Bulgaria's foreign ministry wants to raise the fee for type D visas, used by foreigners who come to live in the country long-term or permanently, by 20%, from 100 to 120 euros. The proposal has been posted on the Council of Ministers' public procurement portal.

The rise won't affect family members of Bulgarian citizens, who are already exempt from the visa fee.

The ministry says the higher fee will cover the service's running and admin costs and bring it closer to what other EU countries charge. It looked at what other EU states charge for type D visas.

The average fee for national long-stay visas across the EU is 113 euros, and nearly half of EU countries already charge 120 euros or more. The ministry says Bulgaria's current fee is below the EU average, and that this brings fiscal, administrative and migration risks.

The low fee, the ministry says, makes Bulgaria an easier entry point when migration pressure is high and for people trying to dodge visa rules, compared with other Schengen countries. It also draws more applications, some of which are bound to be turned down, and each one takes up time and resources at consular offices and migration bodies.