Security level:

Bulgarian citizens should inform themselves in detail about the current situation in the country before travelling. If a situation arises in which their life, health and safety could be endangered, they should strictly observe the instructions and directions of the local authorities.

Particular caution is advised in central urban areas, in the areas of airports, railway and bus stations, large shops, public transport and other places where pickpocketing of money and personal documents is mainly carried out.

Residents should not leave money and documents in a backpack carried on the back, in a back pocket of trousers, in a handbag, in a restaurant or hotel, on a car or bus seat, on a park bench, etc. Identity documents should be carried in an inside jacket/jacket pocket or in a special belt with a document pouch at the waist. Money, bank cards and other valuables should be carried in reasonable quantities and not all in one place, preferably left for safekeeping in the hotel safe or other appropriate places.

The crisis linked to the request for Catalonia to secede from the Kingdom of Spain has not yet passed and continues to have its repercussions in this autonomous region and in other parts of the country. Bulgarians visiting Catalonia should be careful to strictly observe the instructions of the authorities, avoid crowds and demonstrations, and take into account the possibility of strike action by branch organisations and trade unions, as well as demonstrations by various political parties and sectors of Catalan society.

Important!

Particular care is advised on Spanish motorways. Take care of your luggage and do not leave your car unlocked or leave documents and valuables on the rear window. There have been cases of theft and fraud on Spanish motorways.

General emergency number: 112

Ambulance: 061

Fire: 080 085,

National Police: 091

Local police: 092

Civil Guard: 062

Institute of Toxicology: 91 562 04 20

Healthcare:

There is no need for mandatory vaccinations for Bulgarian citizens who wish to travel to Spain or Andorra. However, it is recommended to have a current tetanus vaccine if planning hikes and trips in nature, rural tourism, etc.

Specifics of the local legislation:

EU member state. To a large extent, the legislation is unified with the European legislation and does not differ in certain particularities.

Customs requirements:

Customs requirements for Kingdom of Spain can be downloaded from HERE.

Road traffic:

Bulgarian citizens who are in the Kingdom of Spain for the purpose of tourism and wish to rent a car should have a valid driving licence, at least two years of driving experience and be at least 23 years old. If they are driving their own car, in addition to their driving licence and the car's documents (large and small ticket, civil liability, etc.), it is advisable to find out in advance exactly what is covered by their car insurance abroad. If necessary, it is advisable to take out a new car insurance policy that covers the costs of an accident, breakdown, theft or robbery of the vehicle abroad.

We recommend that you take your green insurance card with you.

If the vehicle is registered in the name of a person other than the driver, the driver should have a power of attorney showing that the person in whose name the vehicle is registered has authorised him or her to do so. That authorisation must be notarised and translated into Spanish or Catalan, which is the official language of the Principality of Andorra.

Spanish motorway tolls are among the highest in Europe. They are payable locally, with prices per kilometre varying according to the motorway. Depending on which motorway you are on you can pay between 7 and 40 euros i.e. an average of 7-8 euros per 100 km. Most toll motorways are located in the North, North-East and East of Spain. Some first class roads in the region of Madrid are also tolled at a lower rate .

Fines in Spain range between €100 and €600 for traffic offences and are accompanied by the withdrawal of points for the driver. For drivers who have been driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fines can reach up to €1,000. In terms of road safety, the competent authorities in Spain act uncompromisingly.

Spain has a network of domestic flights, bus connections, rail transport with a well-developed network of high-speed connections.

In Spain, it is permitted to drive with 0.5 blood alcohol and 0.25 blood alcohol reading on a breathalyser. Novice drivers and professional drivers cannot exceed 0.3 blood alcohol and 0.15 breath alcohol. In winter and spring, flooding in northern and central Spain and snowfall can cause traffic chaos. Hire cars are restricted to summer tyres. In the event of heavy snowfall, snow chains are compulsory.

Practical advice:

Travellers should have valid identity documents, tickets and insurance, as well as a European Health Insurance Card.

