Main cities
Sofia
A city with a 7000-year-old history where excavations in its centre bring up objects from Neolithic man, and remnants of the stone and bronze era, Sofia was a settlement for Thracians, Romans, Bulgarians, Byzantines and Ottoman. Important buildings to remark are the Church of St Nedelya, the 13 century Chapel of St Petka Paraskeva, the Banya Bashi Mosque near Sofia's mineral baths, the 4th century Rotonda of St George-Sofia's oldest church, the Russian Church, the National Assembly, the National Art Gallery and the Ethnographic Museum housed in the former royal palace, etc.
Plovdiv
Bulgaria's second-largest city and one of the most attractive and vibrant centers. Interesting places to see: Thracian fortifications covered with Byzantine walls and by great mansions built during the renaissance, the ruins of a Roman stadium and forum, the Turkish Baths, the 15 century Imaret dzhamiya and the impressive Dzhumaya dzhamiya or "Friday mosque". Moreover, Plovdiv is more than only a spectacle of antiquities, it’s also known as the city of art festivals with high-leveled restaurants and hotels.
History Summary
The Thracians lived in what is now known as Bulgaria from about 3500 B.C. They were incorporated into the Roman Empire by the first century A.D. At the decline of the empire, the Goths, Huns, Bulgars and Avars invaded. The Bulgars, who crossed the Danube from the north in 679, took control of the region.
In 1908 Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha declared a kingdom independent of the Ottoman Empire until 1944 that a Communist coalition took control of the country and set up a government under Kimon Georgiev. A Soviet-style People's Republic was established in 1947 and Bulgaria acquired the reputation of being the most slavishly loyal to Moscow of all the East European Communist countries until 1990, where the Communist monopoly ended and free elections in May 1990 were held.
After the fall of communism the country has started on the road to democratic reforms and has achieved significant progress in recent years. It has a sustained GDP growth of 4.8%, a stable political system and highly trained workforce. As of March 2004 the country is member of NATO and in 2005 the European Union approved Bulgarian membership subject to continuous implementation of reforms, especially the cleaning up of corruption and organized crime. Finally, in 2007, Bulgaria joined the European Union.
The new Foreign Investment Act (1997) made easier to acquire property by foreigners which offers a good investment considering the long-term prospects for the country. An average seaside villa can be purchased at real low cost and rural properties even cheaper.
Acquisition of Bulgarian Citizenship
The Bulgarian Government on the Citizenship Act stipulates the conditions and procedure of acquisition, loss and reinstatement of Bulgarian citizenship.
By Origin
Any person whose one parent least is a Bulgarian citizen, has been fathered by a Bulgarian citizen or whose descent from a Bulgarian citizen has been established by way of a court ruling shall be a Bulgarian citizen by origin.
By Place of Birth
Any person who was born in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria unless he/she has acquired foreign citizenship by origin shall be a Bulgarian citizen by place of birth. Furthermore, any child found in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria whose parents are unknown shall be deemed as born in this territory.
Through Naturalization
Any person who is not a Bulgarian citizen may acquire Bulgarian citizenship if as of the date of filing an application for naturalization (Article 12):
- is a major,
- was granted permission for permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria not less than five years ago,
- has not been sentenced by a Bulgarian court for a premeditated crime of a general nature and has not been the subject of criminal proceedings for such a crime unless the person concerned has been rehabilitated,
- has an income and occupation enabling him/her to support himself/herself in the Republic of Bulgaria,
- has a command of the Bulgarian language subject to verification in accordance with a procedure established by an order of the Minister of Education and Culture,
- was released from his/her previous citizenship or will be released from his/her citizenship as of the moment of acquiring the Bulgarian citizenship.
In addition, any person who is not a Bulgarian citizen, satisfies the conditions mentioned above and, not less than three years as of the date of filing the application for naturalization, was granted permission for permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria may acquire Bulgarian citizenship if he/she also meets one of the following requirements:
- has been, for at least three years, and still is, legally married to a Bulgarian citizen,
- was born in the Republic of Bulgaria,
- was granted permission for permanent residence before he/she became of age,
Any person who was granted a refugee status not less than three years before the date of filing the application for naturalization may acquire Bulgarian citizenship if he/she meets the requirements mentioned above.
