Starting at 4 p.m. EET (9 a.m. ET) on December 1, 2017, Canada will lift the visa requirements for all Bulgarians. At that point, all citizens of Bulgaria would no longer need a visa to travel to Canada.

However, similar to other visa-exempt travelers, they would need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to board a flight to Canada. Applying for an eTA is a simple, inexpensive online process that takes minutes to complete.

Bulgarians who already have a valid Canadian visa can continue to travel to or transit through a Canadian airport with that visa until it expires. You do not need to apply for a new eTA. As well, those who already have an eTA can continue to fly to Canada with that eTA until it expires or they get a new passport.

Note:

  • Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, cannot apply for an eTA and need a valid Canadian passport to fly to Canada.
  • Canadian permanent residents (PR) need to travel with a valid Canadian PR card or PR travel document and valid passport.
  • Important – former residents of Canada: PR status does not expire. If you once lived in Canada, you could still have PR status. See options available to avoid travel delays.

Bulgarian citizens who are also lawful permanent residents of the United States (U.S.) can apply for an eTA to fly to Canada.

Applying for an eTA is a simple, inexpensive (CAN$ 7) online process. All a traveler needs is a passport, a credit or debit card and an email address.Most eTAs are approved within minutes.However, some requests can take several days or even longer to process if applicants need to submit supporting documents. That’s why it is best to apply before booking a flight to Canada.

An eTA is an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air. You would not need an eTA or visa when arriving by car, bus, train or boat. All citizens of Bulgaria would need an eTA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport, except those who already have a valid Canadian visa.