Do Bulgarian passport holders need a visa for Canada?
By Aarush Chopra · Travel Writer, Tripmojo · Updated · Reviewed by Simran Raheja
No visa, but flying requires an eTA. Bulgaria is listed in Schedule 1.1 of Canada’s immigration regulations, so Bulgarian citizens are visa-exempt for short visits with no conditions attached. Travelling by air needs an electronic travel authorisation, costing 7 Canadian dollars and valid five years. Arriving by land or sea needs neither.
Quick facts
Travel authorisation- Visa required
- No, Bulgaria is in Schedule 1.1
- Conditions
- None, the listing is unqualified
- eTA required
- Only when arriving by air
- Cost
- CAD 7
- eTA validity
- 5 years, or until your passport expires
- Length of stay
- 6 months by default, or another period set by the officer
Entry requirements
- A Bulgarian passport valid for the whole of your stay.
- An approved eTA if arriving by air, checked by the airline before boarding.
- Nothing beyond the passport when arriving by land or by sea.
- Evidence you will leave at the end of the visit and can support yourself, if the officer asks.
- A return or onward ticket.
How to get an eTA
Apply on the Government of Canada website with your passport, a credit card and an email address. The fee is 7 Canadian dollars, set in the regulations, and anything charging you thirty euros for the same form is an intermediary.
Approval is usually minutes but can be held for review, so apply when you book rather than at the airport.
The eTA lasts five years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner, and covers unlimited trips in that period.
Good to know
- Bulgaria and Romania are not interchangeable here, which is the trap for anyone who checked a neighbour’s experience instead of their own rules. Bulgaria sits in Schedule 1.1 as a plain country listing with nothing attached to it. Romania is handled separately and its exemption is conditional on holding a machine-readable passport with a contactless chip, a condition the regulation spells out for Romania and not for Bulgaria. Two neighbouring EU states, two different provisions, and advice from one does not transfer to the other.
- A lot of what you will read about Bulgarians needing a prior Canadian or US visa to qualify is simply out of date. The listing in force today carries no such qualification, so if a page tells you to dig out an old visa to prove eligibility, check the date on that page before you act on it.
- The eTA is tied to the passport it was issued against, not to you. Renew your Bulgarian passport, even early and even with years left on the authorisation, and the old eTA dies with the old book. Travellers who renew between trips are the ones most likely to arrive at the gate with an authorisation that no longer matches the document in their hand.
Frequently asked questions
Do Bulgarians need a visa for Canada?
No. Bulgaria is listed in Schedule 1.1 of Canada’s immigration regulations, so Bulgarian citizens are visa-exempt for short visits. Flying requires an eTA instead.
Do Bulgarians still need a prior Canadian or US visa to qualify?
No. The Schedule 1.1 listing for Bulgaria carries no conditions. Guidance saying otherwise is describing an older rule.
How much is a Canadian eTA for Bulgarian citizens?
Seven Canadian dollars, valid five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
Is Bulgaria treated the same as Romania for Canadian entry?
No. Romania’s exemption is conditional on a chip-equipped machine-readable passport. Bulgaria’s listing has no equivalent condition.
How long can Bulgarians stay in Canada?
Usually up to six months, decided by the border services officer on arrival. Work or study needs a permit arranged in advance.
Related pages
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on .
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), Schedule 1.1 — Bulgaria listed, no conditions attached; s.190(1)(a) (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca). Read 2026-08-17.
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s.190(2.1) — the chip-passport condition, which applies to Romania and not to Bulgaria
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s.7.1 — eTA required for entry by air
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s.294.1 — CAD 7 eTA fee; s.12.05 — valid five years or until the passport expires
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s.183(2) — the authorized period of stay is six months, or another period fixed by an officer
Entry rules change without notice and the official source is always the authority. Confirm with the embassy or immigration portal before you book.
