The Consular Service of Bulgaria for an indefinite period suspends the acceptance of documents for tourist visas and visas for property owners.
The reason is the announcement on Friday, August 5, of 14 employees of the diplomatic mission and consular offices of Bulgaria in Russia as persona non grata.
This step of the Russian side was a response to the decision of the Bulgarian authorities to expel from the country 70 Russian diplomats and technical staff of Russian diplomatic departments, including the Russian Consuls General in Varna and Ruse.
Due to a shortage of employees, the consular service of the Russian Embassy in Bulgaria and the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Varna partially suspended their work. The Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Ruse has suspended work. The Consulate General of Bulgaria in Yekaterinburg is temporarily closed.
During the summer holiday season, Russians faced difficulties in obtaining Schengen visas through the visa centers of European countries popular with tourists: according to travel agencies interviewed by RBC, there are no free windows in the visa centers of France, Greece and Spain in July for making an appointment to submit documents.