No visa needed

Do citizens of Bulgaria need a visa for the Netherlands?

Citizens of Bulgaria don’t need a visa for the Netherlands. You need a valid passport; border officers may ask for a return ticket and accommodation. For a longer stay you need a visa or an extension.

For citizens of Bulgaria: the passport opens 119 countries visa-free; Sofia — Amsterdam: ≈ 1,740 km, about 2.5 hours of flying.

Checked by visa analyst Albert Brown, 13 years of experience · September 26, 2026

At a glance

No visa needed

Can I travel to the Netherlands without a visa on a Bulgaria passport?

Yes, citizens of Bulgaria don’t need a visa for the Netherlands. A valid passport is enough.

Netherlands visa rules at a glance

With a Bulgaria passport you can visit 119 countries visa-free, 29 with a visa on arrival and 35 with an e-visa; 15 more require an embassy visa.
By the number of visa-free destinations, the Bulgaria passport ranks 21st of 199.
Bulgaria passport: visa-free access to 119 countries; Netherlands passport: 122.
Citizens of Bulgaria and the Netherlands can travel together visa-free to 117 countries, for example: North Macedonia, Kosovo, Romania, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, and Turkey.
Both countries use the same currency — Euro — so there is no need to exchange money.
Citizens of the Netherlands, in turn, don’t need a visa for Bulgaria. Bulgaria visa for citizens of the Netherlands

Travelling to the Netherlands: good to know

Sofia — Amsterdam: about 1,740 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 2.5 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: −1 hour.
Local time: Sofia 12:00 — Amsterdam 11:00.
Local currency: Euro.
Languages: Dutch.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ €0.88.
Netherlands is the 42nd closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Bulgaria.