No visa needed

Do citizens of Bulgaria need a visa for South Africa?

Citizens of Bulgaria don’t need a visa for South Africa and can stay up to 90 days. 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 — Pretoria: ≈ 7,630 km, about 10 hours of flying.

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

At a glance

No visa needed

Stay: 90 days

Can I travel to South Africa without a visa on a Bulgaria passport?

Yes, citizens of Bulgaria don’t need a visa for South Africa for up to 90 days. A valid passport is enough.

South Africa 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; South Africa passport: 60.
Citizens of Bulgaria and South Africa can travel together visa-free to 48 countries, for example: Tunisia, Palestine, Georgia, Rwanda, Gambia, Angola, Seychelles, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini, Mauritius, Thailand, Lesotho, Antigua and Barbuda, and Macau.
Citizens of South Africa, in turn, need an embassy visa to travel to Bulgaria. Bulgaria visa for citizens of South Africa

Travelling to South Africa: good to know

Sofia — Pretoria: about 7,630 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 10 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: −1 hour.
Local time: Sofia 12:00 — Pretoria 11:00.
Local currency: South African Rand.
Languages: Afrikaans, English, South Ndebele, and Northern Sotho.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ ZAR 16.
South Africa is the 130th closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Bulgaria.