On public transport, always carry your hand luggage, money and valuables in front of you or in the front pockets of your clothing;
When withdrawing money from an ATM, be careful not to be observed by others;
Keep and watch where your luggage is, even when checking in and checking out at the hotel of your choice;
Do not post your holiday plans in Spain on social networks;
If you are the victim of a crime or are in a dangerous situation you should contact the Spanish police on , and you can make a complaint in person at any police station;
Complaints from foreign tourists are also accepted remotely at the following Internet address: https://denuncias.policia.es/OVD/?lang=en_GB. These complaints are filed and processed online in four languages: Spanish, English, French and German, but within 72 hours of filing them online, their validity must also be reconfirmed at the nearest Spanish police station, where for the time being this can only be done in Spanish;
You can also lodge a complaint with SATE (Servicio de atención al turista extranjero - Service of Assistance to Foreign Tourists), a specialised unit of the Spanish police, where complaints are received by a team of Spanish police officers and interpreters;
Please also note that in the Kingdom of Spain it is prohibited to:

- Minors under the age of 18 to consume alcohol;

Some hoteliers claim the right to refuse underage guests, as they can be held liable in case of problems with minors (excessive alcohol consumption, etc. ). It is therefore advisable to contact the chosen hotel BEFORE the trip begins and make sure that minors travelling alone are actually allowed to stay there.

- The public consumption or possession of drugs, their use in public transport vehicles, and the throwing of objects related to drug use (syringes, etc.);

- Smoking in indoor spaces that are for public use, such as e.g. health facilities, shopping centres and malls, bars, restaurants and cafes, supermarkets and grocery stores, bus stations, airports, railway stations, port buildings, public transport, hotels and hostels, theatres, cinemas, sports facilities, etc. (Smoking is allowed outdoors, but not in hospitals and other medical facilities, and in playgrounds);

- Fighting and/or disturbance of public order, as well as creating obstacles to free movement on streets and sidewalks;

- Damage to street furniture such as e.g. streetlights, trash cans, dumpsters, etc;

- Driving without shoes or wearing shoes that make it difficult to drive, such as flip-flops or high-heeled shoes;

- Pitching tents, driving or parking vehicles on the beach.

It is compulsory to produce identity documents when requested to do so by the competent Spanish authorities and to follow their instructions in the specific cases given.
In some Spanish cities and towns you may be penalised and/or fined if:

- You consume alcohol in a public place;

- You make noise that disturbs your neighbours, their sleep and rest at night, or their commercial activity and normal work;

- Throw or leave litter in the street and outside the places provided for litter.

Local currency:

The local currency in the Kingdom of Spain is the Euro (EUR).

Climate:

State Meteorological Agency https://www.aemet.es/es/portada

Mild and rainy winter and hot and dry summer along the Mediterranean coast and in Ceuta and Melilla. The climate on the Atlantic coast is mild and rainy. The interior is characterised by a continental climate with large temperature differences between summer and winter and low humidity. In the Canary Islands it is warm all year round, with little temperature variation in spring.

In summer, the probability of forest fires is significantly high. Fires can affect tourist areas. As a result, traffic difficulties and, in some cases, evacuations should be expected. Visitors to threatened forest areas should avoid hiking and always follow the instructions of local authorities. Smoking or open fires are strictly forbidden in threatened forest areas. The fire brigade and local authorities must be informed immediately if a fire occurs.

Visa-free regime in force. A valid identity card or passport is sufficient for travel to the Kingdom of Spain and Andorra. There is no residual validity requirement for Bulgarian citizens' travel documents.

Bulgarian identity documents:

- Bulgarian citizens residing in the Kingdom of Spain, with the assistance of the Embassy in Madrid, may be issued the following types of Bulgarian identity documents: passport, identity card and Emergency Travel Document (passavan); 
- The Embassy in Madrid does not accept applications for replacement of a driving licence; 
- For the issue of passports to children born in Spain, their birth must have been previously registered in Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian birth certificate with the child's registration number must be presented at the time of application;
- The regular service for passport and identity card at the Embassy is up to 45 days, but as the identity documents of Bulgarian citizens are physically prepared in Bulgaria, it should be borne in mind that it can sometimes take more than 45 days for the new identity documents to arrive in Madrid. There is also a faster service — within 30 days at an additional cost of courier service (DHL) for delivery of the finished identity documents to the Embassy;
- Payment for the courier service to DHL is made ONLY AFTER THE APPLICATION FOR A NEW IDENTITY DOCUMENT IS APPROVED and payment for the service for the issuance of the requested identity document is made. The interested Bulgarian citizen then makes a bank transfer (DHL's bank details will be provided to the Consular Office) and presents a bank document for this. The cost of this service is EUR 46,37;
- The normal service at the Embassy for the issuance of an Emergency Travel Document (passport) is carried out within 3 working days. The express passport service can also be done on the same day;
- Documents for passport services are submitted in person, during the reception hours of the Consular Office with the Embassy and after booking an appointment in advance. More information on booking an appointment for ID documents can be found on our website at: https://mfa.bg/embassies/spain/3338
After booking a day and time, citizens should come to the Consular Office with the Embassy in Madrid on the appointed day and time with the printed application and the accompanying documents. You can read exactly what documents are required to apply for a passport, identity card and Emergency Travel Document at the following websites:
https://www.consulatebg.eu/home/passport
https://www.consulatebg.eu/home/id-card
https://www.consulatebg.eu/home/temporary-passport