Any person without citizenship may acquire Bulgarian citizenship if he/she satisfies the conditions mentioned above, not less than three years as of the date of filing an application for naturalization, was granted permission for permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Any person who is not a Bulgarian citizen may acquire Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization not subject to the provisions mentioned above if he/she meets one of the following requirements:
- is of a Bulgarian origin,
- has been adopted by a Bulgarian citizen on terms of full adoption,
- one of his/her parents is a Bulgarian citizen or has passed away as a Bulgarian citizen.
Any person who is not a Bulgarian citizen may acquire Bulgarian citizenship not subject to the provisions of Article 12 if the Republic of Bulgaria has an interest in his/her naturalization or if the person concerned has made a special contribution to the Republic of Bulgaria in the social and economic spheres, in the field of science, technology, culture or sports.
Children of up to 14 years of age shall acquire Bulgarian citizenship if their parents or the surviving parent acquire Bulgarian citizenship or whose only one parent does so in case the other parent is a Bulgarian citizen. Under the same conditions children of 14 to 18 years of age shall acquire Bulgarian citizenship if they wish so. If children of up to 14 years of age, whose only one parent is a Bulgarian citizen, do not hold Bulgarian citizenship they may become Bulgarian citizens not subject to the provisions of Article 12 if both parents or the surviving parent agree to give their consent, to that end, in writing. There shall be no requirement for the consent of any parent who has been deprived of parental rights. Children of 14 to 18 years of age may acquire Bulgarian citizenship under the same conditions if they wish so. Moreover, any persons adopted by Bulgarian citizens on terms of full adoption may also acquire Bulgarian citizenship.
The application of any person meeting the requirements for acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization shall be refused if there are serious grounds to believe that due to his/her conduct he/she may constitute a threat to public order, public morals, public health or national security.
Revocation of Naturalization
Naturalization through which Bulgarian citizenship was acquired may be revoked if the person concerned:
- has supplied information or facts serving as grounds for acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship which were established, through legal proceedings, to have been false,
- has concealed information or facts which, had they been known, would have served as grounds to refuse acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship.
* Important: revocation of naturalization may only be effected within ten years from the acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship.
Revocation of naturalization of one of the spouses shall not revoke the naturalization of the other spouse and the children unless they have also acquired Bulgarian citizenship on the grounds of the same false or concealed information and facts.
Release from Bulgarian Citizenship
Any Bulgarian citizen who permanently resides abroad may request to be released from Bulgarian citizenship if he/she has acquired foreign citizenship or if there is information indicating that a procedure for acquisition of foreign citizenship is underway.
Release of parents from Bulgarian citizenship shall also release their children under fourteen years of age only if an application has been filed to that end. Release of children of 14 to 18 years of age shall be subject to their consent as well.
When one of the parents has applied to be released from Bulgarian citizenship the children may also be released thereof only if the other parent has agreed to that. No agreement shall be required if the parent concerned has been deprived of parental rights.
Deprivation of Bulgarian Citizenship
Any person who has acquired Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization may be deprived of it if that person has an effective sentence for a grave crime committed against the Republic of Bulgaria provided he/she is abroad and does not become stateless.
Deprivation of citizenship of one of the spouses shall not affect the citizenship of the other spouse and the children.
Reinstatement of Bulgarian Citizenship
Any person released from Bulgarian citizenship may have his/her citizenship reinstated at his/her request if the person:
- has not been convicted by an effective sentence for a premeditated crime in the state of residence or in the Republic of Bulgaria,
- does not constitute a threat to the public order, public morals, public health or national security,
- was granted permission for permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria not less than three years before the date of filing the application for reinstatement,
Any person deprived of Bulgarian citizenship may have his/her citizenship reinstated if it is established that there have been no grounds for deprivation or the grounds have been invalidated.
