Technical Issues on VFS Global: how it works in Bulgaria — first-hand
Short answer
Bulgarian Schengen visa processing currently takes 45-50 working days, with increased scrutiny for applicants linked to sanctioned entities. Because official status tracking on the VFS Global portal is often unreliable, applicants should manually check their status or use the courier tracking QR code provided at the Visa Application Centre.
From real experience
Bulgarian visa processing time is currently highly variable.
Applicants should rely on manual tracking via the official visa center portal using the reference number and surname, rather than SMS alerts. Recent reports indicate increased scrutiny and potential refusals for applicants employed by sanctioned entities. Status tracking: official website -> 'Check application status' -> enter MOAC reference number and last name.
✓ 2 reports from chats
Bulgarian Schengen visa processing currently takes 45-50 working days.
Status tracking on the VFS Global website is prone to errors; users report success by switching browsers, devices, or refreshing until the system responds. SMS notification policies vary by region (e.g., St. Petersburg vs. Moscow centers) and are not always reliable.
✓ 1 report from chats
Applicants for Bulgarian visas can track their status via the VFS Global website using the receipt reference number.
However, if the status remains unchanged or returns an 'Invalid inputs' error, it is recommended to track the courier shipment directly using the transport company's QR code provided at the Visa Application Centre, as official system updates may be delayed.