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BulgariaIn person

Bulgarian citizenship by repatriation

An EU passport through the naturalisation programme.

Price from
≈ $11,100
Timeline
12–24 months
Tax
—
Format
In person
‘Repatriation’ on the site is in fact three different grounds with different timeframes

Bulgarian law gives three routes: by Bulgarian descent (no requirement for a prior period of residence; the statutory decision period is 9 months, in force since 12.03.2021), by marriage (from 3 years of lawful residence while married to a Bulgarian citizen), and by general naturalisation (Art. 12 — from 5 years between obtaining permanent/long-term residence and filing; obtaining that residence from scratch usually takes another 5 years of continuous lawful residence, so the route from scratch can take around 10 years in total). The range of 1–2 years given on the site is realistic for descent or marriage where the status is already in place, but for general naturalisation from scratch the real timeframe is considerably longer.

Renouncing the previous citizenship is not required of everyone

For standard naturalisation the law (Art. 12(1)(6)) requires proof of release from the previous citizenship by the time Bulgarian citizenship is granted. The exceptions are: applicants by descent, spouses of Bulgarian citizens, EU citizens and citizens of countries with a reciprocity agreement with Bulgaria.

What the service includes

Scope: a tick means included in the price, a cross means billed separately
Legal strategy
Preparing the documents
Support
The language exam— billed separately

What we need from you

  • 1A ground for the application (descent / marriage / naturalisation)
  • 2Documents

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to renounce my current citizenship to take Bulgarian citizenship?
It depends on the ground. For applicants by descent, for spouses of Bulgarian citizens, for EU citizens and for citizens of countries with a reciprocity agreement it is not required. For ordinary naturalisation the law requires proof of release from the previous citizenship.
How long does the passport really take?
By law it is 9 months (descent) or 12 months (the other grounds) from the day the complete pack is filed with the Ministry of Justice, but in practice the timeframes are often longer. For general naturalisation you also have to add the years spent obtaining permanent residence itself (a minimum of 5 years on that status, and starting from scratch usually around 10 years in total).
Do I have to live in Bulgaria the whole time?
For general naturalisation, yes: continuous lawful/permanent residence of at least 5 years is required (plus usually another 5 years to obtain the permanent residence status itself from scratch). There is no such requirement on the descent ground.
What if the official deadline has passed and there is still no decision?
Once the official deadline (9 or 12 months) has passed, the authority's inaction is treated in law as a ‘tacit refusal’, which can be challenged — that is a separate lawful ground for taking action, not simply a reason to keep waiting.

Sources

Citizenship by descent: other options

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