Immigration. Travel. Living.

Bulgarian passport: how to get one?

Passports of the world

Aside from being one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, Bulgaria can boast of possessing state of the art infrastructures, a stable economy, peaceful residents, compelling taste of contemporary fashion, and very low crime rates.

Other than the fact that this country is an amazing place to live, the Bulgarian passport happens to be one of the most powerful travel documents on Earth.

According to the 2018 Visa Restrictions Index, Bulgarians can visit more than 171 countries without possessing a visa or having a visa granted on arrival. This fact makes this passport rank as the 16th most intelligent passport in the world.

The Ministry of Interior is charged with the responsibility of issuing and renewing these documents. 

Citizens of this Balkan Republic who possess a valid passport or ID card can also live and work in the EU Member State of their choice due to the right of free movement and residence established in Article 21 of the European Union Treaty.

Aside from giving the beneficiary visa-free movement to more than 169 countries across the seven continents, Bulgarian passports are also international travel documents exclusively issued to the countryโ€™s nationals.

This handy document also allows you to get aid and assistance from any Bulgarian Embassy, Consulate, or consular officials abroad. If you canโ€™t find any office or official, you can also receive aid from the Embassy of any European Union member states close to you.

Thereโ€™s no way you can be stranded on earth as long as you have this handy travel document. If you are interested in obtaining this handy document, we are going to give you a step by step proceed

ure you need to complete to obtain a Bulgarian passport.

The process listed in this guide allows both Bulgarian nationals and foreigners to acquire a passport without breaking a sweat.

Requirements & Eligibilities

Before you can be given a Bulgarian Passport, you must be a citizen of the country, have a Bulgarian National ID card, a valid residential address for the past five years, and have your passport payment receipt as proof of payment.

Application

Bulgarian nationals interested in possessing an international passport can apply for one in any of the offices of the Ministry of Interior. If you live outside the country, you can submit your passport issuance application at any embassy, diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Bulgaria.

You have to appear in person upon acceptance of the application. This allows the officer managing your application to capture digital images of your signature, face, and fingerprints.

Application Cost

1 us dollar bill

You can apply for a Bulgarian passport of only โ‚ฌ10 if you are under the age of 14 or between the ages of 58 and 70. This fee is also very affordable for elderly citizens above the age of 70.

Older citizens above the age of 70 are required to pay just โ‚ฌ5 for the authorities to begin processing their passports, while citizens between the ages of 14 and 58 are required to pay โ‚ฌ20 to obtain their own passport. Each passport is valid for only 5 years.

After youโ€™ve completed your payment and filed your application, it would take the ministry or consular mission 5 business days to review and notify you of the results of your application.

What this means is that if your application is successful, you can be issued a new passport within 7 days.

Biometric passports

On the 29th of March 2010, The Republic of Bulgaria started issuing Biometric passports. These documents are quite similar to the usual document. The only difference is that your biometric data is embedded on a chip and it is super portable. 

The word “ะ•ะฒั€ะพะฟะตะนัะบะธ ััŠัŽะท” was also engraved on this document and it contains pictures of famous landmarks and monuments in the country. It is a recognized travel document and you can use it to visit any EU country of your choice.

Can Foreign National Get Bulgarian Passport?

Sadly no, you must be a legal citizen before you can give you an international passport. Thankfully, the naturalization process in Bulgaria is straightforward and the country also accepts dual citizenship status.

If you are a foreign national and would like to obtain a Bulgarian passport, you can become a Bulgarian citizen by naturalization, origin, or investment.

1. Citizenship by Origin

This is a straightforward naturalization process that allows a foreign national to obtain Bulgarian Citizenship by origin.

For you to become a Bulgarian national by origin, you must apply for a certificate of Bulgarian origin at the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, when your application is successful and approved, you will be issued a certificate of Bulgarian origin from the State Agency.

After obtaining a certificate of Bulgarian origin, you will take this document to the Ministry of Justice to complete your citizenship application. Once your application is approved, you will be granted Bulgarian citizenship rights and you can begin processing another request for a Bulgarian passport.

If your application is turned down, there are thousands of Bulgarian citizenship lawyers that can help you appeal your case with the Sofia Administrative Court.

2. Citizenship by investments

One of the fastest ways to attain Bulgarian and EU citizenship rights for you and your relatives is by investing in the countryโ€™s economy. Bulgaria offers one of the best investment options in Europe without requiring you to make any government donation.

The country offers two investment options: Standard-Track Investment and Fast-Track Investment.

The Standard Track option allows you to obtain a second passport within 6 years after you made a minimum investment of โ‚ฌ512,000. This option is refundable and allows you to get Bulgarian permanent residency or citizenship in 6 months or 60 months respectively.

The fast-track option is simply brilliant. You can obtain permanent residency or citizenship within 6 months or 18 months after investing at least โ‚ฌ1,024,000 in the countryโ€™s economy.

You can also qualify for the fast-track investment option by doubling your standard-track investment in the second year of your investment.

This means that just 6 months after your investment, you can begin processing your passport and enjoy visa-free travel to over 170 countries that have a visa-exemption treaty with Bulgaria.

3. Citizenship by Naturalization

You can naturalize for the Republic of Bulgaria if you have been a legal permanent resident for at least 5 years, fluent in the Bulgarian language, and have a substantial income or occupation to provide for yourself.

Under the Bulgarian Citizenship Act, you can also become a citizen of Bulgaria if youโ€™ve been married to a Bulgarian citizen for at least 3 years after the day of your application for citizenship.

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