Indian professionals eyeing the EU now have a simpler path to Bulgaria after the Balkan state and VFS Global jointly launched long-term visa (D-visa) services in six Indian cities on 30 October 2025. Applicants in New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata can lodge files locally instead of couriering documents to the embassy in the capital—a major administrative and cost saving for corporates relocating staff to Bulgaria’s tech and shared-services hubs.
The initiative follows an addendum signed on 24 October between Bulgarian Ambassador Dr Nikolay Yankov and VFS COO Yummi Talwar. It is designed to cut application turnaround times from the current six-to-eight weeks to as little as three, according to VFS. Early appointment slots for centres outside Delhi will open mid-November, while Delhi has begun accepting files immediately.
A Bulgarian D-visa allows stays beyond 90 days and is a prerequisite for residence permits covering employment, study, or family reunion. The new set-up is therefore significant for IT outsourcing firms and automotive suppliers that have expanded in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna on the back of the EU’s lowest corporate-tax environment. Mobility managers should note that biometric capture (fingerprints and digital photo) must still be done at the VAC, and original degree/legal-employment documents require apostille and certified Bulgarian translations.
For multinational employers the timing is opportune: from January 2026 Bulgaria will join the Schengen area’s air-side zone, making a Bulgarian residence card an attractive ‘back door’ to frictionless travel across continental Europe. Specialist relocation providers expect demand from Indian assignees to rise 30-40 per cent once that occurs. Companies are advised to reserve appointment blocks early, as historical experience with new VAC launches (e.g., Portugal 2023) shows capacity gets saturated within weeks.
The initiative follows an addendum signed on 24 October between Bulgarian Ambassador Dr Nikolay Yankov and VFS COO Yummi Talwar. It is designed to cut application turnaround times from the current six-to-eight weeks to as little as three, according to VFS. Early appointment slots for centres outside Delhi will open mid-November, while Delhi has begun accepting files immediately.
A Bulgarian D-visa allows stays beyond 90 days and is a prerequisite for residence permits covering employment, study, or family reunion. The new set-up is therefore significant for IT outsourcing firms and automotive suppliers that have expanded in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna on the back of the EU’s lowest corporate-tax environment. Mobility managers should note that biometric capture (fingerprints and digital photo) must still be done at the VAC, and original degree/legal-employment documents require apostille and certified Bulgarian translations.
For multinational employers the timing is opportune: from January 2026 Bulgaria will join the Schengen area’s air-side zone, making a Bulgarian residence card an attractive ‘back door’ to frictionless travel across continental Europe. Specialist relocation providers expect demand from Indian assignees to rise 30-40 per cent once that occurs. Companies are advised to reserve appointment blocks early, as historical experience with new VAC launches (e.g., Portugal 2023) shows capacity gets saturated within weeks.
