As of last Sunday, March 31st, Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen Area, eliminating internal air and sea border controls with other member countries.
Starting from March 31st, the country has implemented new visa regulations affecting all visa applicants entering its territory, despite adhering to the European Union's Common Visa Policy since becoming a member on January 1, 2007.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that as of March 31st, the country has begun issuing Schengen visas at various locations in line with Schengen regulations, while internal border checks at land borders persist.
Additionally, it's noted that short-stay visas issued by Romania and Bulgaria before this date will remain valid until their expiration.
This implies that travelers with such visas intending to visit other Schengen Area countries must obtain a standard Schengen visa.
While residence permits and long-stay visas issued by Bulgaria remain valid, their holders can also freely travel within the Schengen zone. Nonetheless, they must adhere to the permitted stay of 90 days within any 180-day period.
For nearly a week now, travelers can no longer utilize Bulgaria and Romania as a hub to reset their allowed 90-day stay within a 180-day period in the Schengen Area.
Every stay in Romania and Bulgaria now contributes to the overall count of days spent within the Schengen zone.
Previously, time spent in Bulgaria or Romania didn't factor into this calculation. Third-country travelers, primarily from visa-free countries, frequently utilized Bulgaria as a base to renew their permitted stay in the Schengen Zone before returning to member states.