No visa needed

Do citizens of Bulgaria need a visa for the United Arab Emirates?

Citizens of Bulgaria don’t need a visa for the United Arab Emirates 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 — Abu Dhabi: ≈ 3,490 km, about 5 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 the United Arab Emirates without a visa on a Bulgaria passport?

Yes, citizens of Bulgaria don’t need a visa for the United Arab Emirates for up to 90 days. A valid passport is enough.

United Arab Emirates 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; United Arab Emirates passport: 127.
Citizens of Bulgaria and the United Arab Emirates can travel together visa-free to 105 countries, for example: North Macedonia, Kosovo, Romania, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, and Turkey.
Citizens of the United Arab Emirates, in turn, don’t need a visa for Bulgaria. Bulgaria visa for citizens of the United Arab Emirates

Travelling to the United Arab Emirates: good to know

Sofia — Abu Dhabi: about 3,490 km in a straight line; a direct flight takes roughly 5 hours.
Time difference with your country’s capital: +1 hour.
Local time: Sofia 12:00 — Abu Dhabi 13:00.
Local currency: United Arab Emirates Dirham.
Languages: Arabic.
Exchange rate: $1.00 ≈ AED 3.67.
United Arab Emirates is the 68th closest of 197 destinations open to citizens of Bulgaria.