What to do if you receive a notice that your citizenship application was declined?
We receive many distressed calls every day from people who have just been informed that their Bulgarian citizenship application has been denied. Most of these applicants have applied for Bulgarian citizenship by origin. And today, in this article, we will begin with something that may genuinely surprise you.
98,6% of these “rejections” are illegal!
Yes, you read that correctly. In almost 99% of cases – based on our statistics from previous years – these so-called “citizenship rejections” are actually unlawful.
Why are the citizenship “rejections” unlawful?
According to art. 34 of the Bulgarian citizenship law, every naturalisation application must conclude with one of the following outcomes:
- A decree issued by the President of Bulgaria for granting Bulgarian citizenship, or;
- A proposal by the Bulgarian Minister of Justice to the President not to issue a citizenship decree. The President may choose to follow or disregard this proposal at his own discretion.
So far, so good. However, the Bulgarian administration quite often fails to apply the law correctly. Instead of following the prescribed legal procedure, they issue an online statement saying something like:
The Citizenship Council did not grant the application. There is contradictory data about the Bulgarian origin of the person.
The exact wording may vary, but the meaning is the same: your application is terminated. So what can you do next?
We strongly recommend you reading our article Naturalisation and obtaining Bulgarian citizenship – problems and neglect of the legal norms.
What can you do after an “illegal” rejection?
Well, guess what? You can’t appeal this rejection in court of law, as it is not a rejection at all. Funny, huh. What you can do however is to appeal a silent refusal, which is very often the best approach. Alternatively, you may appeal in Bulgarian court to prove your Bulgarian origin. There are also other legal option possible, so it is best to contact us urgently for assistance.
But why is the Bulgarian administration issuing these rejections, what do they usually mean?
To put it simply, the Bulgarian authorities often do not want you to obtain Bulgarian citizenship. The reasons may vary. However, if this is your legal right, you must be ready to fight for it. Do not allow bureaucratic decisions to determine your future. If you believe that you have the right to become Bulgarian citizen, don’t let it go. Contact us asap and we will make sure that your rights are protected.
Fake documents and Bulgarian citizenship by origin
In recent years, many cases have been uncovered involving individuals attempting to obtain Bulgarian citizenship by origin using falsified birth certificates and other documents. The Bulgarian authorities are now investigating these cases on a massive scale. Many of them have been referred to the police and the prosecutor’s office. As a result, numerous foreign nationals, mainly from former USSR countries (Russia, Ukraine, etc.), are now facing citizenship revocation and even criminal prosecution.
If you have submitted documents proving Bulgarian origin that were obtained from unreliable sources, it is possible that you are already under investigation. If this applies to your case, contacting us for urgent assistance should be your top priority.
Getting your documents back
No, you will not get your documents back if your Bulgarian citizenship application has not been successful. You may be able to retrieve them, but specific legal steps must be taken for this to happen. However, if your documents are considered suspicious, they will be retained and used as evidence in the criminal investigation.