Bulgarian citizenship: what you need to know

A Bulgarian passport should not be underestimated. This document gives you the right to stay legally not only in Bulgaria, but in any other country of the European Union. In addition, holders of a Bulgarian passport can visit Canada and a number of other countries without a visa. Visas for trips to Australia and India are issued under a simplified procedure, and visiting the USA is not a problem either — visas are granted for 10 years at once.

With a Bulgarian passport you can travel freely throughout Europe. And this is not only about tourist trips — citizens of the country can live and work in any EU state. There are restrictions, but they are minor and all the conditions are easy to meet. For example, to work in the United Kingdom you need to register and obtain a certificate. After working in the country for one year, Bulgarian citizens can apply for a British permanent residence permit.

Ways of obtaining it: truth and myths

The most widespread myth connected with obtaining Bulgarian citizenship says that a child born on the territory of Bulgaria automatically becomes a Bulgarian citizen. This is not the case. A newborn can claim Bulgarian citizenship only if one of the parents is a citizen of Bulgaria. If the child is born into an immigrant family, they become a citizen of the same country as their parents. In this case the child receives the status of a long-term residence permit (if the parents hold a permit for extended or long-term residence in Bulgaria) or a permanent residence permit (if at least one of the parents has a permit for permanent residence in the country).

The easiest way to obtain Bulgarian citizenship is by ancestry, but this option is available only to those who have ancestors who were citizens of Bulgaria or Bulgarians by nationality. This fact must be confirmed by documents. The authorities now carefully check not only those who want to obtain citizenship, but also those who have already received it in recent years — this is because, as a result of a large-scale fraud, many people obtained Bulgarian passports on the basis of forged documents.

Interestingly, the way of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship “by origin” is also available if one of the ancestors obtained citizenship through investment, through marriage or in any other way.

There is, however, a completely legal way to buy a Bulgarian passport. For now, anyone can obtain citizenship by investment, and it is cheaper than buying citizenship of Cyprus or Malta, where similar programmes operate. At present, however, the abolition of this option is being discussed because it is economically unjustified.

Another common way to obtain citizenship is through marriage. In this case you can apply for citizenship after living permanently in Bulgaria for three years with a permanent residence permit. Spouses of Bulgarian citizens do not have to renounce their own citizenship under art. 12, item 6 (2) of the Citizenship Act. The same possibility exists for those who obtained citizenship by origin if one of the parents is a Bulgarian citizen, and also for children adopted by Bulgarian citizens.

You will have to wait even longer for citizenship “by naturalisation” — to obtain it you need to live in the country for 5 years with a long-term residence permit, and then another five years with a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status. The exception is those who received a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status before the age of 18 or were born on the territory of Bulgaria: they can apply for citizenship 3 years after obtaining the permit for permanent residence. Important: when obtaining Bulgarian citizenship “by naturalisation” you must renounce your existing citizenship.

Still have questions? The specialists of Bulgarian Expert will advise you on obtaining Bulgarian citizenship.