Obtaining issued identity documents:

- Each applicant checks for himself whether his documents have arrived at the Embassy in the information system https://consulatebg.eu/status after entering the UCN. Completed documents are available at the Consular Office in PERSON or from a pre-authorised person upon application, between 15:00 and 17:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is MANDATORY to return old identification documents.
- The documents of persons under 18 years of age can only be obtained by one parent (Bulgarian citizen).
- For applicants who live a long distance from Madrid (e.g. Canary Islands, Andalusia, Galicia, Navarre, etc.), there is the possibility of sending the new documents by courier (MRW or other) at their own expense and responsibility.
For this purpose it is necessary to fill in an application form, which must be submitted when submitting the documents. A template of the application (Application to send identity documents by courier) and an explanation of how to proceed can be found in the section ‘CONSULAR NOTICES’, heading: ‘FORMS’: https://mfa.bg/embassies/spain/3344

Bulgarian citizenship:

The Embassy accepts documents for the acquisition, release and restoration of Bulgarian citizenship. Submissions must be made only after pre-registration by emailing the following day and time to: [email protected]
Citizens apply for acquisition, exemption and restoration of Bulgarian citizenship only when they meet all the legal requirements and have all the necessary documents to do so, as they are listed on the Ministry of Justice website https://mjs.bg/home/index/21b782d0-ff10-4b33-81cb-1fef6118448d 
Documents issued by Spanish authorities must be translated into Bulgarian by a sworn translator of the Embassy. A list of the translators the Embassy in Madrid works with can be found at: https://mfa.bg/embassies/spain/1033
Photocopies of the documents are to be submitted to the Consular Office upon submission. No follow-up interview with a consular officer can take place without all necessary documents being provided.
IMPORTANT! The Embassy has no right to issue a document on whether or not a person is a Bulgarian citizen. Such is issued only by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.

For Valencia:

Through the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Valencia, documents can be submitted to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria for:

- acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship
- establishment of Bulgarian citizenship
- restoration of Bulgarian citizenship
- exemption from Bulgarian citizenship

More information on the different procedures and the required documents can be found on the website of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria https://www.justice.government.bg/home/index/ed457278-7d44-43ec-8dc4-2193fe5710a2
The submission of documents for the acquisition, exemption and restoration of Bulgarian citizenship at the consulate can only be done by appointment by phone or email: [email protected]

Documents issued by Spanish authorities must be stamped with an Apostille and translated into Bulgarian by a sworn translator at the Consulate.
Photocopies of the documents are to be submitted to the Consular Office upon submission.
IMPORTANT! The Consulate has no right to issue a document whether a person is or is not a Bulgarian citizen. Such is issued only by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Certifications and legalizations:

In order for a public document issued by a foreign state to be recognized in Bulgaria and, conversely, for a Bulgarian public document to be recognized in another state — the documents must be translated and provided with an Apostille in accordance with the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, concluded in The Hague on 5 October 1961, to which the Republic of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Spain are parties. The translation must be carried out by a sworn translator and his signature must be certified.

In the Republic of Bulgaria, the Apostille is affixed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, and in the Kingdom of Spain by the Supreme Court of each Autonomous Community.

Civil status:

The initial certificate of civil status shall be issued by the competent local authorities (Civil Status Registry in the respective municipality), and the time limits for registration should be respected. Particular attention should be paid to the time limit when registering the birth of a child, which is one month. After obtaining the relevant local civil status document, it shall be presented to the Consular Office, translated and certified in accordance with the established procedure — bearing an Apostille, in the event that the persons concerned are unable to register with the local authorities a birth, a contracted civil marriage or a death in any other way.

