Bulgarian citizenship by investment

• Be of legal age;
• Hold a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status;
• Have no conviction for an intentional crime;
• Have a regular income.

List of documents required to obtain Bulgarian citizenship on the basis of authorised residence in the country in connection with investments made, under Art. 12a of the Citizenship Act:

1. An application in Bulgarian, drawn up according to the prescribed form;

2. A copy of the birth certificate;

3. A permanent or long-term residence permit issued no less than 5 years before the citizenship application is filed (issued by the Ministry of the Interior), stating the ground for the permit. Family members of persons who received a residence permit on the basis of Art. 25.1, items 6, 7 or 8 of the Foreigners Act submit family member certificates;

4. Depending on the type of investment made, you must provide:

• a certificate of the investments made under Art. 25, para. 1, items 6 and 7 of the Foreigners Act, issued by the Bulgarian Investment Agency;
• a certificate of the investments made under Art. 25, para. 1, item 8 of the Foreigners Act;
• a certificate of activity and investments under Art. 25, para. 1, item 13 in connection with the circumstances under Art. 25c, para. 2, item 2 or 3, and Art. 25, para. 1, item 16 of the Foreigners Act, issued by the Ministry of Economy;

5. A criminal record certificate from the country of citizenship. In the case of long-term residence in Bulgaria or another country, similar certificates from the local authorities are required. The certificate must state that it was issued for the purpose of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship;

6. A document from the prosecutor’s office confirming that no proceedings are pending against the applicant;

7. A certificate from the employer or a document from the tax authorities on declared income, as well as a document certifying payment of mandatory contributions;

8. A medical certificate issued by the medical board at the place of residence confirming that the applicant does not suffer from the illnesses listed in the Health Act;

9. A declaration;

10. A CV;

11. A copy of the identity document;

12. If the applicant has changed their first name or surname – a document certifying this fact and proving that the persons with different names are one and the same;

13. A photograph;

14. A receipt for the paid fee of 100 лв.

If you do not want to wait 5 years

Under Art. 14a of the Citizenship Act, Bulgarian citizenship can also be acquired one year after obtaining a permanent residence permit in the country.

This is available to persons who obtained permanent residence permit status at least one year ago and invested at least 1 million leva in the capital of a Bulgarian company carrying out a certified priority investment project.

Bulgarian citizenship can also be obtained at least one year after obtaining permanent residence permit status in Bulgaria, provided that investments are made in Bulgaria (in an amount not below the minimum threshold) and a class “A” certificate is obtained, which must be confirmed by the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism.

In this case you must provide a residence permit (issued no later than one year before applying for Bulgarian citizenship) and, in addition, depending on the type of investment made:

• A certificate of the contributions made under Art. 25, para. 1, item 6 or 7 of the Foreigners Act, issued by the Bulgarian Investment Agency;
• A certificate of the contributions and investments made under Art. 25, para. 1, item 13 in connection with the circumstances under Art. 25c, para. 2, item 1 of the Foreigners Act.

In addition, you must provide documents certifying the absence of the circumstances specified in Art. 14a, para. 2 of the Citizenship Act. There are no other differences from the list of documents given above.

This way of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship requires a very careful study of Bulgarian legislation and correct preparation of the documents. It is best to prepare the package of documents together with a Bulgarian lawyer who knows the subject well and will help you avoid wasting time and making mistakes in the paperwork.

Bulgarian citizenship

Bulgarian citizenship by naturalisation

Bulgarian citizenship by descent

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