In case of reinstatement of Bulgarian citizenship to parents, their children who have not turned 14 years shall also become Bulgarian citizens. Children of 14 to 18 years of age shall become Bulgarian citizens if they have requested that as well.
When reinstatement has only been requested by one of the parents children may acquire Bulgarian citizenship only subject to the consent of the other parent. There shall be no requirement for the consent of any parent who has been deprived of parental rights.
Supplementary Information
If there are differences between parents as well as differences between under-age persons and their parents or guardians, disputes shall be solved by the Regional Court whose decision shall be final.
In the meaning of this Act:
- "A person of Bulgarian origin" shall be a person whose at least one ascendant is a Bulgarian,
- "A person permanently residing abroad" shall be a person who lives outside of the Republic of Bulgaria for more than nine months each calendar year unless his/her residence abroad is related to a discharge of a state office by the said person or his/her spouse, or is only related to studies,
- Any person shall be deemed released from his/her citizenship provided that they have been released upon their request and under the terms and procedure of the law of their native country and that they lose their citizenship by virtue of the naturalization pursuant to the law of their native country.
Documentation Required
For acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship through Naturalization
The application has to be done in Bulgarian language to the Minister of Justice and has to contain:
- given name, father's name and family name according to the birth certificate. If there is a change in any of the names, a document has to be submitted to confirm the change (marriage certificate or a court decision),
- permanent address of the applicant in Bulgaria or abroad. An applicant from abroad can designate a person living in Bulgaria and his/her address to receive correspondence relating to the application on his/her behalf,
- the circumstances motivating the applicant to apply for a Bulgarian citizenship.
If the applicant is under 14 years of age or the applicant is not capable of taking decisions for himself/herself, the application is submitted by the parents or the legal guardian. The application is submitted by one of the parents, if the other one is deceased or has no parental rights.
If the applicant is between 14 and 18 years of age or is partially capable of taking decisions for himself/herself, the application is submitted by the applicant himself/herself. The application has to be signed also by the parents or the legal guardian. The application is signed by one of the parents, if the other one is deceased or has no parental rights.
When the parents disagree on the application between themselves or there is a disagreement between parents on one hand and the person between 14 and 18 years of age, the matter has to be decided by the competent Bulgarian District Court. The court decision has to be enclosed to the application.
Moreover, the application needs to have attached:
- detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs,
- one photograph,
- birth certificate or a notarized/legalized copy of it,
- a declaration,
- document by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria showing the proficiency of the applicant in Bulgarian language,
- court certificate from the Bulgarian courts of the criminal record of the applicant. Such document has to be submitted also from the competent authority of the country, the citizen of which is the applicant. If the applicant resides permanently in a third country, such document has to be submitted also from the competent authority of the latter country,
- identity document for a foreign person permanently resident in Bulgaria issued by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria. The document has to show that the applicant has been permitted permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria not later than 5 years before the date of submission of the application,
- certificate from the Bulgarian Prosecution Service that the applicant is not prosecuted for a crime of general character, if he lives permanently in Bulgaria,
- a document from the employer that the applicant has an employment or a document from the respective local Tax authority for a declared income from the previous year.
- medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the local hospital confirming that the person is free of decease according to the Bulgarian Public Health Act.
- receipt from a bank for payment of the application fee.
Applicants (who have been, for at least three years, and still are, legally married to a Bulgarian citizen; who has been born in the Republic of Bulgaria, or; who was granted permission for permanent residence before he/she became of age) must submit all of the above mentioned documents.
Documents in a foreign language have to be legalized and presented together with an officially certified translation.
The applications can be submitted to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria in person, via post or by a person, holding a power of attorney to do so. Applications can also be submitted through the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular representations.
Applications, which do not contain all of the enumerated documents, will not be considered.
For acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship by persons of Bulgarian origin
- application to the Minister of Justice (as mentioned above),
- detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs,
- one photograph,
- birth certificate or a notarized/legalized copy of it,
- a declaration,
- certificate of Bulgarian origin,
- document by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria showing the proficiency of the applicant in Bulgarian language or a notarized copy of a degree certificate in the higher education awarded in Bulgaria,
- court certificate from the Bulgarian courts of the criminal record of the applicant. Such document has to be submitted also from the competent authority of the country, the citizen of which is the applicant. If the applicant resides permanently in a third country, such document has to be submitted also from the competent authority of the latter country.
