South Korea to Bulgaria visa requirements

South Korean ordinary passport holders can travel to Bulgaria visa-free for tourism for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Bulgaria became a full Schengen member on 1 January 2025, so the Schengen 90/180 short-stay rule applies. No visa or travel authorization is required as of now; the EU's ETIAS is expected to launch in late 2026. As of 2026, holders of an ordinary South Korean passport do not need a visa to visit Bulgaria for tourism or other short stays. Bulgaria completed its accession to the Schengen Area on 1 January 2025 (air and sea controls were lifted in March 2024, and land border controls on 1 January 2025), making it a full Schengen member state. South Korea is on the EU's Schengen visa-exemption list, so Korean nationals may enter and stay for up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across the entire Schengen Area for tourism, business, family visits, or transit. The 90 days are counted cumulatively across all Schengen countries, not per country. Travelers must hold a passport valid for at least three months beyond the intended departure date and issued within the previous 10 years, and may be asked at the border to show proof of onward/return travel, accommodation, and sufficient funds. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is expected to become operational in the last quarter of 2026 and mandatory thereafter (around 2027); it is a EUR 20 online travel authorization, not a visa, and it is NOT yet required as of this verification date. Note: Korea's own K-ETA system applies to foreigners entering South Korea and is irrelevant to a Korean citizen traveling outbound to Bulgaria.