Bulgarian nationality law is governed by the Constitution of Bulgaria (article 25 and 26) of 1991 and the citizenship law of 1999 (with changes made in various years through to 2009).[1]
It is mainly based on jus sanguinis; however, it is possible to obtain citizenship after 5 years of residence in Bulgaria.[2] Naturalisation is available on the basis of residence in certain types of status; marriage or on the basis of origin or at the discretion of the government of Bulgaria to persons of merit. The Bulgarian Ministry of Justice is in charge of processing citizenship applications.
Every Bulgarian citizen is also a citizen of the European Union.
Acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship
Bulgarian citizenship can be acquired in the following ways:
Jus sanguinis: By descent from a Bulgarian citizen if at least one or both of the parents or grandparents or great-grandparents is or was a Bulgarian citizen;
Jus soli: By birth in Bulgaria (unless citizenship of another country has been acquired by descent), or a child found in Bulgaria whose parents are unknown;
By naturalisation in Bulgaria: If the applicant:
is 18 or older;
has been a holder of a long-term or permanent residence permit for at least 5 years, or 3 years if the applicant is married to a Bulgarian national, was born in Bulgaria, or settled in the country before the age of 18;
has not been convicted of a premeditated crime;
has a source of income or a trade and can financially support themselves;
Bulgaria permits dual citizenship only for native-born citizens, citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, countries in a reciprocity agreement with Bulgaria, as well as spouses of Bulgarian citizens. Naturalised citizens who prove they are of Bulgarian origin are also permitted. Naturalised citizens who do not belong to at least one of the aforementioned groups, are required to give up all other nationalities.[3] Those who previously renounced their Bulgarian citizenship are allowed to get it reinstated. Some countries do not permit multiple citizenship e.g. adults who have acquired Bulgarian and Japanese citizenship by birth must declare, to the latter's Ministry of Justice, before turning 22, which citizenship they want to keep.
Visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Bulgaria. In 2015, Bulgarian citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 150 countries and territories, ranking the Bulgarian passport 18th in the world according to the Visa Restrictions Index.
In 2017, the Bulgarian nationality is ranked twenty-sixth in the Nationality Index (QNI). This index differs from the Visa Restrictions Index, which focuses on external factors including travel freedom. The QNI considers, in addition to travel freedom, on internal factors such as peace & stability, economic strength, and human development as well. [8]
