Additional information

If you are a stateless person, i.e. no country considers you as its national, there is a specific procedure through which you can obtain a permanent residence permit in Bulgaria. You need to meet the following requirements: 

• to have entered Bulgaria before 27^th December 1998, or to have been living here and have not left or if you were born in Bulgaria, and 
• you are not recognised as a national of the former Soviet republics. 

For this type of permit you do not need to leave the country and apply for visa type D.

How to apply?

You need to apply for this permit in person either at the Migration Directorate at 48 Mariya Luiza Blvd in the capital city Sofia or at the Migration Sector of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in accordance with where you live and where your address is. In this regard, for example, the authorities will consider the address indicated in a rental contract/notary act of ownership that you present to them. 

You need to submit the following document: 

• an application form.

The template for this form can be found at this link.

• a copy of the pages of your passport issued by a former Soviet republic, with which you initially entered Bulgaria; 
• your birth certificate.
• proof that you have housing in Bulgaria (e.g. rent contract, notary act of ownership etc.)
• evidence that you have stable, regular, predictable and sufficient means of subsistence (e.g. labour contract, extract from the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency, bank statement etc.)

The amount needs to be no less than the minimum monthly salary (933 BGN for the year of 2024) in Bulgaria or the minimum pension (580,57 BGN as of 1 July 2024) in the country.  This amount is increased every year.

• an official document issued by a diplomatic or consular representation of the relevant former Soviet republic proving that you have NOT been recognised as a national of the respective country. 
• An official document which certifies your entry in Bulgaria before 27^th December 1998 (e.g. your passport with a stamped entry date or a decision/paper/order issued to you by a Bulgarian institution such as the State Agency for Refugees, Migration Directorate that  can show that you have been living in Bulgaria before this date).
• Proof of paid state fee of 10 BGN for the service. 

What happens after you submit your documents?

Firstly, the migration authorities will send your application to the State Agency for National Security which prepares a written statement on whether you should be permitted to receive a residency in Bulgaria. This written statement is then sent to the responsible Migration Directorate or Sector which also examines your application. 

The migration authorities must inform you about their decision on your application in written form.  

If your application is rejected you have the right to appeal the decision before the competent administrative court within 14 days of receiving the decision.  Consult with a lawyer to prepare your appeal and submit it on time. 

If you receive a positive decision, you have the legal obligation to go to the civil registry sector (in Bulgarian known as “отдел ГРАО”) of the municipality, where you plan to live in order to: 

• Get registered in the population registry. This registration is mandatory. 
• Оbtain a Personal Identity Number (EGN/ЕГН).  
• Apply for address registration. 

In Bulgaria, every person registered in the population registry needs to have one permanent and one current address. These two addresses might be the same, but might also be different ( e.g. if you decide to temporarily move out of your permanent address).  They serve as an official correspondence address with the Bulgarian authorities. The permanent address is also included in your identity documents.  

At this link, you will find the addresses of the civil registry sector of all the municipalities in Bulgaria. The information is only in Bulgarian. 

You apply for all three – population registry, EGN and address registration at the same time. You will need to personally present the following documents to the municipality: 

1. Аn application to be registered at the population registry 
2. An application for a permanent address 
3. An application for a current address 

You will be provided with the respective forms for all three applications at the municipality. 

4. Notification letter issued by the authorities that issued you the positive decision for permanent residence permit. 
5. A copy of the ownership document of the place where you will live. In Bulgarian it is usually called “нотариален акт”. The owner should agree to give you this document. 
6. The original notarized declaration of consent from the owner of the place allowing you to register at the chosen address. 
7.  A copy of your rent contract. 

Even when you need to give copies, always bring the originals of the documents with you in case you are asked to show them.  

The address should be correctly indicated in all of the documents that you are presenting and should be the same as the address pointed out in the ownership document. The municipality might refuse to register you, if there is a mistake and if they cannot find the address in their database.  

You might also be asked to pay fees, which may vary depending on the municipality you are applying in.  Information in Bulgaria about fees in different municipalities you can find at the following links: 

• Fees for registration at the population registry 
• Fees for permanent address registration  
• Fees for current address registration  

After you submit all the documents, you should receive the following documents within approximately 7 days, depending on the municipality: 

• Certificate that you are registered in the population registry which will include your EGN  
• Certificate for permanent address 
• Certificate for current address 

After receiving these papers, you can apply for a plastic residence permit at the Migration Directorate at 48 Mariya Luiza Blvd in the capital city Sofia or at the Migration Sector of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in accordance with your permanent service.  You will need to pay a state fee – 1000 BGN.  

