The government has decided to partially suspend a provision of the agreement on visa exemptions for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports, according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

With the adopted decision, the citizens of Georgia - holders of diplomatic and service passports who enter Bulgaria for a stay of no more than 90 days within each 180-day period, should hold a visa for a short stay, starting from April 16, 2025.

Georgian citizens who hold ordinary passports will continue to benefit from the visa exemption when they travel to Bulgaria for a short stay.

On January 28, 2025, Council Decision (EU) 2025/170 of January 27, 2025 partially suspending the application of the Agreement between the European Union and Georgia on the facilitation of issuance of visas was published in the Official Journal of the EU. The Decision entered into force on January 27, 2025 and applies directly and fully to the Republic of Bulgaria. It suspends the visa-free regime for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports. The European Commission has also called for the suspension of the bilateral visa agreements with Georgia of the Member States, suspending the visa-free regime also for holders of service passports if they are included in the bilateral agreements.