<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001200584-03-000010
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20031017
<FILING-DATE>20031110
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>NUGENT CHARLES J
<CIK>0001200584
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-10587
<FILM-NUMBER>03987763
</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>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-10-17</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000700564</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FULTON FINANCIAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FULT</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001200584</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>NUGENT CHARLES J</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE PENN SQUARE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LANCASTER</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>PA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>17602</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Sr. Executive Vice President </officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>$2.50  par value common stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-17</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>127</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>20.51</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>27882</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>$2.50 par value common stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-27</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>J</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F3"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>20.33</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>27881</value><footnoteId id="F4"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>$2.50 par value common stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>28650</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>Spouse</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1"> Reinvestment of Dividends</footnote><footnote id="F2">Includes 16,995 shares held in the Retirement Plan. </footnote><footnote id="F3">Payment of reporting person's pro rata share of Administrative fees of Fulton Financial Corporation Profit Sharing Plan.</footnote><footnote id="F4">Includes 16,994 shares held in the Retirement Plan.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>George R. Barr, Jr., Attorney-in-Fact </signatureName><signatureDate>2003-11-07</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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