site.btaTourism Minister Highlights Joining US Visa Waiver Program as Strategic Priority

The Ministry of Tourism organized a meeting on the US visa free travel procedures, aiming to expand the tourist exchange between Bulgaria and the United States, the Ministry’s press office announced on Tuesday.

“Bulgaria’s joining the US Visa Waiver Program is a strategic priority of the Bulgarian Government. This is not just an administrative goal, but a key step towards facilitating people-to-people contacts, encouraging business exchanges and developing tourism between the two countries,” Tourism Minister Miroslav Borshosh at the opening of the event said.

“As the experience of countries such as Croatia and Poland shows, achieving this goal requires joint efforts, not only on the side of the institutions, but also on the side of the private sector and civil society organizations,” Minister Borshosh added. He stressed that tourism and travel are inextricably linked, and that Bulgaria is pursuing a consistent policy both on the path to the euro area and visa liberalization.

The event was jointly organized by the Tourism and Foreign Ministries, with the participation of the Consular Section of the US Embassy in Bulgaria. Its main goal was to provide answers to key questions regarding the process of the issuing of visas and Bulgaria’s inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program.

Dimana Dramova, Special Coordinator at the Foreign Ministry for Bulgaria’s inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program, and Leonard Leid, Vice-Consul at the US Embassy in Sofia, also participated in the discussion. Dramova explained the steps taken so far in the process to include Bulgaria in the Program and emphasized the role of the website VizaAcademy.com, developed by the Foreign Ministry, where visa applicants can receive up-to-date practical information about the application process.

The Vice-Consul at the US Embassy in Sofia provided valuable guidance on how applicants should handle the visa application process. He stressed the importance of timely completion of DS-160 forms, at least 48 hours before the interview, and advised candidates to be honest and forthright. He noted that B1/B2 visas are an excellent opportunity to visit the United States, but they do not allow tourists to work. According to him, approximately 5,000 visas have been issued under the Work and Travel program in the last three months, and over 14,000 B1/B2 visas in the past year.

The event was also attended by numerous representatives of the tourist business, who play a key role in preparing and informing applicants for B1/B2 visas.