Diplomatic missions

Africa

Asia

Australia and Oceania

Europe

North America

South America

Bulgaria and the USA establish an enhanced partnership in the field of border security — an important step towards Bulgaria’s inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program

13 December 2024 News

Minister Ivan Kondov admitted today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the Ambassador of the USA in Bulgaria H.E. Kenneth Merten, who came to offer congratulations on behalf of the US Embassy and on his own behalf on the successful completion of the process of full integration of the Republic of Bulgaria into the Schengen area. Ambassador Merten presented Minister Kondov with gifts from the Schengen Village in Luxembourg.

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister thanked for the congratulations and used the occasion to present the US Ambassador with a diplomatic note informing him that the Bulgarian government has approved the establishment of an Enhanced Border Security Partnership between the Republic of Bulgaria and the United States. With this act, our country fulfils one of the most important technical conditions for inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program and completes all actions to create the necessary legal framework for future inclusion therein.

The establishment of the Enhanced Border Security Partnership between Bulgaria and the United States comes days after the US State Department published data for the fiscal year 2024, according to which the percentage of tourist visas denied to Bulgarians during the year was only 6.02% compared to 11.61% in 2023. This is the lowest level in the last 18 years and together with the Enhanced Partnership represents a serious achievement for Bulgaria and an important indicator of the progress in the work of the Bulgarian institutions to meet the criteria for inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program.

In this process, it is necessary to meet several more technical criteria, one of which is the percentage of refused Bulgarian tourist visas in 2025 to fall below 3%. The information and education campaign, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched on 15 December this year, will be a joint effort of the institutions and the public, which is necessary to be done in order for our country to meet this criterion and to achieve another important foreign policy priority - Bulgaria to be included as soon as possible in the US Visa Waiver Program and Bulgarian citizens to have the opportunity to travel as tourists without a visa to the United States.

The MFA campaign will last for 3 months and will run both in traditional media and, of course, with a wide presence on social networks. It will also feature a number of familiar and beloved faces who will engage the audience and provide helpful tips related to the US visa application process.

This site uses cookies. By accepting cookies you can optimise your browsing experience.

Accept Refuse More