In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in Bulgaria, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in Bulgaria.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that Bulgaria does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulates?

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in Bulgaria, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in Bulgaria

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The Bulgarian capital, Sofia, hosts 71 embassies.

There are also 28 consulates and other representations in Bulgaria (European Union, Sofia’s Delegation and the Omaní Representative Office)
All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Sofia, except for those countries who own an embassy in the capital of Bulgaria and might have another diplomatic mission outside the capital.

You will find below a list of selected countries (the list is not exhaustive) that have a diplomatic mission in Bulgaria. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates and sometime other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in Sofia

China

Embassy of China in Bulgaria

Address: 58 James Bourchier Blvd, 1407 Sofia
Telephone: (+359) 2 973 38 73
E-Mail: chnemb_bg@live.cn and sofia@csm.mfa.gov.cn (consular section)
Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00

The Embassy of China in Sofia provides a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as notary certification. Contact them directly to check the full list of services available and their opening time.

France

French Embassy in Bulgaria

Address: 27-29 rue Oborichté - 1504 Sofia
Tel: (+355) 2 965 11 00 / 2 800 80 60 for consular services
E-Mail: consulat.sofia-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/FrBulgarie and https://twitter.com/France_Bulgarie
Opening hours: Monday-Thursday: 09:00-18:00 and Friday: 09:00 – 14:30

Reception of the public (consular affairs), register of French nationals established outside France, identity cards and passports, civil status: marriages, births ..., other steps (legalization of signature, driver's license...), elections, national service and assembly of French nationals abroad.

Germany

Embassy of Germany in Bulgaria

Address: Ulitsa Frederic Joliot Curie 25, Sofia.
Tel: (+359) 2 91 83 80
E-Mail: info@sofia.diplo.de
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AuswaertigesAmt/ and https://twitter.com/auswaertigesamt
Opening hours: Monday- Friday: 08:15 - 11:30

The German embassy in Bulgaria provides passports and ID cards’ services, nationality, family and inheritance matters, criminal records, visa and entry, lawyers, doctors and translators and customs service, etc.

General and Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Sofia, Germany homes consulates in Varna (info@honoraryconsul.bg)

Japan

Embassy of the Japan in Bulgaria

Address: Iztok Quarter, 14 "Lilyakova Garden" St., 1113 Sofia
Tel: (+359) 2 971 2708
E-Mail: emb-jp-bg@sf.mofa.go.jp and consul.jpn-emb@sf.mofa.go.jp (consular services)
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/EmbassyOfJapanInBulgaria/
Opening hours: Monday-Friday 8:30-12:30 and 13:30-17:15 

The Japanese embassy provides a range of consular services such as visa and passport processing as well as document legalization. Contact them directly to check exactly the full list of services available.

Russia

Embassy of Russia in Bulgaria

Address: Dragan Tsankov Boulevard 28, 1113 Sofia
Tel: (+359) 2 963 1314
E-mail: bulgaria@mid.ru and sofia@mid.ru (Consular department)
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/rusembul and https://twitter.com/RusEmbBul 
Opening hours: Monday-Thursday: 08:45 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 18:00 - Friday: 08:45 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 16:45

The Russian consulate shares the same buildings as the embassy. It provides a range of services such as visa and passport processing as well as document legalization and notarial services.
General and Honorary Consulates: In addition to the embassy in Sofia, Russia homes consulates in Varna and Ruse. 

United Kingdom (Great Britain)

British Embassy in Sofia

Address: ul. "Moskovska" 9, 1000 Sofia Center, Sofia
Tel: (+359) 2 933 92 22 (Emergency number only).
E-Mail: BritishEmbassySofia@fco.gov.uk
Social Media: https://twitter.com/ukinbulgaria and https://www.facebook.com/UKinBulgaria/
Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9:00- 17:00

The British embassy provides a range of consular services such as emergency visa and passport processing as well as document legalization and notarial and documentary services.

USA (United States of America)

Embassy of the United States of America in Bulgaria

Address: Koziak street 16, 1408 Sofia
Tel: (+359) 2 937 5100
E-Mail: sofiapas@state.gov
Social Media: https://twitter.com/usembassysofia and https://www.facebook.com/USEmbassySofia/
Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 08:30-17:00

The US representation in Bulgaria provides a range of consular services such as regular passport applications and renewals, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), and notarial services.

Honorary Consulates in Bulgaria

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in Bulgaria, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often Athens, in Greece or Warszawa, in Poland for Bulgaria.

Honorary Consulates in Sofia

• Australia
• Austria (sofia-ob@bmeia.gv.at)
• Chile
• South Africa (sofia.admin@dirco.gov.za)
• Italy (amb.sofia@cert.esteri.it)

Honorary Consulates in Bourgas

• Austria

Honorary Consulates in Varna

• Germany (info@honoraryconsul.bg)

• Hungary
• Russia
• South Africa

Honorary Consulates in Plodiv

• Greece
• Italy

Honorary Consulates in Ruse

• Russia