Is it easier/cheaper for an Indonesian with UK residency to obtain a tourist visa for Bulgaria, Romania, or Schengen?
A friend of mine who is a citizen of Indonesia with UK residency (but not citizenship) would like to meet up with me somewhere with a cheap undeveloped beach. (I'll be hitchhiking from Georgia.)
The problem is there's tons of unexpected rules and fees for Indonesians to get a visa for these places.
I can't see anywhere that having UK residency helps but maybe I missed it. Also whether having a Schengen visa first might make it easier to get a visa for Bulgaria or Romania.
Yes we have looked at the relevant government visa sites but it's a lot to take in and keep sorted. We're wondering if somebody might have first hand experience. Maybe some things are not as strict as the websites make them look. Maybe we missed something for one country that makes it easier or cheaper than the others.
Does anybody know this stuff already?
Best Answer
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria doesn't mention anything on their website about a relaxed visa regime for holders of Schengen visas or resident permits, so it's safe to assume this doesn't provide any additional benefits.
However, a holder of a Schengen visa can stay up to two days in Bulgaria provided that the arrival and departure countries are different (applies to flights as well) -- this is equivalent to obtaining a short-stay visa type "C" for the purposes of transit through the country.
No transit visa is required for passage of citizens of third states when they produce any of the following documents:
- Schengen (single) visa, long-stay visa, permit for stay issued by any of the Schengen area states;
- national short-stay visas, long-stay visas and permits for stay issued by Romania and Cyprus;
See section II.1 for the full text of the conditions and requirements.
This probably won't be an option for you due to the additional restrictions, but it's worth mentioning.
For planned stay (normal tourist/business visa, type "D"), this does not seem to be an option. It probably won't hurt if one inquires at the Indonesian embassy in Bulgaria:
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
1700 Sofia, 5 “Josef Waldhart” Str.
Phone no.: 962 52 40, 868 32 20, 962 61 70
Fax: 962 44 18
e-mail:kbrisofia@indonesie.bg
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Which is the easiest country to get Schengen visa from in UK?
Lithuania is the easiest country to get a Schengen visa from, with only 1.3% of the short-term applications rejected in 2018. In total, 98.7% of the applicants for a Schengen Visa to Lithuania received a positive answer on their application.How much is Bulgaria visa fee?
The visa application should be submitted at the nearest Bulgarian embassy or consulate. The visa processing time can be anywhere between 7 to 10 working days and a visa application fee of $50 is payable.Can I travel to Bulgaria with UK visa?
2021 British citizens may visit Bulgaria visa free for short term stay /up to 90 days in any 180-day period starting from the date of first entry/. The required passport validity is 3 months after the planned departure from Bulgaria.What is the cost of Schengen visa?
A Schengen Visa from India costs 80 euros The amount of the fees must be paid to the visa service when submitting the application: either online if you have made a pre-application via an internet platform or with the service with which you submitted your file.Easy Way to live in EU Country legally. Visa or Residence permit not needed!
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Answer 2
I have been researching Romanian visas about 1.5 years ago, and I also inquired at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time (which, by the way, gave me some unclear and contradicting information...). I took another look at their website now and the following may be relevant for your case:
People with a valid Schengen visa can transit through Romania for at most 5 days without needing to get a Romanian transit visa first. There's no mention that this would apply to UK residents (noon Schengen) unless they're a family member of an EU/EEA citizen who is living in Romania. It doesn't look like you can use this option, unfortunately.
As I understand, normally your friend would need an invitation letter from someone in Romania, and the invitation must be approved by the Immigration Office, which is a lot of trouble and a lot of time. Luckily, people who have a residence permit in an EU/EEA country do not seem to need this approval from the Immigration Office. This is a big advantage.
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