<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001200573-03-000009
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20030523
<FILING-DATE>20030603
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>FULTON RUFUS A JR
<CIK>0001200573
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-10587
<FILM-NUMBER>03729754
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>C/O FULTON FINANCIAL CORP
<STREET2>ONE PENN SQUARE
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17602
<PHONE>7176722089
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>FULTON FINANCIAL CORP
<CIK>0000700564
<ASSIGNED-SIC>6021
<IRS-NUMBER>232195389
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>PA
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ONE PENN SQ
<STREET2>PO BOX 4887
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17604
<PHONE>7172912411
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ONE PENN SQ
<STREET2>PO BOX 4887
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17604
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-05-23</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000700564</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FULTON FINANCIAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FULT</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001200573</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FULTON RUFUS A JR</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Chairman &amp;amp; CEO</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>$2.50 par value common stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-23</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>10220</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>214635</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>$2.50 par value common stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-05-23</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>284</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>5974</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>Spouse</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>0</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-05-23</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>9635</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>1998-08-08</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>1998-08-08</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>9635</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>202331</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value></value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Additional shares of common stock received pursuant to a 5% stock dividend paid by Fulton Financial Corporation to its shareholders of record April 30, 2003.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Includes 36,025 shares held in the Fulton Financial Corporation Retirement Plan.</footnote><footnote id="F3">These options were previously reported as options for 192,696 shares currently exercisable, and expiring at various times between June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2012 as an exercise price ranging from $9.180 to $19.325 per share but were adjusted to reflect a five percent stock dividend paid by Fulton Financial Corporation to its shareholders of record on April 30, 2003, as a consequence of which the exercise prices now range between $8.740 and $18.40.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>George R. Barr, Jr., Attorney-in-Fact </signatureName><signatureDate>2003-06-02</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
