How The Third Generation Can Get Bulgarian Citizenship By Origin

Following a recent amendment to Bulgarian citizenship law for Bulgarian citizenship by origin, if you can prove that you have a Bulgarian parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent, you are eligible to obtain Bulgarian citizenship - and, by extension, the right to live in any of the 27 European Union member states.

The change has far-reaching ramifications for the hundreds of thousands of Bulgarian descendants who now have a realistic path to European Union citizenship in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Russia, and other nations.

The provisions of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act govern Bulgarian citizenship by origin. In March 2021, the Bulgarian Parliament revised the statute regulating Bulgarian citizenship by origin.

Foreign nationals can obtain Bulgarian citizenship by origin

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP BY ORIGIN?

According to the Bulgarian Citizenship Act, foreign nationals can obtain Bulgarian citizenship based on their Bulgarian ancestors. The Act provides three categories of people who can apply for Bulgarian citizenship:

• A person of Bulgarian ancestry.
• A person adopted by a Bulgarian citizen under full adoption conditions.
• A person whose father is a Bulgarian or died as a Bulgarian national.

The Citizenship Act, which was revised, intends to provide a more efficient and transparent method for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship by origin. There is no longer any requirement to apply to the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad for a certificate of Bulgarian origin.

Related content: The Basics Of How To Get A Second Passport Or A Second Residency

You can submit the application for Bulgarian citizenship by origin to the Ministry of Justice in Sofia

APPLICATION FOR BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP BY ORIGIN

You must fill out the application after the booking date and time on the Ministry of Justice's website. You can submit the application to the Ministry of Justice in Sofia, the closest Bulgarian embassy or general consulate. Following the application submission, if all necessary documents, as listed in the checklist, have been provided, the applicant will be interviewed. The interview is done in Bulgarian by officials appointed by the Minister of Justice and based on a pre-approved questionnaire.

An expert verification for document conformity with legal requirements is conducted within 14 days of the application's submission and the interview's conduct. If non-compliance is discovered, the applicant will be notified via message publication in the Directorate's automated information system and given two months to correct the anomalies.

If you have filed your citizenship application and there has been no status update for a long time, we will consult the Ministry of Justice. Before contacting us, please check the progress of your application online using your reference number and PIN.

Related content: How To Obtain Residency In Bulgaria

One of the most important documents you need to submit is the Proof of your descent from Bulgarians

WHAT DOCUMENTS WILL I NEED TO PROVIDE TO APPLY FOR BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP BY ORIGIN?

• Application form;
• The State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad issues a certificate of Bulgarian origin.
• Certificate of Birth;
• Proof of the applicant's descent from Bulgarians;
• Certificate of police clearance;
  

APPLICATION TIMEFRAME

According to the modified Citizenship Act of 2021, applications for Bulgarian citizenship by origin must be examined within nine months after submission. Before the amendment, the duration for considering a citizenship application was 12 months. This cuts the time it takes to become a citizen by three months.

The changes will almost probably save processing time and increase transparency. The bureaucracy has been significantly minimized, and clear criteria have been established.

It is unnecessary to visit the closest Bulgarian embassy or general consulate twice: once to apply and again twelve months later to be interviewed. The application and interview are now conducted concurrently.

Related content: Romanian Citizenship By Descent - A Country With Deep Heritage

Citizens of Turkey who have lost their Bulgarian citizenship can submit a petition to restore their citizenship

BULGARIAN TURKS

Citizens of Turkey who have lost their Bulgarian citizenship due to migratory procedures in recent decades can petition to restore their Bulgarian citizenship by submitting a "Passeport D'Émigration" and a birth certificate. Their ancestors' lost Bulgarian citizenship allows their descendants to apply for Bulgarian citizenship by origin.

You may opt for the standard two procedures if you do not meet the restoration requirements. You must also present a few more Turkish government credentials.

• Migration certificate
• Name identification certificate
• The family tree certificate (now available on the website of the Turkish authorities)

The Turkish authorities acknowledged the dates of admission of Bulgarian Turks moving from Bulgaria to Turkey. The migration certificate validates this. The Certificate of name identification is used to authenticate the names of Bulgarian Turks since their names were slightly modified after registering with the Turkish government. In Turkey, the three certifications must be apostille legalized.

Bulgarian nationals are full EU citizens with all EU rights

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF OBTAINING BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP?

• Bulgarian nationals are full EU citizens with the right to 'free movement,' which includes visa-free travel to the EU's other 27 member states.
• The right to establish or manage a company in Bulgaria or any other EU or EEA country, as well as in Switzerland.
• The right to purchase land or immovable property in Bulgaria and numerous other EU countries where access to foreign citizens would otherwise be restricted.
• Various access rights to education systems in Bulgaria and EU member states.
• The right to seek medical care in Bulgaria and within the EU.

Related content: A Guide To Obtaining Italian Citizenship Through Your Family

Bulgaria grants dual citizenship for spouses of Bulgarian citizens

BULGARIAN DUAL CITIZENSHIP

Bulgaria grants dual citizenship under specific conditions, which are mainly restricted to native-born citizens, EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals, as well as spouses of Bulgarian citizens.

Individuals seeking naturalization who do not belong to at least one of the categories mentioned above must typically be liberated from their former citizenship or be released from it at the time of attaining Bulgarian citizenship. There are, however, exceptions for people who get citizenship by investment in Bulgaria.

CONCLUSION

Acquiring Bulgarian citizenship by birth is an ideal Plan B since it does not require you to relinquish your foreign citizenship because Bulgaria accepts dual citizenship. This alternative is cheaper, simpler, and quicker than obtaining Bulgarian citizenship via investment. Bulgarian citizenship entitles you to a passport, allowing you to enter 173 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival. As a result, getting Bulgarian citizenship by origin should be a no-brainer if you are a citizen of a nation with a weaker passport.