Eased EU Schengen Visa Rules for Turkish Citizens Expected to Boost Bulgarian Tourism

Ekaterina Toteva, Metodi Yordanov

Tourism Minister Borshosh (BTA Photo/Minko Chernev)

Sofia,

05.09.2025 11:48

(BTA)

The more favorable Schengen visa rules introduced by the EU for Turkish citizens give Bulgaria an additional opportunity and will have a significant impact on the country’s tourism, since Turkiye is one of Bulgaria’s top five tourist markets, said Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh in response to a question from Ivan Belchev, Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria MP, regarding the prospects for developing Bulgarian tourism in the context of the eased visa regime between the European Union and Turkiye.

The Tourism Minister reported that data from his Ministry and the National Statistical Institute show an exceptionally high increase in the flow of Turkish tourists to Bulgaria. The growth was especially evident in the first half of the year and in winter tourism, he added. He also said the Ministry is actively directing its advertising and marketing strategy toward promoting Bulgaria in Turkiye as a tourist destination.

Borshosh emphasized the importance of Bulgaria’s participation in tourism fairs in Turkiye, noting that they provide opportunities not only for businesses to present their products but also for municipalities to showcase themselves.

According to him, the digital campaign is of crucial importance. He announced that funds have been allocated in the 2026 budget, with the main focus on Google, YouTube, and Meta. He also stressed the need for Bulgaria to have visibility in Turkish media in 2026, recalling that Bulgarian tourism was already featured in special supplements in major Turkish newspapers. The special edition prepared in Milliyet, which also included Bulgaria’s regional authorities, had an excellent effect, the Minister added.

Borshosh noted in July that as of July 15, a new regime for issuing tourist visas for Turkish citizens has been introduced. “In addition to three- and six-month visas, it is now possible to issue one-, three-, and five-year visas to citizens who had no violations during the validity of previous visas. This will completely ease the visa regime with Turkiye,” the Minister said at the time.

According to the National Statistical Institute, between January and May 2025 more than 110,000 Turkish tourist registrations were recorded in Bulgaria, representing a 61.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024, the Ministry reported.

Borshosh noted that the main goal of the visa decision is to facilitate travel for Turkish citizens with a proven positive visa history—that is, those who have used a Schengen visa at least twice without violations—by applying the so-called cascade principle. The cascade model provides for a gradual increase in the visa’s validity period, depending on the applicant’s visa history. Borshosh emphasized that each application continues to be considered individually, in accordance with the procedures of the EU Visa Code.

/DD/