Since the Bulgarian Republic became a member of the EU, Bulgarian citizenship has attracted more and more Russian-speaking immigrants. This Balkan country attracts compatriots not only with European integration, but also with a mild southern climate, acceptable living conditions, low real estate prices, a common history and cultural traditions. Many ethnic Bulgarians from the Russian Federation have already managed to obtain Bulgarian passports, but ethnic roots are far from the only reason for immigration. Let's figure it out in order.
Pros of Bulgarian citizenship
The main thing that Bulgarian citizenship gives is the status of a citizen of the European Union. Even though the Republic of Bulgaria (RB) is not a member of the Schengen Agreement, its citizens:
- free movement is allowed within European borders;
- unlimited residence and employment is allowed in any of the EU countries;
- guaranteed diplomatic protection from any of the EU countries while outside the union;
- the right to participate in local Bulgarian and European elections is guaranteed.
When issuing a passport of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to take into account the rights and obligations of a citizen of Bulgaria, approved by the Constitution. Basically, these are generally accepted human rights (to life, health, housing, work, education, social assistance, and so on), plus the right to vote and the right to civil service arising from the citizenship of the Republic of Belarus.
The responsibilities are also standard:
- comply with the law;
- pay taxes;
- use Bulgarian;
- protect the environment;
- military duty;
- the duty to assist the state in the event of natural and other disasters, and so on.
Grounds for immigration and citizenship
To obtain Bulgarian citizenship, a Russian citizen needs to go a long way, which in the best possible combination of circumstances will take at least several years. The specific period depends on the basis on which the foreigner plans to immigrate to the Republic of Belarus.
In any case, in accordance with the Law “On Citizenship” (the Law for Bulgarian Citizenship), in the general procedure, foreigners will be able to obtain a Bulgarian passport by naturalization, and a prerequisite for this is residence in the Bulgarian territory for a certain period. Let's consider the most common reasons for immigration.
Conclusion of marriage with a citizen of Bulgaria
In accordance with clause 18, part 1 of Art. 24 of the Law “On Foreigners in Bulgaria” (Law for foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria), family members of a Bulgarian citizen and his descendants from abroad can apply for a primary residence permit. Spouses of Bulgarians, according to Art. 2 of the law are also members of their family, therefore, marriage with a citizen of Bulgaria, regardless of the place of his detention, is the basis for obtaining a residence permit, which gives the right to reside in the country for 12 months. On the same basis, the primary residence permit can be extended an unlimited number of times.
By itself, a spousal relationship with a citizen of Bulgaria does not automatically give a citizen of the Russian Federation the right to obtain Bulgarian citizenship. Nevertheless, marriage, according to Art. 13 of the Law "On Citizenship", is the basis for a shortened naturalization procedure, provided that the marriage relationship lasts at least 3 years. Instead of 5 years, three years of residence for a residence permit or permanent residence is sufficient. At the same time, permanent residence itself can be obtained after 5 years of marriage.
Family reunion
In accordance with Art. 24 of the Law “On Foreigners”, both family members of local citizens and family members of foreigners with long-term or permanent residence permits have the right to family reunification in Bulgaria and to obtain a primary residence permit.
In addition to spouses, the law recognizes minors and unmarried or disabled (regardless of age) children, as well as parents in need of care, as family members.
When it comes to family reunification with a local citizen, this greatly simplifies the procedure for children to become a citizen of Bulgaria. So, if one of the parents is Bulgarian, Art. 15 of the Law "On Citizenship" gives the right to acquire an individual without observing the general list of conditions.
If the parents of children under 14 years of age enter Bulgarian citizenship through naturalization, the children also acquire Bulgarian indigenousness.
Getting asylum
The Republic of Bulgaria is a signatory to the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, therefore it is obliged to provide asylum to everyone who needs it. Refugees in Bulgaria apply for humanitarian status under the Law on Asylum and Refugees (Law for Asylum and Refugees).
It gives the right to asylum to any foreigner who is persecuted on the basis of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, membership of a social group or other grounds. But only if such a foreigner is outside the state of nationality and cannot receive protection from it.