Where the person concerned is able and willing to carry out the registration in person or through the medium of an authorised representative, he/she shall present the relevant local certification document, translated and certified in accordance with the established procedure — by an Apostille in the relevant municipality in Bulgaria:
- for the birth of a child at the permanent address of the mother, if she is a foreigner — at the permanent address of the father;
- for a civil marriage before the local authorities at the permanent address of the husband, if he is a foreigner — at the permanent address of the wife;
- for death at the permanent address of the deceased.

Notarization:

Notarizations of documents are made by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling the Embassy's telephone numbers in Madrid, which are published on our website: https://mfa.bg/embassies/spain
Certification of date, content and signature of a private document:
Pursuant to Article 84 of the Notaries and Notarial Act, Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions abroad may certify the date, content and signatures of private documents that are not subject to registration. The Consular Office cannot notarize deeds or certify other private documents subject to registration (e.g. statements of claim or vehicle transfer agreements).
In accordance with the requirements of the Notaries and Notarial Activities Act, the Consular Office certifies the date, content and signatures of private documents only when they are presented by Bulgarian citizens presenting a valid Bulgarian identity document (passport or identity card) outside the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The signatures of foreign citizens shall be authenticated only if the document is intended to be effective in Bulgaria.
The presentation of a Bulgarian driving licence is not allowed. It is also inadmissible for a Bulgarian citizen to present an identity document of a foreign country. In such cases, certification will be refused.
Powers of attorney for the purchase and sale of immovable property require, in addition to the certification of the signature, the certification of the contents. They are also submitted in advance (in most cases by a lawyer or notary), together with the declarations required to accompany them. The power of attorney must be submitted in duplicate.
IMPORTANT! When visiting the Consular Office, citizens must present a correctly completed document (power of attorney or declaration) in advance and sign it in front of the consular officers. CONSULAR OFFICERS DO NOT DRAW UP OR FILL IN DOCUMENTS!
Certification of a declaration-consent by a parent for the travel of a child outside the borders of Bulgaria unaccompanied or accompanied by one of the parents — We remind you that the departure of children from the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria cannot be authorized without the notarized consent of both parents. When a child travels with one parent, a document with the consent of the other parent is required.  The declaration-consent shall be certified before a notary public in the Republic of Bulgaria or before a Consular official abroad. The signature of the parents is affixed in person, on the spot at the Consular Office. Parents must present the original birth certificate of the child. When children leave the borders of the Republic of Bulgaria accompanied by a third person (teacher, relative, etc.) they must present a notarized power of attorney from both parents.
Certification of the signature of a translator:
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Madrid does not have staff translators from Spanish into Bulgarian and vice versa. The signatures of suitably qualified translators who have been authorised by the Embassy to be its sworn translators may be authenticated. Their names, addresses and telephone numbers are available at the Embassy's Consular Office and on the Embassy's website: https://mfa.bg/embassies/spain/1033

For the Bulgarian consul, the same rules apply as for certification by a Bulgarian notary

In the Consular Office, the date, content and signatures of private documents that are not subject to registration and are presented by Bulgarian or foreign citizens can be certified, if the document is drawn up in the Bulgarian language, as well as the authenticity of transcripts and extracts from documents can be certified , presented by Bulgarian citizens.

The certification of the date, content and signature of a private document presented by a foreign citizen shall be carried out only if the document is intended to produce its effect on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. If the foreign citizen does not speak Bulgarian, an interpreter shall be appointed who shall sign a declaration of the authenticity of the translation and his signature shall be certified at the expense of the client.

When certifying the date, content and signature of a private document, the persons whose signatures are to be certified must appear in person before the consular officer and sign the document or confirm the signatures already affixed. When signing, it is desirable for security reasons that the person also writes their full names.

Persons whose signatures are to be authenticated must verify their identity by presenting valid original identification documents (passport or identity card). The presentation of a Bulgarian driving licence is not allowed. It is also inadmissible for Bulgarian citizens to present identity documents of a foreign country. In such cases the certification shall be refused.

Foreign nationals shall be identified by a valid foreign identity document. It is not allowed to present a card for long-term or permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria, because the purpose of their issuance is to certify the right of residence of the person on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.

In the absence of a valid identity document, the person shall certify his identity with two witnesses — Bulgarian citizens with established identity. (Incapacitated persons, persons illiterate in Bulgarian, relatives of the person, persons for whose benefit any disposition is contained in the power of attorney, etc.)

