tominrm

I, a US passport holder, am in Barcelona now and booked a flight from Barcelona to Athens in a week. This discount flight consists of two segments requiring a connection in Sofia. The Skyscanner keeps warning about requiring "airport transit visa" and says I should check with the State Department.
The flights uses two different discount airlines.
How do I get this Airport transit visa? Do I really need one to make a connection in Sofia? I do not have visa to Schengen Area. I will stay here less than 90 days.

thursdaysd

So why don't you do what Skyscanner says and check the State Dept website?

https://travel.state.gov/content/pas.../bulgaria.html

You don't need a visa.

tominrm

Thursdaysd, thank you. The reason I was concerned about this was, I entered my nationality, etc. in order to book my flight so it knows I have US passport but it kept warning. So I wondered if there is something about Sofia airport, like old Beijing airport, you first have to get out the controlled area to get back into another controlled area requiring a visa to do it. Once I made a connection in Beijing to go to Uulan Bator, but had to have a Chinese visa. This

thursdaysd

BTW, Bulgaria is not in Schengen.

Heimdall

This from the Bulgarian Embassy in London:

<i>"Citizens of the following States are subject to an airport transit visa requirement: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Congo (former Zaire), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan."</i>

http://www.bulgarianembassy-london.o...=92&Itemid=160

quiltingmamma

One would think you would want to ensure all is correct prior to departure - but by someone a little more official than a public travel forum - we can only provide opinion.
That being said, do you have to enter location of birth and that is flagging something? then things become gray...

undergrace

I am also a US citizen and I traveled through Bulgaria in October 2015. I entered on a train from Serbia and exited on a flight out of Sofia. I received passport stamps both times and did not need a visa - the stamps were the same format as other European countries. If the US State Department site says you don't need a visa, you don't need a visa.

I now live in China, which DOES require a transit visa, so that's why you were in trouble in Beijing. China is now allowing visa-free waivers for very short visits that meet a very specific criteria and only in certain cities. Russia also requires visas for Americans, even for transiting passengers.

Most airlines put visa language in there regardless of nationality. This summer I am flying from Italy to America on United. I have status with United, have flown with them for many years, have only ever had an American passport - and there is STILL language on my reservation notifying me of the USA's visa requirement. They post it to everyone to cover their asses. You should be fine.

Odin

Russian transit visa is required by Americans (and most nationalities) only if the stopover is more than 24 hours or if there is a change of airports or terminals that do not have a transit zone.

I would not use the information from the US State Department as the sole place to check on visa requirements as it will not have the most up to date info. Best to check the country's own website for info.

Heimdall

The US State Department keeps its travel info up to date. I provided a link to a Bulgarian Embassy website for a second reference. If you don't need a visa to enter a country, you won't need one to transit the airport either.

tominrm

Thank you all for valuable information. Frankly I will risk my air fare if Bulgaria does not want me set a foot in the country and booked. But then when I tried to book hotels, all good deals are prepaid. That's why I wonder if I should book my hotels in Athens in advance knowing there is a chance that I may not even make it to Athens.

Odin

The US State Department website does say to "Visit the Embassy of Bulgaria website for the most current visa information."

I'm sure that the US State Department website is up to date as much as it can be, but visa rules that change overnight can take a while to filter through to other websites.

tominrm

OK, I have made a connection in Sofia successfully three days ago, and this is what it was all about.
I am a US citizen. I bought a discount airline tickets to fly from Barcelona to Athens making a connection in Sofia.
Sofia has two airport terminals 1(old) and 2(newer).
My flight from Barcelona on WizzAir arrived in Terminal 1. But the second leg of my journey on RyanAir departs from Terminal 2. Since these two terminals in the same airport are not physically connected, one must exit the airport -this is where visa may be required. I did not need a visa. My flight arrived about midnight and the taxi was the only option ( I assume they have shuttle bus during the day) to get to Terminal 2. I went to a taxi office inside the terminal and was told the taxi "should not cost more than 2 euros" but one local lady who arrived in the same flight overheard our conversation and offered rideshare.
She said, "you don't know how much they will charge."
So I gave her 2 Euros and she dropped me off at Terminal 2 on her way home.
So I officially entered and exited Bulgaria on the same day because the terminals are not connected. Not an issue for US citizens, just a little inconvenience.