Bulgarian citizenship and EU Passport. How to apply? Naturalization.

EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP AND PASSPORT – THE ULTIMATE GOAL

The enormous value of the Bulgarian citizenship and passport

So probably, the most important question one is asking himself is “How do I get Bulgarian citizenship?”, or “How do I obtain EU passport and citizenship?”. And of course, “What are my advantages if I am holding Bulgarian (EU) passport?”. We will try to shed some light on these topics below:

THE GENERAL NATURALIZATION ROUTE – OBTAINING CITIZENSHIP THROUGH RESIDENCY

The “Law for Bulgarian citizenship” is the main law that covers the conditions for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship. There are also many articles from the “Law for foreigners in Republic of Bulgaria”, which are of great importance. In general these two laws go hand-in-hand and they need to be applied in conjunction.

If you are not born Bulgarian and you want to get Bulgarian passport, you will need to apply for naturalization. Naturalization is the process of giving Bulgarian citizenship to a person who doesn’t otherwise fulfill the requirements for being citizen at birth. The most common requirement is that the applicant needs to prove that he has been legal permanent resident in Bulgaria during the last 5 years. This is the core condition for naturalization, although there are also many other options. If you will be applying on basis of permanent residency, all documents for the last 5 years must be flawless. There is also a general requirement for minimum actual residence. Please read our section on residency and contact us with any questions you might have in this regard.

The Bulgarian language exam

In general, the applicant has to be able to prove that he speaks Bulgarian. We are able to assist enormously all candidates with their Bulgarian language exams.

Criminal record

The applicant has to also provide certificate, showing that he has no criminal convictions. Such one is usually obtained from the Bulgarian authorities.

Self supporting and employed

The next thing that needs to be demonstrated is that the applicant has qualifying occupation and is currently employed. It is important that his profession allows him to support himself financially.

Reduction of the required term for residency

The 5 year term can be reduced to 3 years in some cases, such as, if the applicant has been minor when he has applied first for his residence permit. There are also other cases when the 5 year term can be legitimately reduced.

Previous citizenship

In general, the applicant for Bulgarian citizenship through general naturalization has to surrender his existing (previous) citizenship. This is not the case if the applicant is a spouse of Bulgarian citizen, has EU nationality or is from a country with which Bulgaria has signed agreement allowing dual citizenship.

OBTAINING BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP THROUGH INVESTMENT (BULGARIAN GOLDEN VISA)

The Bulgarian Citizenship by Investment program allows the investor to obtain Bulgarian permanent residence status immediately and full citizenship in only 5 years. After the EU crackdown on virtually all citizenship by investment and golden visa schemes, the Bulgarian option remains the most favorable in the whole EU, on par with the Portugal Golden Visa.

You can also find tons of information on the site of Bulgarian Citizenship ORG.

BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH

Each person who is born in Bulgaria is considered to be Bulgarian citizen by birth. Sounds easy? Catch the airplane and give birth to your baby in Bulgaria? Not so simple unfortunately. There is a catch – the person should not be getting another citizenship by origin.

Let’s give you some examples below:

Say a Russian couple, who are living in Bulgaria, give birth to a baby in Bulgaria. In this case the baby will not get Bulgarian citizenship by birth, because the baby will be getting Russian citizenship by origin.

If a stateless woman however, gives birth to a baby in Bulgaria, then it will be considered Bulgarian citizen by birth.

There are of course much more complicated scenarios. For example, a baby with unknown parents, found in Bulgaria, will be also considered to be Bulgarian citizen.

BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP BY ORIGIN

The rule is very simple and straightforward – Bulgarian citizen by origin is everybody who has at least one parent who is Bulgarian citizen himself.

Additionally, Bulgarian citizen is also everyone whose Bulgarian descent has been confirmed by a court order. Ethnic Bulgarians living in the territories of Northern Macedonia, Moldova and Ukraine are those who are using this option predominantly.

For more information, please check everything you need to know about Bulgarian citizenship by origin and our articles on the subject.

