ETIAS and Bulgaria: when, for whom and is it necessary if you already live in the EU

The topic "ETIAS" has long been hanging over everyone who travels to Europe without a visa. Many people living in Bulgaria are already asking: "When will they finally launch it, will it apply to Bulgaria and do I need to apply if I have a "red" card or other residence?" Let's arrange the picture in a human way, not just according to regulations.

What is ETIAS and when does it start

"ETIAS" – European Travel Information and Authorization System – is not a visa, but an electronic pre-travel authorization for a short stay (up to 90 days within 180 days) for citizens of countries with a visa-free regime for Schengen. The system is planned to come into effect at the end of 2026, a few months after the full introduction of the new border control system EES.

From this moment on, anyone who now enters Schengen "only with a passport" will first have to fill out a short online form, pay a small fee and receive an approved "ETIAS" permit before boarding a plane, bus or ship to the EU.

ETIAS and Bulgaria: what is changing

From January 1, 2025, Bulgaria is part of Schengen by air and sea, and full implementation on land borders is forthcoming. This means that when "ETIAS" starts working, Bulgaria will be in the group of countries for which such a permit is required for short tourist, business or transit visits by citizens of countries with a visa-free regime.

In practice – if you are coming as a tourist to Bulgaria with a passport from the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan, Ukraine, Moldova, etc. without having a visa or the right of residence in the EU, you will need to get "ETIAS" in advance, as soon as the system starts.

Who needs to apply for ETIAS

People who simultaneously need to apply:

• are citizens of a country with a visa-free regime for Schengen (enter with a passport, without a visa);
• are coming for a short stay – tourism, business, visiting, transit, up to 90 days within 180 days;
• do not have a visa or long-term residence permit issued by an EU/Schengen country;
• enter through an external Schengen border – plane, ship, land border crossing point.

The application will be online: you fill in passport data, travel, answer a few security and health questions, pay a fee and in most cases within a few minutes/hours you receive an answer. The permit is valid for up to 3 years or until the passport expires.

Who does NOT need ETIAS

A very important point for people who already live in Bulgaria or another EU country. ETIAS is not for residents, but for visitors. You do not need to do ETIAS if:

• you are a citizen of Bulgaria or another EU/EEA or Swiss country;
• you have a valid residence permit (temporary or permanent residence card) or a national D visa in an EU/Schengen country – including Bulgaria;
• you enter and travel within the EU with this residence document;
• you enter Bulgaria with an already issued Bulgarian visa (short-term or long-term).

In a nutshell: if you already have a document that gives you the right to live in the EU – "red card", blue card, permanent residence card, D visa – you do not need ETIAS. When traveling, you carry your passport and residence card/visa.

"Do I need ETIAS if I have a "red" card or other residence?"

This is the most frequent question – and the good news is that the answer is "no":

If you have:

• a card for continued, long-term or permanent residence in Bulgaria;
• residence in another EU/Schengen country (e.g. Germany, Spain, Greece) – residence plastic;
• a national long-term D visa issued by an EU/Schengen country, under which you are already residing;
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then you are not a "short-term visitor" but a resident. ETIAS was created precisely for the opposite case – for people who do not have such a right of residence and enter Europe only as guests for up to 90 days.

However, it is important to always travel with both documents – passport + residence card/visa. At the border, you will show that you are not entering "as a tourist from a visa-free country", but as a legally residing person.

What to remember from now on

Although ETIAS is only launching towards the end of 2026, it is useful to get used to a few things:

• if you plan to travel as a tourist from a country with a visa-free regime for the EU – you will need a prior online permit;
• if you already have legal residence in the EU (incl. in Bulgaria) – ETIAS is not for you, but you must keep your card/visa in order;
• ETIAS does not guarantee automatic entry – the border policeman always has the last word;
• plan your trips so that you have time to get approval (although it is usually fast).

For many people, ETIAS will be just another online registration before traveling. For Bulgaria, this is part of the bigger picture: full integration into Schengen, stricter but also more transparent control of external borders and a little more planning for everyone who likes to "jump" into Europe at the last moment.