In charge for the Acquiring of Bulgarian citizenship is the Bulgarian Citizenship and Adoption Directorate of the Ministry of Justice in Sofia. You also have the possibility to apply trough the Bulgarian Embassy in Bern, but this will probably increase your waiting time by at least a Year.

The main condition for Acquiring of Bulgarian citizenship is to have had a permanent residence in Bulgaria for at least 5 years before applying for citizenship. If a foreigner is married to a Bulgarian citizen for at least 3 years, after having a permanent residence in Bulgaria for the same period he can already apply for citizenship.        

If you are of Bulgarian origin the most important document you need is the Certificate of Bulgarian origin issued only by the National Agency for the Bulgarians Abroad, which is situated in Sofia. 

The documentation to be submitted for acquiring of Bulgarian citizenship includes also: an Application to the Minister of Justice, Detailed Curriculum Vitae, One photograph, a Birth certificate or a notarised / legalised copy of it in Bulgarian language, a Declaration (according model No.2 of the Ministry of Justice), Court certificate of the criminal record of the applicant, Medical document confirming that the person is free of decease according to Art. 36 and 36a of the Bulgarian Public Health Act, copy of the Passport etc.

You can find more detailed information on this issue on the official webpage of the Ministry of Justice - www.justice.government.bg

Ministry of Justice

Bulgarian Citizenship and Adoption Directorate

1 Slavianska Street

1040 Sofia

Tel: +359 2 91408

Facsimile: +359 2 9809223

LISTS OF DOCUMENTATION

I. List of the documentation to be submitted for acquiring of Bulgarian citizenship through Naturalisation

1. Application to the Minister of Justice

The application has to be done in Bulgarian language and has to contain:

a) 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;

b) 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;

c) 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.

2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs.

3. One photograph.

4. Birth certificate or a notarised / legalised copy of it.

5. Declaration (model No.2).

6. Document by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria showing the proficiency of the applicant in Bulgarian language.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Certificate from the Bulgarian Prosecution Service that the applicant is not prosecuted for a crime of general character, if he lives permanently in Bulgaria.

10. 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.

11. Medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the local hospital confirming that the person is free of decease according to Art. 36 and 36a of the Bulgarian Public Health Act.

12. Receipt from a bank for payment of the charge of 30.00 Bulgarian leva to the Bulgarian National Bank - Headquarters, The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria, account No. 3000173700, Bank Identification No. 6301301084, Bank sort code 66196611.

Applicants, who apply for Bulgarian citizenship on the ground of Article 13 of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act (applicants who have been, for at least three years, and still are, legally married to a Bulgarian citizen; who have been born in the Republic of Bulgaria, or; who were granted permission for permanent residence before he/she became of age) shall submit all of the above-mentioned documents. The identity document for a foreign person permanently resident in Bulgaria issued by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Bulgaria (point 8 above) has to show that the applicant has been permitted permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria not later than 3 years before the date of submission of the application. In addition to that applicants who apply for Bulgarian citizenship on the ground of Article 13 of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act (marriage to a Bulgarian citizen) shall submit also a certificate for civil marriage status from the local authority. The marriage has to be concluded not less than three years before submitting the application.

Documents in a foreign language have to be legalised and presented together with an officially certified translation.

Applications, which do not contain all of the enumerated documents, will not be considered.

II. List of the documentation to be submitted for acquiring of Bulgarian citizenship by persons of Bulgarian origin

1. Application to the Minister of Justice (requisites as in I.1. above)

2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs.

3. One photograph.

4. Birth certificate or a notarised / legalised copy of it.

5. Declaration (model No.2).

6. Certificate of Bulgarian origin. If the application is on the ground of Article 15, point 2 of the Bulgarian citizenship Act, a court judgment for the adoption, which has entered into force, has to be presented, together with a certificate the adoptive parent is a Bulgarian citizen.

7. Document by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria showing the proficiency of the applicant in Bulgarian language or a notarised copy of a degree certificate in the higher education awarded in Bulgaria.