Political asylum in Bulgaria is granted on a general basis and does not stand out as a separate form of protection (as, for example, in Russia). In addition to international protection based on persecution, the asylum granted gives the alien the right of residence. Also, the primary residence permit, according to Art. 25b of the Law "On Foreigners", members of their families are entitled to receive.
At the same time, Art. 13a of the Law "On Citizenship" gives refugees the right to citizenship as early as three years after receiving humanitarian status.
Employment in Bulgaria
Working in Bulgaria does not give the right to citizenship, but you can get a primary residence permit. A residence permit is issued to foreigners who have received a work permit from the Employment Agency (Zaetostta Agency). Such a permit can be obtained only on condition that there is no opportunity to employ a citizen of Bulgaria for the vacancy.
The permit is issued on the basis of an application from the employer, who must:
- research the Bulgarian labor market and confirm the lack of suitable locals;
- to prove the number of attracted foreign labor force, not exceeding 20% of the average number of Bulgarians;
- prove that the foreigner has a suitable qualification;
- provide no less favorable working conditions than for local residents.
In order to obtain Bulgarian citizenship for a Russian citizen, he will have to go all the way of naturalization, first obtaining a residence permit / permanent residence, and having lived with him for at least 5 years.
Business in Bulgaria
The business itself does not give the right to citizenship, the owner of the enterprise can apply for citizenship only in the general procedure of naturalization. But provided that at least 10 jobs are created at a commercial enterprise and Bulgarian citizens are hired for them, a business in Bulgaria gives the right to apply for a primary residence permit.
The second option for obtaining a residence permit is to open a representative office of a foreign, for example, a Russian commercial company owned by an immigrant.
Important conditions are registration with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, submission of tax reports and documentation on the planned activities.
Acquisition of real estate
Real estate in Bulgaria is considered a good investment tool. Over the past few years, prices for it have been steadily growing, and this dynamics is expected to continue in 2021. Decent housing in a new building in a large seaside town can be bought here for 50-60 thousand euros.
However, on the basis of such an acquisition, it is possible to obtain only a short-term visa for entry (not required for Ukrainians with a biometric passport).To obtain a primary residence permit on the basis of real estate ownership, in accordance with clause 19, part 24 of the Law "On Foreigners", the value of the object must be at least 600 thousand levs (300 thousand euros).
Regardless of its cost, it will not be possible to obtain citizenship in Bulgaria when buying real estate. Owners of even expensive objects will have to live in the country for a long time and go through the naturalization path on a general basis, having first received a primary residence permit, then a residence permit / permanent residence, and only after that requesting a Bulgarian passport.
Getting an education
Education does not give the right to citizenship, but allows you to get a residence permit. In accordance with Art. 24c of the Law on Foreigners, a long-term residence permit for up to 1 year can be issued to foreigners who are:
- full-time students at a Bulgarian university;
- students of secondary education institutions on exchange programs;
- foreign interns.
Before entering a Bulgarian university, you need to prove your solvency, since the cost of a year of study starts at 1 thousand euros per year.
Upon graduation, the foreigner will have to find a new basis for extending the residence permit, for example, employment.
By the way, you can find a job with a diploma from a Bulgarian university not only in Bulgaria, but also in another EU country.
Immigration program for retirees
Clause 10, part 24 of the Law "On Foreigners" allows issuing a residence permit to all foreign pensioners who receive a Bulgarian or other pension and at the same time have sufficient funds to ensure their own existence.
Bulgarian citizenship for pensioners is granted in a general manner, no simplifications are provided for obtaining a passport. To obtain a passport, they need to renew their residence permit annually, then obtain permanent residence / permanent residence, live with it for another 5 years, and, subject to all other conditions, apply for citizenship.
Bulgarian citizenship by origin
There are other grounds that give the right to a simplified procedure for obtaining a passport, for example, Art. 16 of the Law "On Citizenship" gives the right to offer this legal status without observing any conditions for services to the country in the public, economic, cultural, sports and other spheres. However, the most common basis is citizenship by descent.