This permit allows you to lawfully reside in Bulgaria for an indefinite period of time. You only need to regularly renew your permanent residence permit before the expiration date indicated on your card.  

How long will it take?

After you have submitted your application and the relevant documents, this procedure can take 2 months until the administrative officials issue a decision. This period can be  extended for an additional 2 months if your case is complex and additional documents are needed. Overall, the procedure should not take more than 4 months in total. 

What are the requirements?

If you are stateless, you can apply for Bulgarian nationality if you have been in Bulgaria for at least 3 full years with a permanent or long-term residence permit. 

Important! In addition to the required time period, you must also meet several additional conditions to obtain Bulgarian nationality, which are:     

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must have a clean criminal record.
• Not be the subject of a criminal prosecution.
• Be able to support yourself financially in Bulgaria.
• Be fluent in Bulgarian language

Documents you will need

1. Application for Bulgarian citizenship

You will find a template application form at this link.

2. Birth certificate

A copy of your birth certificate issued by the relevant Bulgarian or foreign competent authority. 

If you have refugee or humanitarian status and do NOT have a birth certificate, in addition to the identity document issued to you by the Bulgarian authorities, you must submit a certificate issued by the State Agency for Refugees.

3. Criminal record certificate issued by the competent Bulgarian authorities. 

If you are born in Bulgaria, the certificate will be issued by the Criminal Records Bureau at the respective regional court in accordance with the address you are registered on. 

If you were born outside of Bulgaria, you can request your certificate at the Central Criminal Record Bureau (Централно бюро „Съдимост“) at the Ministry of Justice. It is located on 5 Aksakov Str. in Sofia. It is open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00. 

You need to pay a 5 BGN fee to be issued this certificate. 

4. Proof that you are not the subject of criminal proceedings

To get a document stating that you are not being prosecuted, you must go to the district prosecutor's office closest to your permanent address. The list of offices can be found here. There is no need to make an appointment in advance. You will receive your document within 4 working days. You have to pay a fee of 2 BGN.

5. Proof that you can support yourself financially

To prove that you can support yourself financially, you need to provide a certificate from your employer if you are working on an employment contract.  The certificate must state the position you hold and the salary you earn, with a reference for at least the previous 6 months.

If you do not have an employment contract, you can submit a document from the territorial office of the National Revenue Agency at your permanent address, stating your declared income for the previous year.

6. Proof that you speak Bulgarian language

To prove your knowledge of Bulgarian, you have two options:

1. If you completed your secondary education (grade 7 or 8), high school education or higher education in Bulgaria, bring a notarized copy of your diploma.
2. If you do not have a Bulgarian diploma, bring a document showing your Bulgarian language skills. The Ministry of Education and Science issues such a document.

To obtain this certificate, you must apply to the Ministry of Education and Science and attach a copy of your ID.

On the copy of your ID you should also write:

• "True to the original" in Bulgarian (“Вярно с оригинала“);
• Your name and surname;
• And your signature.

If you have completed a Bulgarian language course, you can also submit a notarised copy of your certificate from that course, but there is no guarantee that the Ministry will accept it. The notarization can be done by a notary in Bulgaria, whose contacts you can find on this link.  The law does not say which institutions are authorized to issue these certificates.

Bulgarian language certificates issued after completion of the B1 courses organized by the Bulgarian Red Cross are accepted and there is no need to for the copy to be notarized.

If you do not have Bulgarian language course certificates or the Ministry does not accept yours, you will have to take a written Bulgarian language exam. You can find more information about the exams and some sample tests with answers on the Centre for Assessment in School and Pre-school Education website.

7. A medical document issued by a medical advisory committee 

This can be obtained from the medical facility of your place of residence. You will need 2 separate documents:

• A document certifying that you do not suffer from acute contagious and infectious diseases.
• A document certifying that you do not have a mental illness.

8. Declaration

You will find a template declaration form at this link.

9. Other documents

• Your CV.
• One passport size photograph.
• A photocopy of your Bulgarian identity card.
• A certificate for identifying your names, in case you have different names or there has been a change in your name. This is not required if the name change is due to marriage.
• A receipt for payment of the state fee of 100 BGN 

Please note that you may need to show your original documents at any time when you apply, so make sure you bring them with you.

Important! Before you apply for nationality, check whether you owe any compulsory social security contributions (e.g. mandatory health insurance) and other debts such as taxes or fines to the state. The Bulgarian Citizenship Directorate carries out an official check for these types of debts and having such debts may be a ground for refusing you Bulgarian nationality. 

