Repatriation to Bulgaria is provided for those who ethnically belong to the people of the state, but currently reside abroad and hold a foreign passport. Participants of the program can apply for Bulgarian citizenship in a simplified procedure – they do not have to open a residence permit, pass a language exam and demonstrate their level of income. If accompanied by specialized lawyers, obtaining a second passport takes an average of 4 to 12 months, which can be spent in the home country without having to move abroad.

According to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria, the interest in local citizenship among foreigners is steadily growing. To give an example, in 2009 there were about 5000 applications for passport issuance, and in 2024 – 5 times more. Requests from persons of Bulgarian origin and their direct descendants account for about 90% of the total number. In most cases, applications are approved if the foreigner complies with all the requirements of the procedure and provides a full package of supporting documents.

For guaranteed citizenship in Bulgaria under the accelerated program, seek advice from Relocation Compass migration specialists. The support of a personal lawyer is your chance to obtain a second passport quickly, easily and without major expenses.

What is the Bulgarian repatriation program?

The repatriation program gives an opportunity to re-issue the status of a Bulgarian citizen to those who lost it involuntarily. The descendants of former residents of the country up to their great-grandchildren can also take part in the procedure. The program was created to restore historical justice and provide passports of the Republic to those who have a direct ethnic relation to it. During the first half of the twentieth century, the country experienced active migration processes, so with the support of specialized lawyers, many foreigners can find the necessary roots to participate in the procedure.

For hundreds of years of existence, Bulgaria repeatedly changed its state status, and also underwent territorial redistributions. For example, after the First World War, the country temporarily occupied some lands of modern Serbia, Romania and Greece, where some ethnic residents of the republic immigrated and stayed for permanent residence.

In 1943, the state authorities extradited more than 11,000 Jews from among local citizens to Germany. After the establishment of the socialist system and the creation of the People’s Republic, many representatives of the tsarist nobility were forced to leave Bulgaria for fear of persecution.

The possibility of restoring a Bulgarian passport by roots is regulated by Article 15 of the National Citizenship Act. According to this legal act, repatriates can claim the lost status immediately and without following the norms of standard naturalization. For this purpose, it is enough to be of legal age, have no criminal records and to prove one`s origin by metric documents.

Advantages of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship by repatriation

Foreigners choose the program of passport issuance by origin, because in order to participate in it, it`s not necessary to reside in Bulgaria beforehand, to look for a reason for obtaining a residence permit, to provide information about financial security and knowledge of the national language. With the support of international law specialists, the acquisition of a second citizenship takes a maximum of one year from the start of cooperation. It will also be possible to retain your former passport if this is provided for by the laws of your home country.

Bulgarian citizenship entitles you to visa-free travel practically all over the world, including stay in the European Union countries without time restrictions, as well as the following advantages:

• permission for employment, registration and business development in the EU states, as well as internationally;
• obtaining education in prestigious European universities at the expense of the state or private scholarship programs;
• application to state authorities for support, such as financial benefits or protection against extradition;
• automatic transfer of citizenship status by inheritance without additional requirements;
• the possibility of expedited passport issuance for a spouse (3 years after immigration);
• participation in EU entrepreneurship support programs;
• unlimited service in reliable world banks, including loans and international transfers;
• access to qualified medical assistance in modern clinics in the EU at the expense of basic insurance.

General conditions and requirements for repatriates

To obtain citizenship in Bulgaria by roots, you need to be over 18 years of age and have no criminal record for intentional crimes of general nature on the territory of the republic. You will also need to document your ethnic connection to the republic. Usually, birth certificates are used for this purpose – yours and relatives in the ascending line up to the ancestor-Bulgarian.

If there has been a change of surname, it is necessary to add documents on the conclusion/dissolution of marriage. The descendants of former citizens of the state up to the third generation of kinship (inclusive) are allowed to participate in the program.

Required documents

To apply for Bulgarian citizenship by repatriation you should prepare the following dossier:

• an application of a prescribed form, personally filled in Bulgarian;
• detailed autobiography and model declarations (provided by the authorities);
• metric documents (birth, family status);
• proof of ethnic belonging to the people of the Republic;
• certificate of criminal record from the state of your citizenship;
• information from the prosecutor’s office about your law-abidingness (in case of prior residence in Bulgaria);
• medical certificate of absence of acute infectious diseases dangerous for the population;
• photocopy of your identity document (usually a passport);
• a current passport-size photo (35 x 45 mm);
• a receipt for the payment of the state fee for the application.