If you prove Bulgarian origin, Art. 15 of the law allows you to register a Bulgarian indigenous person without observing the conditions for compulsory residence and its duration, on the presence of a legal source of income, knowledge of the Bulgarian language and on renunciation of the existing citizenship. But in order to obtain such privileges, it is necessary to present documents confirming Bulgarian origin, for example, a birth certificate (of the applicant or his parents, where the nationality is Bulgarian), certificates issued by the Bulgarian communities and diasporas, extracts from the parish books of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and so on.
You can also request confirmation of Bulgarian roots in Bulgaria by contacting the state archives at the place of the alleged residence of relatives on the territory of the republic. Nationality can also be indicated in the decision of the courts, military cards, certificates, personal files at the place of work or registration of acts of civil status.
Having received the necessary documents about the roots, you need to register with DABCH - the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad. This can be done online on the Agency's website. It will not work out physically to sign up for a month or two months in advance - the record is carried out about a year in advance.
Another option is to make an appointment by phone at a consulate on the territory of Ukraine, Russia or another country. Having made an appointment for submission of documents, the applicant will have to personally appear at the selected body, submit a package of documents and wait for their processing. On average, within 9 months, he will be issued a certificate of Bulgarian origin.
But on its basis, a foreigner can apply for a Bulgarian national visa, enter the country with it, then apply for a permanent residence permit and then - Bulgarian citizenship. Passport is the final stage of naturalization, Bulgarians by origin immediately after entry have the right to receive permanent residence (paragraph 25 of the Law "On Foreigners"), which gives them the right to live and work in Bulgaria for an unlimited time.
Naturalization stages
Thus, Bulgarian citizenship for Russians can be obtained for various reasons. However, the general procedure for naturalization, with the exception of issuing a passport by origin, always involves passing a number of mandatory stages:
- Obtaining a national visa and entering the country.
- Obtaining a primary residence permit.
- Obtaining a long-term or permanent residence permit.
- Applying for citizenship.
Primary residence permit
Obtaining a residence permit in Bulgaria is the first stage of naturalization. Residence permit for long-term stay, in accordance with Art. 23 of the Law "On Foreigners", issued for a maximum period of 1 year. A complete list of the grounds on which it can be issued is determined by Art. 24 laws.
Provided that the grounds for obtaining it are preserved, such a residence permit can be renewed annually, about which a foreign citizen must annually apply to the migration authorities.
The presence of a residence permit does not limit its owners in the right to reside and enter / exit the Republic of Belarus, the only drawback is the short period of its validity.
Obtaining a residence permit / permanent residence
Having lived with a residence permit for an extended stay of at least 5 years, a foreigner has the right to apply for permanent residence / permanent residence in Bulgaria. Both of these statuses give the right to permanent residence in the republic, but at the same time they have some differences.
A long-term residence permit is issued for a period of 5 years with the right to renew it. Until it is received, the maximum cumulative period of absence from the Bulgarian territory cannot exceed 10 months. The cost of the state fee for its issuance is 110 leva.
Permanent residence in Bulgaria (permanent residence permit) is issued indefinitely and does not need to be extended (except for the emergence of grounds for its deprivation). To obtain it, the period of absence from the Bulgarian territory must not exceed 30 months in total. The amount of the state duty for registration is 1 thousand leva. There are no other differences between these statuses.
If you have one of these statuses, you can obtain citizenship in Bulgaria after 5 years of residence. That is, the cumulative period of residence in the Bulgarian territory in the general order should be at least 10 years. We remind you that this period can be reduced for one reason or another.
