Bulgarian citizenship by ancestry became more accessible
Thanks to new regulations, Bulgarian citizenship is now available to everyone who can prove that their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were Bulgarian citizens. If you are eligible, this option is cheaper, more straightforward, and even faster than applying Bulgarian citizenship through investment.
Who is eligible?
With the latest amendment to Bulgarian law (Section 15 of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act), you are eligible for Bulgarian citizenship in the following cases of Bulgarian ancestry:
- At least one of your parents, grandparent or great-grandparents are / were Bulgarian citizens; OR
- You were adopted by a Bulgarian citizen.
The new legislation might be relevant to several hundred thousand people living in the United Kingdom, Canada, the US, Turkey, or Russia, just to mention a few major locations of the Bulgarian diaspora.
Documents required for the naturalization
With Bulgarian ancestry, you can apply for naturalization. You will be required to provide documents issued by Bulgarian or foreign government bodies proving that your ancestors were citizens. The documents to be submitted must also contain the full names of your ancestors concerned, and your relation to them. In most cases, this means birth, marriage, or death certificates.
The most important change is that acquiring a document from the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad verifying Bulgarian origin. This step used to be obligatory, and while it was quite time-consuming, it did not guarantee a positive decision. Its removal makes the whole procedure faster and more straightforward.
The steps of naturalization
First of all, you will have to collect the documents that support your claim for Bulgarian citizenship. You will have to present these to the authorities in Bulgaria or abroad. The procedure may take 12 – 24 months.
While 12-24 months may seems much, the procedure might still be faster than getting Bulgarian citizenship by investment. In that program, first you become a permanent resident after 6-9 months of waiting, and then you can apply for citizenship after 1 year of permanent residency. As a result, you can become a citizen in 18-21 months from application.
Bulgarian citizenship for the whole family
Now you are eligible for Bulgarian citizenship based on ancestry if you have Bulgarian citizens in your family tree over the last three generations (among your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents). Once you are a citizen, your children also become eligible, and they can apply. However, your spouse can become a citizen only if they have resided in Bulgaria for a few years (or based on other reasons, e.g. investment).
Let us help you become a Bulgarian citizen by ancestry
As a citizen of Bulgaria, you will be allowed to live and work anywhere in the EU. Moreover, with a Bulgarian passport, you can travel visa-free to 173 countries around the world, including Canada, the UK, Turkey, or Australia. Now, if you have Bulgarian ancestors, you can easily apply for citizenship.
Let us help you with the application process. Contact us today, and embark on a journey to Bulgarian citizenship now!
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