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Photo requirements guide

Bulgaria National Visa (D) photo requirements

A guide to the photo size and conditions you need for the application.

Checked: 2026-08-30

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Preparing a face photo

Photo requirements at a glance

Face photo requirements

The Bulgaria Visa D (long-stay) can only be applied for at the diplomatic and consular mission covering the applicant's permanent residence, and VISA_TYPE_D.pdf allows no exception from the personal interview for long-stay visa applications ("Obligatory personal interview ... No exception"). The application is a paper set brought in person; no official digital photo upload rule exists.

Printing and bringing the photo remain the applicant's own actions (the tool prepares the print photo only). Although the Bulgaria Schengen C photo (35×45 mm print) shares the same size, the mission application with the obligatory interview is a separate application route, and the C-visa values do not apply here. Photo requirements for the Digital Nomad permit and residence permits are out of scope for this page.

What to check before you submit

The phrase “passport-size” alone does not set a fixed value such as 35×45 mm. In the Tool, enter the dimensions shown by the current application guidance.

From creation to submission

  • Keep the application guidance available and enter the output type and dimensions you have confirmed.
  • No face guide is shown for values the official guidance does not specify.
  • After editing and review, confirm the accepted format and conditions in the application portal before submitting.

Create your photo in the browser

Prepare the photo for Bulgaria National Visa Photo (D) directly in your smartphone or computer browser. Creating and reviewing are free.

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What this tool creates

  • the required face photo (for printing)

Official information

The photo conditions on this page are based on the official guidance.

Check the latest official portal guidance before applying.

Frequently asked questions

What photo is required for a Bulgaria National Visa (Visa D) application?

The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs page states verbatim: “A full color photograph 3,5 cm х 4,5 cm against light-colored background (the same holds for a child entered in the passport) – a full-face photo with clear, large enough face which takes up 70-80% of the photo; eyes must be red; the following is ineligible: photos with dark glasses; non-professional photos or cut out of amateur photos”. This is 35 mm wide by 45 mm high. The Visa D PDF calls for a “Recent passport-size color photograph” but gives no number of months. Both official lists use a singular photograph phrase without setting a numeric photo count. The application is taken as a paper document set to the Bulgarian mission responsible for the applicant’s permanent residence, and a personal interview is obligatory with “No exception”; no official digital photo upload rule is stated. The applicant prints, brings, and submits the photo; the Tool only prepares it.

Can I use a 35×45 mm photo prepared for a Schengen C visa?

Do not decide from the matching dimensions alone. Although both use 35×45 mm, Visa D is a separate paper application and mandatory-interview workflow at a Bulgarian mission, and its photo rules are set separately from Schengen C. For Visa D, check that the photo independently meets this page’s confirmed conditions: full color, full-face, a light-colored background, 70–80% face occupancy, and only the qualitative recency term “Recent”. The official sources set no numeric photo count. Follow the responsible mission’s current instructions. The Tool prepares the print photo only; it does not submit the application or guarantee acceptance.

Official sources