Do UAE passport holders need a visa to visit BG?

UAE ordinary passport holders can travel to Bulgaria visa-free for tourism for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Bulgaria is a full Schengen member (since 1 January 2025), and the UAE is on the EU visa-exemption list (Annex II of Regulation 2018/1806). No visa is needed before travel as of May 2026; ETIAS is not yet in effect. Emirati citizens holding an ordinary (regular) UAE passport do not need a visa for short tourist stays in Bulgaria. The United Arab Emirates is listed in Annex II of EU Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, which exempts its nationals from the short-stay visa requirement for the entire Schengen Area. Bulgaria became a full Schengen member on 1 January 2025, so entry is now governed by the unified Schengen short-stay rule: a maximum of 90 days of stay within any rolling 180-day period, counted cumulatively across all Schengen states. The exemption covers tourism, visiting family/friends, business meetings and transit. It does NOT cover paid work or stays longer than 90 days, which require a national (type D) visa or residence permit obtained in advance. At the border, travelers must still satisfy standard Schengen entry conditions: a passport valid for at least three months beyond the intended departure date and issued within the previous 10 years, proof of accommodation, sufficient funds, a return/onward ticket, and possibly travel insurance. ETIAS (the EU's pre-travel authorization for visa-exempt nationals, including Emiratis) is NOT yet operational as of May 2026 — it is expected to launch in Q4 2026 with a transitional period, becoming mandatory around 2027. Until then, no online pre-authorization is required. Because the channel is a long-standing EU-wide visa waiver confirmed by both the Bulgarian authorities and EU law, the verdict is firmly visa-free.