Procedure for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship by roots

The simplified procedure of Bulgarian passport issuance for repatriates is as follows:

1. Verification and preparation of documents by a migration specialist.
   You enter into a cooperation agreement with a personal lawyer who analyzes your background, provides information on the next steps and forms the necessary dossier.
2. Making an appointment with the authorities.
   The application for citizenship is submitted to the diplomatic mission of Bulgaria abroad or directly to the Ministry of Justice on the territory of the Republic. The second option is preferable, as in this case the application processing time is shortened. The authorities accept applications by appointment.
3. Registering the application and going through the interview.
   On the appointed day you submit your citizenship documents, after which you have an interview with an authority representative. The interview usually involves answering basic questions about your life, plans, family ties and attitude towards the Republic. The conversation is conducted in Bulgarian, but an interpreter may be present.
4. Waiting for a decision on the application.
   By law, applications from persons of Bulgarian origin are processed by the Ministry of Justice within nine months. If necessary, you may be asked for additional documents or information that is important for the decision.
5. Obtaining citizenship and passport issuance.
   After your request is approved, you will be provided with a document on your accession to Bulgarian citizenship. With this document you can apply to the passport office in the territory of the Republic or to the consulate/embassy for issuance of national documents.

Cost of obtaining a Bulgarian passport by repatriation

When applying for Bulgarian citizenship, repatriates pay an administrative fee of 15 EUR. In this case there are no additional costs for registration of residence permit or permanent residence permit, as in case of naturalization. You will also need to pay for the services of a notary, interpreter, international law specialists. In any case, repatriation is much cheaper than obtaining a Bulgarian passport according to the standard procedure.

Dual citizenship in Bulgaria

Unlike naturalization, the repatriation procedure in Bulgaria does not require renunciation of the former passport of your native country. The main thing is that multiple citizenship does not contradict the laws of your country of origin. Having two passports allows you to use the advantages of each of them, for example, to apply for social support in the state authorities or to travel around the world without visas.

Possible difficulties and how to overcome them

When obtaining Bulgarian citizenship on one’s own, it is often difficult to find documents confirming the applicant’s origin. In the case of distant relatives (e.g., great-grandparents), the necessary birth certificates will most likely not be available. They can be claimed in state bodies, but for this you need to know where to go specifically taking into account the biography of the relevant ancestor. In addition, not always archives and other similar institutions respond to letters from ordinary citizens without an official legal request.

Moreover, it is not enough to request the missing documents – they must still be officially translated, notarized, and if applicable – also apostilled in accordance with the rules of Bulgarian law. It is important to prepare the file correctly, as even a minor error is guaranteed to result in the case being returned for review or the request being rejected. The application may be rejected for other reasons as well – for example, you were not well prepared and did not pass the interview or did not fulfill one of the requirements of the migration rules.

Support of Relocation Compass international law specialists allows you to obtain a Bulgarian passport in the shortest possible time, without unnecessary worries and significant expenses. A personal lawyer will perform most of the tasks of the procedure for you, which will allow you to avoid mistakes and guarantee the desired citizenship of the European Union country.

Assistance in obtaining Bulgarian citizenship by descent

In order to acquire a passport in Bulgaria quickly and easily, it is worth enlisting the support of Relocation Compass migration specialists. A specialized lawyer is at your side at every stage of the program and helps to fulfill all its conditions. Specialists thoroughly understand the intricacies of international law, which guarantees a successful result in a short period of time – the process takes from 4 to 12 months. You can spend the entire waiting period in your home country until the citizenship application is approved.

According to the reviews of those who have already received a Bulgarian passport, the procedure is very difficult to go through on your own. This is due to the wide list of required documents, long waiting lists at the Ministry of Justice, the need to be interviewed by an official and to monitor the result of the request. It is better to delegate immigration tasks to specialized lawyers in order to pass each stage without a long wait and large investments.

The first thing that begins the cooperation with Relocation Compass international law specialists is the search for the roots of simplified citizenship in Bulgaria. A personal lawyer will analyze your biography comprehensively in order to determine the exact origin and further competently claim the metric documents of the relevant relative. You can make an appointment for a free consultation right now to find out about your chances of participating in the accelerated European Union passport program.