CITIZENSHIP FOR SPECIAL MERITS

Art.16 of the “Law for Bulgarian citizenship“ is defining the most exotic option to obtain lightening fast citizenship in Bulgaria. Under the norm, persons with special merits in front of the Bulgarian state in the field of social and economics, science, technology, culture and sport, can get Bulgarian citizenship. Only for the most prominent foreigners who have proven track record and posses qualifications beyond the ordinary can get citizenship for special merits.

If you believe you can qualify under this program, please contact us for consultation in order to determine your real chances and the feasibility of the procedure.

Recently a large number of football players, mainly from Brazil, took advantage of this option and could obtain Bulgarian citizenship (Jonathan Cafu from football club Ludogorets being a prime example).

THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING BULGARIAN AND EU NATIONALITY

Becoming EU (Bulgarian) citizen is a complicated process. It requires patience and administrative compliance. The applicant has to understand that there should be no dubious shortcuts – EU laws are quite clear on the matter and legal compliance is our company’s paramount. We firmly believe that the applicant should work closely with our advisers. They should decide on the most appropriate legal strategy first. The candidate should make the decision how to proceed further, only after he has been informed about all possible legal options.

Your next actions

So you have decided to go ahead and become EU citizen in the not so distant future. Then your first goal, in most cases, will be your legal EU (Bulgarian) residency.

After that being arranged and the legal period of residence being met, you will be guided with the citizenship formalities and application in order to be naturalized and get your first ever EU passport. At that point you will definitely realize that all that effort has not been without a good reason. Because EU citizenship brings with itself the European values, freedom to travel and reside in any EU member state, work in all 28 EU countries without any formalities, counting on consular support in all EU embassies worldwide (where no Bulgarian embassy or consulate is present), take part in the EU social security system and much, much more.

On top of all that, having your EU passport will guarantee you almost worldwide visa free travel as the European Union is constantly expanding its visa free agreements with third countries. Travelling on EU passport will guarantee you additional respect and fast track processing in most countries worldwide.

Contact us a.s.a.p.

If you have decided that EU citizenship is your goal, that you want the freedom and EU values that come along, then get in touch with us asap. Our advisers fully assist you in applying for your legal residency (in case you are not living in Bulgaria already). Then, when the legal conditions are being met, you will obtain your Bulgarian (EU) citizenship. This is the ultimate step in the immigration process and with it, you will become EU national. EU citizenship, conferred automatically on any EU national, brings with it a huge number of important rights.

So, what is EU citizenship and what does it mean to you?

• Any person who holds the nationality of an EU country is automatically also an EU citizen. EU citizenship is additional to and does not replace national citizenship. It is for each EU country to lay down the conditions for the acquisition and loss of nationality of that country;
• Citizens of all EU member states are automatically also EU citizens;
• Move and reside freely within the EU;
• Vote for and stand as a candidate in European Parliament and municipal elections;
• All EU citizens enjoy consular assistance and protection by all EU embassies (if there is no national embassy present);
• Petition the European Parliament and complain to the European Ombudsman.

The Lisbon Treaty introduced a new form of public participation for European citizens, the Citizens’ Initiative. This allows one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of EU countries to call directly on the European Commission to bring forward an initiative of interest to them within the framework of its powers.

The benefits of the EU passport

With the receipt of your EU passport, you will benefit from almost worldwide visa free travel and recognition. You will no longer fight the long cues to receive your visa for your next business or leisure trip. You will belong to the European family and it values. This is not simply a new passport – this is a very new life. Please check our services for more details on how we can assist you in obtaining your citizenship.

A word of caution:
In general, as discussed above, Bulgarian (EU) citizenship is acquired automatically through birth, by origin or through investment. Citizenship is also granted If you have lived in the EU country (Bulgaria) certain period of time. Immigration laws are complicated and there is no such thing as automatic procedure. There is no such thing as “buying citizenship”. You can not apply by post, through internet or expect instant approval. There are many unscrupulous websites and agents who will try to promise you the world. Unfortunately those agents have no legal backing or even the slightest knowledge of the legal system in Bulgaria. We have seen many applicants being deprived not only from their hard earned money, but also from any chance for successful application after they have made the wrong choice of immigration adviser. Many subjective factors exist and all these factors, considered as a whole will determine how easy or indeed, how difficult your citizenship application will be processed and eventually approved.