Bulgarians will not need visas for stays of up to six months in Canada from December 1
As of December 1 2017, the visa requirement for Bulgarian citizens who are planning to stay in Canada for up to six months for tourism, business or as a guest will fall away, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry noted that the change would take effect at 4pm Bulgarian time.
Bulgarians travelling by air to Canada will have to obtain prior approval through the Electronic System for Issuing Priority to Travel to Canada (eTA). The authorization is valid for five years.
Those who have already issued a valid visa for Canada may continue to travel with it without having to apply for approval (eTA). Those who already have such a permit may continue to travel until it expires.
Bulgarian citizens entering the territory of Canada through land or sea borders of the country do not need prior approval through eTA.
The length of the authorized stay for a visa-free journey may be up to six months and is determined by the Canadian border authorities upon entry into the country, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.
For an eTA application, Bulgarian citizens need only apply on the official Canada Government website – Canada.ca/eTA. The process takes place entirely online and takes only a few minutes. A valid passport, credit or debit card is required for a pre-approval request. The process requires a valid e-mail address and there is a fee of seven Canadian dollars.
In most cases, requests are approved swiftly, the Foreign Ministry said. The processing of the application may take up to a few days if providing supporting documents is required.
(Photo: Tony Webster)
