Bulgaria records its lowest ever U.S. visa refusal rate

Bulgaria has recorded a new historic low in refusals for U.S. tourist and business visas during the U.S. fiscal year 2025. This is shown by the official data published today by the U.S. Department of State, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. The achieved rate of 5.11% is the lowest refusal rate for Bulgaria in nearly two decades, coming immediately after a record decline in the previous fiscal year.

This clearly demonstrates that Bulgaria is making steady progress in meeting this key criterion for the country’s inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Caretaker Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev thanked Bulgarian citizens for their responsible approach to the visa application process.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs points out that at such low levels, every individual refusal affects the overall national result, which must not exceed 3%.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova
English version: R. Petkova