- certificate from the Bulgarian Prosecution Service that the applicant is not prosecuted for a crime of general character, if he lives permanently in Bulgaria,
- medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the local hospital confirming that the person is free of decease according to the Bulgarian Public Health Act,
- receipt from a bank for payment of the application fee.
For acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship by persons between 14 and 18 years of age of age, the parents of which are Bulgarian citizens or only the living one
- application to the Minister of Justice (as mentioned above),
- detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs,
- one photograph,
- birth certificate or a notarized/legalized copy of it,
- a declaration,
- certificate of Bulgarian origin,
- certificate for Bulgarian citizenship of the parent/s from the local authority or the Ministry of Justice,
- receipt from a bank for payment of the application fee.
For acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship by persons of up to 18 years of age, one of the parents of whom is a Bulgarian citizen
- application to the Minister of Justice (as mentioned above),
- detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs,
- one photograph,
- birth certificate or a notarized/legalized copy of it,
- a declaration,
- certificate of Bulgarian citizenship of the parent from the local authority or the Ministry of Justice,
- medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the local hospital confirming that the person is free of decease according to the Bulgarian Public Health Act,
- receipt from a bank for payment of the application fee.
For relinquishing of Bulgarian citizenship
- application to the Minister of Justice (as mentioned above),
- detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs,
- one photograph,
- birth certificate or a notarized/legalized copy of it,
- a declaration,
- document showing the right for permanent residence abroad,
- document showing the acquisition of a foreign citizenship or a started procedure for its acquiring,
- receipt from a bank for payment of the application fee.
For restitution of Bulgarian citizenship
- application to the Minister of Justice (as mentioned above),
- detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs,
- one photograph,
- birth certificate or a notarized/legalized copy of it,
- a declaration,
- certificate of Bulgarian citizenship of the parent from the local authority or the Ministry of Justice,
- certificate from the Bulgarian court of the criminal record of the applicant. Such document has to be submitted also from the competent authority of the country, the citizen of which is the applicant. If the applicant resides permanently in a third country, such document has to be submitted also from the competent authority of the latter country,
- certificate from the Bulgarian Prosecution Service that the applicant is not prosecuted for a crime of general character, if he lives permanently in Bulgaria,
- medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the local hospital confirming that the person is free of decease according to the Bulgarian Public Health Act,
- receipt from a bank for payment of the application fee.
For confirmation of a Person as a Bulgarian citizen
- filled in application form to the Minister of Justice
If the applicant is under 14 years of age or the applicant is not capable of taking decisions for himself/herself, the application is submitted by the parents or the legal guardian. The application is submitted by one of the parents, if the other one is deceased or has no
parental rights.
If the applicant is between 14 and 18 years of age or is partially capable of taking decisions for himself/herself, the application is submitted by the applicant himself/herself. The application has to be signed also by the parents or the legal guardian. The application is signed by one of the parents, if the other one is deceased or has no parental rights.
The applications can be submitted to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria in person, via post or by a person, holding a power of attorney to do so. Applications can also be submitted through the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular representations.
- birth certificate or a notarized/legalized copy of it,
- document showing the date and way of exiting the country,
- certificate of the entry of the Register of the civil status of citizens kept by the local authorities,
- receipt from a bank for payment of the application fee.
Additional Information
Bulgarian citizenship shall be acquired through naturalization, released from and reinstated at the request of the person concerned by way of an application filed in person, by post or through a person expressly authorized for this purpose through a Notary Public. Any application filed by post or through a plenipotentiary should bear a signature authenticated by a Notary Public.
For minors, the application shall be filed by their parents or guardians, for persons under age - the application shall be countersigned by parents or guardians. There shall be no requirement for the consent of a parent who has been deprived of parental rights.
