Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria is 3% away from entering the US Visa Waiver Program

Photo: Facebook/Embassy of the USA

The U.S. Department of State today released the data for the refused type B visas for the financial year 2024. For Bulgaria, this percentage is 6.02%, which marks a significant decrease compared to last year, when it was 11.61%. This is the lowest refusal rate in the last 18 years, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry announced.

"Significant efforts have been made in recent months to meet the criteria for Bulgaria's inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program. The substantial reduction in the visa refusal rate is another step forward on the road to the successful completion of this process," Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov said. 

One of the technical conditions for our country's inclusion in the Programme is that the percentage of refused tourist visas for Bulgarian citizens does not exceed 3%. By the end of the year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will launch an information and education campaign to explain the conditions and process of applying for a visa to the US.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Temperatures soar to 35°C, expect rain showers

Before noon on Thursday, it will be mostly sunny, followed by cloudy skies and brief showers, mainly over western Bulgaria and the Central Balkan Mountains. In northwestern Bulgaria, the showers will continue until Friday night. It will be hot, with..

published on 6/4/25 7:05 PM

The government will work to ensure a smooth transition to the euro

''Today, the European Commission and the European Central Bank categorically stated that Bulgaria meets the criteria for eurozone membership. This is a cause for pride for Bulgarian society, which in the late 1990s embarked on the path to be..

published on 6/4/25 5:49 PM
EP President Roberta Metsola

Roberta Metsola welcomes the assessment of Bulgaria’s readiness for the euro

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, addressed a brief message to Bulgaria in connection with the positive conclusions of the convergence report on Bulgaria's readiness to adopt the euro as of January 1, 2026:   ''I welcome..

published on 6/4/25 4:54 PM