8. 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.

9. Certificate from the Bulgarian Prosecution Service that the applicant is not prosecuted for a crime of general character, if he lives permanently in Bulgaria.

10. Medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the local hospital confirming that the person is free of decease according to Art. 36 and 36a of the Bulgarian Public Health Act.

11. Receipt from a bank for payment of the charge of 30.00 Bulgarian leva (persons of up to 16 years of age and persons of up to 26 years of age studying at a recognised institution). The charge is payable to the Bulgarian National Bank - Headquarters, The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria, account No. 3000173700, Bank Identification No. 6301301084, Bank sort code 66196611.

III. List of the documentation to be submitted for acquiring of Bulgarian citizenship by persons between 14 and 18 years of age, the parents of which are Bulgarian citizens or only the living one

1. Application to the Minister of Justice

The application has to be done in Bulgarian language and has to contain:

a) 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;

b) 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;

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.

2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae.

3. One photograph.

4. Birth certificate or a notarised / legalised copy of it.

5. Declaration (model No.2).

6. Certificate for Bulgarian citizenship of the parent/s from the local authority or the Ministry of Justice.

7. Receipt from a bank for payment of the charge of 30.00 Bulgarian leva to the Bulgarian National Bank - Headquarters, The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria, account No. 3000173700, Bank Identification No. 6301301084, Bank sort code 66196611.

IV. List of the documentation to be submitted for acquiring of Bulgarian citizenship by persons of up to 18 years of age, one of the parents of whom is a Bulgarian citizen

1. Application to the Minister of Justice (requisites as in I.1. above)

2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs.

3. One photograph.

4. Birth certificate or a notarised / legalised copy of it.

5. Declaration (model No.2).

6. Certificate for Bulgarian citizenship of the parent from the local authority or the Ministry of Justice.

7. Medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the local hospital confirming that the person is free of decease according to Art. 36 and 36a of the Bulgarian Public Health Act.

8. Receipt from a bank for payment of the charge of 10.00 Bulgarian leva to the Bulgarian National Bank - Headquarters, The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria, account No. 3000173700, Bank Identification No. 6301301084, Bank sort code 66196611.

V. List of the documentation to be submitted for restitution of Bulgarian citizenship

1. Application to the Minister of Justice (requisites as in I.1. above)

2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs.

3. One photograph.

4. Birth certificate or a notarised / legalised copy of it.

5. Declaration (model No.2).

6. 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.

7. Certificate from the Bulgarian Prosecution Service that the applicant is not prosecuted for a crime of general character, if he lives permanently in Bulgaria.

8. Medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the local hospital confirming that the person is free of decease according to Art. 36 and 36a of the Bulgarian Public Health Act. The competent foreign medical authorities can also issue the medical certificate.

9. A person of non-Bulgarian origin, who has willfully abandoned his/her Bulgarian citizenship or has lost it by virtue of an international treaty, submit a confirmation from the Ministry of Interior that he/she has a permission for permanent residence in Bulgaria for a period of at least 3 years before the application.

10. Receipt from a bank for payment of the charge of 30.00 Bulgarian leva to the Bulgarian National Bank - Headquarters, The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria, BIC: BNBG BGSD, IBAN: BG09 BNBG 9661 3000 1737 01, Bank sort code 66196611.

VI. List of the documentation to be submitted for relinquishing of Bulgarian citizenship

1. Application to the Minister of Justice (requisites as in I.1. above).

2. Detailed Curriculum Vitae. For persons, who are up to 14 years of age, both parents submit CVs.

3. One photograph.

4. Birth certificate or a notarised / legalised copy of it.

5. Declaration (model No.1).

6. Document showing the right for permanent residence abroad.

7. Document showing the acquisition of a foreign citizenship or a started procedure for its acquiring.

8. Receipt from a bank for payment of the charge of 30.00 Bulgarian leva to the Bulgarian National Bank - Headquarters, The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria, account No. 3000173700, Bank Identification No. 6301301084, Bank sort code 66196611.