Documents subject to registration with the Registry Agency, etc., may not be certified at the Consular Office, such as contracts for the transfer of ownership, including of immovable and movable property, contracts for the sale of shares or stocks, declarations of partition, declarations of renunciation of property rights, declarations of renunciation of right of use, declarations of renunciation of inheritance, applications for actions, mortgages, pledges under the Law on Pledges, foreclosures and contracts for the transfer of ownership of immovable property or vehicles, applications for the cancellation of mortgages, lease contracts, etc.

In the case of a power of attorney for the transfer of immovable property or the establishment of rights in rem over immovable property , the power of attorney must be submitted to the Consular Office in two identical copies. In this case, both the signature and the content of the document shall be certified. It is also necessary to certify two copies of declaration under Article 264, paragraph 1 of The Tax and Social Insurance Procedural Code (DOPK) and a declaration pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 8 of the Notaries and Notarial Activities Act (ZNND), and possibly a declaration of consent by the spouse in connection with Article 26 of the Family Code  (civil marriage certificate to be produced).  The personal presence of the person is mandatory, i.e. he/she cannot be represented by another person on the basis of a power of attorney!

In case of sale of company shares, the power of attorney should be submitted to the Consular Office in two identical original copies. In this case, the signature and the content of the document are certified at the same time. The personal presence of the person is mandatory, i.e. he/she cannot be represented by another person on the basis of a power of attorney!

In the case of a record of a decision to establish a company, the record should be submitted to the Consular Office in two identical original copies. In this case, the signature and the content of the document are certified at the same time.

In the case of a memorandum of association of a company , the memorandum of association must be submitted to the Consular Office in two identical original copies. In this case, the signature and the content of the document are certified at the same time.  The personal presence of the person is mandatory, i.e. he/she cannot be represented by another person on the basis of a power of attorney!

In case of purchase/sale/driving of a vehicle , the power of attorney should be submitted to the Consular Office in one original copy. In this case the signature shall be certified. It is also necessary to certify one declaration under Article 264, paragraph 2 of the DOPK (as well as a declaration under Article 25, paragraph 8 of the Notaries and Notarial Activities Act and, if applicable, a declaration from the spouse expressly consenting to the transfer of the motor vehicle (a civil marriage certificate shall be presented). The personal presence of the person is mandatory, i.e. he/she cannot be represented by another person on the basis of a power of attorney! In the presence of both spouses, the signatures and declarations of each shall be authenticated.

When certifying a declaration for travel of a child outside the borders of the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as the authorization for the issuance of an identity card / passport to under-aged persons and minors, the declaration / authorization should be submitted to the Consular Office in one original copy. In this case the signature shall be certified. The child's birth certificate must also be submitted. The personal presence of the person is mandatory, i.e. he/she cannot be represented by another person on the basis of a power of attorney!

In the case of a bank account , the power of attorney must be submitted to the Consular Office in one original copy. In this case the signature shall be certified. The personal presence of the person is mandatory, i.e. he/she cannot be represented by another person on the basis of a power of attorney! Please note that each bank in Bulgaria has its own internal rules, requirements and forms. Therefore, it is best to ask the office of the bank that services your bank account to provide you with a power of attorney wording that satisfies them before you endorse a power of attorney for a bank.

In the case of a declaration/application, the declaration/application should be submitted to the Consular Office in one original copy. In this case the signature shall be certified. The personal presence of the person is mandatory, i.e. he/she cannot be represented by another person on the basis of a power of attorney!

When certifying the authenticity of a transcript/excerpt of a document, it is necessary to produce the original and a copy of the document. The documents to be certified should be drawn up by Bulgarian institutions. Documents issued by foreign authorities shall not be certified as true copies. The personal presence of the person is mandatory, i.e. he/she cannot be represented by another person on the basis of a power of attorney!

Fees for notarial certificates according to Tariff No 3 for the fees to be charged for consular services in the system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the State Fees Act

Legalizations:

Legalization is a procedure after which a document issued by the authorities of one country can be used before the authorities of another country. Legalization shall only be carried out on original documents. An exception is diplomas, where the copy of the document is legalized and previously certified by a notary and the Ministry of Education.