How do I apply for Bulgarian citizenship?

STEP 1: Submitting documents

Before you submit your application, make sure you have all the necessary documents listed above.

Each document must be written or translated into Bulgarian and legalized if it is issued by another country.

If you do not have all the necessary documents, the Bulgarian Citizenship Directorate may not accept your application. If it does accept it, it will give you 2 months to submit the ones that are missing. If you cannot obtain them within this time limit, your proceedings will be terminated.

You must submit your application, together with the necessary documents, personally WITHOUT PRIOR RESERVATION to the following address:

Ministry of Justice - Administrative Services Directorate

Address: Sofia, 5 “Aksakov” Str.

Monday to Friday: 09:00 - 17:30

STEP 2: Interview

On the same day of submitting and registering your application, you will also have an interview in Bulgarian.

During the interview you can expect questions related to:

• Your reasons for applying for Bulgarian citizenship.
• Your documents.
• Your public life in Bulgaria.
• Your knowledge about Bulgaria (such as public holidays and important historical events).

How long will the procedure take?

The Minister of Justice must make a recommendation to the President on whether to grant you Bulgarian nationality or not within 12 months.

Nationality is granted or denied by presidential decree. The President is not bound by a time limit within which to issue this decree, so in some cases it may take years to acquire Bulgarian nationality. The President's decree is final and cannot be appealed in court.

The most common grounds for refusal are related to national security or public order, or documents that show that the applicant is under investigation and suspected of committing a crime.

You can follow what is happening with your application for Bulgarian citizenship on the website of the Ministry of Justice, Bulgarian Citizenship Directorate. To do this, you need to enter the submission number of your application and a special PIN code that you will receive when you submit your application.

Even if you are refused Bulgarian citizenship, you can apply for Bulgarian citizenship an unlimited number of times.

Bulgarian nationality for children under 18

Children up to the age of 18 whose parents have been granted Bulgarian nationality or only one parent has been granted and the other is a Bulgarian national can also apply for Bulgarian nationality.

If only one parent of children under 18 is a Bulgarian national, the child can become Bulgarian national if his/her parents give their consent. This also applies to adopted children.

For children in these cases, the application documents required are:

1. Application form 

If the child is under 14 years old, the application must be submitted by both parents. It can be submitted by one parent only when the other parent is deprived of parental rights or by the mother if the father is unknown.

If the child is between 14 and 18 years old the application is submitted and signed by the child, and countersigned by both parents to express their consent.

2. A copy of the birth certificate or a duplicate birth certificate issued by the relevant Bulgarian or foreign competent authority.

3. An official document proving the Bulgarian citizenship of the parent or adoptive parent issued by the relevant municipality or the Ministry of Justice stating that one parent is a Bulgarian citizen or has died as a Bulgarian citizen.

4. Official copy of a final decision on the full adoption if the child was adopted. 

5. Declaration. You will find a template declaration form at this link.

6. An official document certifying the change of names, if any, and an official document certifying the identity of a child with different names.

7. CV. 

8. A recent passport-size photograph - 1. 

9. Photocopy of the applicant's identity document.

For these procedures for issuing Bulgarian citizenship for children, the fee is 10 BGN.

How can my child be stateless? 

• Gender inequality in nationality laws where the child cannot acquire nationality from their father. For example, in some countries (e.g Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Somalia and other) mothers are not allowed to transmit their nationality to their children (If the father-is unknown, stateless or deceased the child is at risk of being stateless); 

• The child’s parents lost or were deprived of their nationality. 

• The child is born to stateless parents. 

• The child cannot access birth registration or otherwise demonstrate their connection to a country. 

Can my child become a Bulgarian national? 

• they were born on the territory of Bulgaria (it is presumed that foundlings  - infants that have been abandoned by their parents, are born on the territory of Bulgaria); and 

• they cannot obtain another nationality (see the reasons above). 

What to do? 

• Valid identity documents (IDs such as passports, refugee or humanitarian status holders card) of both parents or their asylum registration cards (if they are in a procedure for international protection). Bring both originals and copies. 

• The initial birth certificate of the child. Bring both the original and a copy. 

• 2 passport size pictures of your child. 

• Proof that your child was born stateless. 

• Receipt for paid state fee to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria – 50 BGN (see below) 

Fees to be paid 

How long does it take? 

What do I need to do after that? 

Address registration and Bulgarian identity documents