Delhi and speeding up biometrics collection. The ‘D’ visa is a pre-condition for residence permits covering work, study and family reunification; demand from India has risen 38 % year-on-year, driven by IT services companies and medical universities in Sofia and Plovdiv.
VFS Global will handle front-office intake, document digitisation and courier return, while all decision-making remains with Bulgarian consular officers. Typical processing times are 45–60 days, but officials hinted that decentralisation could shave a week off average turnaround once volumes stabilise.
For Indian employers relocating talent to the EU, Bulgaria’s relatively low income-tax rate (10 %) and rapid Blue-Card conversion make the country an attractive alternative to saturated Western hubs. Mobility managers should update cost-estimate calculators to reflect reduced domestic travel expenses for visa filing.
Immigration counsel advise applicants to keep an eye on appointment-availability alerts, as November slots are expected to fill quickly due to pent-up demand after the Diwali holiday break.
Bron: The Economic Times