Legalizations of documents for use in the Republic of Bulgaria:

In order to be valid in the Republic of Bulgaria and to be able to serve before the Bulgarian institutions, the documents issued by the competent institutions of the Kingdom of Spain to Bulgarian citizens must be additionally certified with an Apostille affixed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The documents so executed do not require any other form of legalization and may be used in all countries participating in the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, drawn up in The Hague on 5 October 1961 (the Republic of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Spain have acceded to the Convention).

Apostilled documents must be accompanied by a certified translation into Bulgarian in one of the two ways listed below:

1. From the Bulgarian diplomatic missions in Barcelona, Madrid or Valencia — only translations prepared by the designated translators from Spanish to the consular offices of our missions are certified on the basis of the Regulation on Legalisation, Certification and Translation of Documents and Other Papers.
2. From a translation agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria — translations made in Bulgaria shall be certified by notaries in accordance with the Regulation on Legalisation, Certification and Translation of Documents and Other Papers. The list of natural persons working individually as translators /or for translation companies/ who translate documents and other documents, maintained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can be found at the following internet address: http://apostille.mfa.bg/MFAL/apostille_certificates.nsf/cert1.xsp

A new European regulation simplifying the requirements for official civil status documents between EU Member States is in force from 16 February 2019.

Under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which promotes the free movement of citizens, an Apostille or legalization is no longer required for many of the documents most commonly used by EU citizens, such as birth certificates, death certificates, certificates of sibling, marital status and divorce, adoption certificates, as well as certificates relating to residence or proving the absence of a criminal record. For some of these documents (mainly civil status), you can also request a multilingual standard certificate to avoid the need for translation. More information on the Regulation and the multilingual standard certificates can be found on the European e-Justice Portal: https://beta.e-justice.europa.eu/?action=home&plang=bg. Issuance of multilingual civil status certificates is a common practice in the Kingdom of Spain.

Legalizations of documents for use in Spain

The certification of documents in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the Hague Convention, signed by Bulgaria and Spain), in accordance with the competence of the relevant department, shall be carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education and Science, as the bodies authorised by the Republic of Bulgaria to issue the certificate.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall legalize documents and other papers issued by the central bodies of the executive power, as well as by institutions subordinate to a separate ministry or directly to the Council of Ministers, only if they are certified by the latter. Documents issued by municipal administration bodies requiring legalization shall be certified by the mayor of the municipality or an official authorized by him.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall legalize documents and other papers issued by establishments which are not directly subordinate either to a particular ministry or to the Council of Ministers, as well as by socio-political, mass, economic, cultural and educational and other organizations, only after they have been certified by the central authorities of these establishments and organizations, when this is required or accepted by the country in which they are to be used.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalizes copies of official documents and other papers if they are duly certified by a notary and the Ministry of Justice.

Legalization of documents and other papers signed by private persons shall be carried out only if the signatures of such persons are notarized and the signature of the notary is certified by the Ministry of Justice.

The translation of the document can be certified by the Legalization and Certification Sector of the Administrative Services for Citizens Department of the Consular Relations Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Legalizations of documents for use in Bulgaria

In order to be valid in the Republic of Bulgaria and to be able to serve before the Bulgarian institutions, the documents issued by the competent institutions of Spain to Bulgarian citizens must be additionally stamped with an Apostille by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The documents so executed do not require any other form of legalization and may be used in all countries participating in the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, drawn up in The Hague on 5 October 1961 (the Republic of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Spain have acceded to the Convention).

Apostilled documents must be accompanied by a certified translation into Bulgarian in one of the two ways listed below:

1. by the Bulgarian diplomatic missions in Barcelona, Madrid or Valencia — only translations prepared by the designated translators from the Spanish language at the consular offices of our missions on the basis of the Regulation on Legalisation, Certification and Translation of Documents and Other Papers shall be certified.
2. by a translation agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria — translations made in Bulgaria shall be certified by notaries in accordance with the Regulation on Legalisation, Certification and Translation of Documents and Other Papers. The list of natural persons working individually as translators /or for translation companies/ who translate documents and other documents, maintained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can be found at the following internet address: http://apostille.mfa.bg/MFAL/apostille_certificates.nsf/cert1.xsp

A new European regulation that simplifies the requirements for official civil status documents between EU Member States.

Apostilles or legalization will no longer be required for many of the documents most commonly used by EU citizens, such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, marital status and divorce, adoption certificates, and certificates relating to residence or proving lack of criminal record.