A package of necessary documents for citizenship
Please note that the package of documents may differ depending on the situation. The application and the package of documents are submitted personally to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus. The main thing that is needed to obtain Bulgarian citizenship is to prepare and submit a package of documents, including:
- application for admission to citizenship in the form, approved. Resolution No. 1 of 19.02.1999. It is filled in in Bulgarian. You can view and download it below;
- a copy of the birth certificate;
- certificate of residence permit or permanent residence;
- police clearance certificate from the country of citizenship;
- a certificate from the Bulgarian prosecutor's office that no criminal cases have been opened against the applicant;
- a certificate from the employer or from the tax service about the salary for the previous year + documents on the payment of insurance premiums;
- a certificate of the Ministry of Education and Science on knowledge of the Bulgarian language or a document on obtaining education in the Republic of Belarus;
- medical certificate confirming the absence of infectious diseases and mental disorders;
- certificate of Bulgarian origin (for ethnic Bulgarians);
- a declaration on the acquisition or change of citizenship in the form approved by Appendix No. 4 to Resolution No. 1;
- autobiography;
- 1 photo;
- a photocopy of the passport;
- receipt of payment of state duty;
- certificate of release from existing citizenship
All documents issued outside the Republic of Belarus must be apostilled. The specific package of documents required for certain grounds for acquiring citizenship can be found on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
Procedure for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship
The procedure for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship will differ for applicants with Bulgarian origin and for others applying for a passport through general naturalization, with only one stage - the need to apply to the DABC.
Thus, the procedure for obtaining a Bulgarian passport includes:
- Registration at DABCH, booking time and submitting documents confirming ethnic roots. Waiting, obtaining a certificate of origin (certificate for origin).
- Book a suitable date for submission of documents on the website of the Ministry of Justice. Since 2021, documents will not be accepted or interviewed without electronic booking on the website.
- Visiting the ministry, passing an interview. Interviews are conducted by employees of the "Bulgarian Citizenship" department. How long the interview for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship takes depends on individual circumstances. Usually it consists of several standard questions in Bulgarian and does not take more than half an hour. The level of language skills for the interview is basic. If an incomplete package of documents is submitted, the missing documents must be submitted two months in advance.
- Waiting for a decision. The “Bulgarian Citizenship” Department prepares a report and a draft decision on each case and sends them to the Minister of Justice. While the applicant is waiting, he can check the queue number for Bulgarian citizenship - more on that below.
- Issue by the President of the decree on the conferral of citizenship.
- Personal visit to the ministry and obtaining a certificate of citizenship.
- Registration of address and administrative registration in the community, obtaining a Bulgarian passport.
The term for consideration of the application is 18 months in general, and 12 months for ethnic Bulgarians. While the applicant is awaiting a decision on his application, he can check the status of the consideration online. The verification of the Bulgarian citizenship is carried out on the website of the “Bulgarian Citizenship” department according to the case number and the code issued when submitting documents.
Can citizenship be refused
The Bulgarian Citizenship Office and the Citizenship Council do not always satisfy the applications of foreigners wishing to become citizens of the republic. The most common reasons for refusal are:
- submission of an incomplete package of documents during the second interview;
- identification of signs of fictitious documents or inaccuracy of the information provided during the interview;
- negative review or decision of DABCH - in relation to ethnic Bulgarians;
- insufficient level of knowledge of the language;
- a threat to public order and national security.
The legislation does not provide for the possibility of appealing against the refusal to issue a decree on the acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship upon naturalization.
Is dual citizenship allowed
One of the main questions for our compatriots is whether dual citizenship is allowed in Bulgaria. In general terms, Art. 3 of the Law "On Citizenship" allows Bulgarians to have citizenship of foreign states without any legal consequences for the connection with Bulgaria. However, in relations with the Republic of Belarus, they will be recognized exclusively as citizens of Bulgaria - the principle of dormant citizenship is applied.
The country does not have any agreements on bipatrism with the Russian Federation, the country does not, therefore, dual citizenship of Russia with Bulgaria is impossible. This does not exclude the right to obtain a Bulgarian passport as a second. But this option is possible only for ethnic Bulgarians - in the general naturalization procedure, immigrants will have to give up their Russian passport when applying for a Bulgarian one.
Conclusion
There are many ways of immigration to Bulgaria, but most of them involve only a general procedure for naturalization, within which citizenship can be obtained only after 10 years of permanent residence.
Only the spouses and children of Bulgarians, as well as ethnic Bulgarians by origin, have the right to shorten the terms. The general procedure involves filing an application with the Ministry of Justice, passing an interview and waiting for a response. The term for consideration is 18 months.