A proposal for acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship must to be forwarded by the Minister responsible for the respective field where Bulgaria has an interest in the naturalization of the person concerned or where that person has made a special contribution. The person who is to acquire Bulgarian citizenship should have given his/her consent in writing to that end in advance.
A proposal for revocation of naturalization or deprivation of Bulgarian citizenship shall be made by the Prosecutor General.
In case the applicant resides abroad the application may be filed through the respective diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Bulgaria which shall be obliged to present its well-grounded opinion. Furthermore, the application and documents attached should be written in Bulgarian.
Under the Ministry of Justice there shall be a Citizenship Council consisting of a chairman (a Deputy Minister of Justice, and members), a representative of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Regional Development and Urban Planning, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Health each, and the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad and the Refugees Agency.
Any meetings of the Citizenship Council may be attended by a representative of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The Citizenship Council shall come up with an opinion on applications and proposals related to Bulgarian citizenship.
The Minister of Justice shall determine the composition of the Citizenship Council at the proposal of the leading officials of the relevant institutions and shall issue regulations for its operation.
The Minister of Justice, on the basis of the opinion of the Citizenship Council, shall make a proposal to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria to issue a decree or to refuse to issue a decree on acquisition, reinstatement, release from or deprivation of Bulgarian citizenship as well as revocation of naturalization. The proposal for issuance shall be within:
- 3 months: with regard to applications of persons of Bulgarian origin for acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization or reinstatement of Bulgarian citizenship,
- 3 months: with regard to proposals for acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship under Article 16 as well as revocation of naturalization or deprivation of Bulgarian citizenship,
- 6 months: with regard to applications for release from Bulgarian citizenship or reinstatement of Bulgarian citizenship,
- 12 months: with regard to applications for acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization.
Acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization, reinstatement of Bulgarian citizenship, release from and deprivation of citizenship shall be effected by way of a decree of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria. The decree shall enter into force on the day of its issuance.
The Ministry of Justice shall issue certificates to persons regarding changes of citizenship. Upon the receipt of the decree the Ministry of Justice shall notify:
- municipal councils or mayor's offices at the places of permanent residence of the person concerned - for registration of changes in the Vital records,
- The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for issuance and withdrawal of Bulgarian identity documents)
The Ministry of Justice Shall keep:
- a record-book of applications and proposals for acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship, revocation of naturalization, reinstatement, release from and deprivation of Bulgarian citizenship,
- a register of persons who have acquired Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization,
- a register of persons who have lost their Bulgarian citizenship.
- a register of persons who have had their Bulgarian citizenship reinstated.
At the request of the person concerned, the Ministry of Justice shall issue a certificate of citizenship indicating whether that person is or is not a Bulgarian citizen according to the registers kept at the Ministry. The certificate shall be valid for one year after its issuance.
Information concerning citizenship of persons may be requested by:
- the person whose citizenship information is stored and upon his/her death - his/her descendants,
- bodies of the judiciary, ministries and bodies of local self-government as well as the local administration within the limits of their competence and in cases determined by law.
The Minister of Justice shall ensure that documents related to citizenship be preserved and stored.
Institutions, municipal councils and mayor's offices shall provide, upon request, to the Ministry of Justice, any information or opinion with regard to proceedings related to Bulgarian citizenship.
With the entry of this Act into force, the Bulgarian citizenship of persons who have been deprived of it by virtue of the Bulgarian Nationality Act of 1940 and the Bulgarian Citizenship Act of 1948 shall be reinstated.
Bulgarian nationals who have been released from Bulgarian citizenship not subject to their request and who have emigrated to countries with which Bulgaria has no emigration agreements shall have their Bulgarian citizenship reinstated if, within three years from the entry of this Act into force, file a formal application to the Minister of Justice. When the persons concerned reside abroad, these applications may be filed through diplomatic or consular missions of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Applications filed before the entry of this Act into force shall be considered and decided upon under the to-date conditions and in accordance with the to-date procedure.
This Act shall supersede prior Bulgarian Citizenship Acts (of 1969, 1979, 1986 and 1989).
