Bulgaria Still Does Not Meet the Requirements For Visa-Free Travel to the U.S., Despite the Progress Made

Visas for Bulgarian citizens travelling to the United States will remain in place for the time being. This became clear following a meeting between Minister of the Interior, Ivan Demerdzhiev, and John Gountanis, Deputy Under Secretary in the Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans at the US Department of Homeland Security.

During the talks, Minister Demerdzhiev raised the issue of Bulgaria's accession to the US Visa Waiver Programme. He highlighted the progress achieved so far in meeting the programme's requirements.

For his part, Mr Gountanis acknowledged Bulgaria's achievements to date, reaffirmed the importance of the programme's eligibility criteria, and noted that a key remaining requirement is the reduction of the visa refusal rate.

• US Delegation Acknowledges Bulgaria’s Progress Towards Visa-Free Travel to the United States

Mr Gountanis also met Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova. She stressed that the removal of visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens travelling to the United States for tourism would ensure balance and mutual respect for each country's priorities, reflecting the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the United States.

The discussions also covered the next steps towards finalising Bulgaria's accession process to the US Visa Waiver Program, including compliance with the remaining legal requirements.

According to the latest data from Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US visa refusal rate for Bulgarian applicants stands at 5.11%. Under the programme's criteria, the refusal rate must fall below 3%.