Marriage between a Bulgarian and a foreigner

Opportunities for acquiring Bulgarian citizenship

Marriage to a Bulgarian citizen does not automatically guarantee Bulgarian citizenship. However, it is a prerequisite for obtaining one. However, a lengthy procedure should be followed, for which we advise you to use the services of a specialist in Мigration law.

Steps that a Foreigner who is married to a Bulgarian should follow in order to obtain Bulgarian citizenship

1. Obtaining a type visa type “D”:

The procedure begins with the application for a type D visa at the Bulgarian embassy of the country where the foreigner was born. It is important to obtain the necessary documents for applying for a type D visa. However, you may encounter problems in this very first step, so we advise you to use specialist services right from the start, as visa refusals are very common at the moment.

You may be eligible for a long-term residence without a “D” visa.

2. Obtaining a long-term residence

For obtaining the right of long term residence on the grounds of Art. 24, para. 1, item 18 of the Law for Foreigners in Republic of Bulgaria, the foreigner shall attach the documents under Art. 14, para. 1 and:

1. marriage certificate or birth certificate;
2. documents for the presence of kinship relations under art. 2, para. 6 of the CLRD;
3. medical documents on the presence of serious health reasons which necessitate the provision of personal care;
4. documents for the income and maintenance of the family members under art. 2, para. 6, Vols. 3, 4 and 5 of the CRRD.

On application for a long-term residence permit, the determining authority shall grant or refuse the requested residence. Note, that the refusal is subject to appeal before the court.

3. Obtaining a permanent residence

In order to obtain the right of permanent residence, the foreigner submits in person to the Migration Agency or to the Ministry of Internal Affairs a specimen application in accordance with Annex No 4, to which he/she encloses:

1. document for paid state fee under art. 12, para. 4 of the Tariff No. 4 for the fees collected in the system of the Ministry of Interior under the State Fees Act;
2. copy of a regular passport or a replacement document with the pages of the photo, personal data, visa under Art. 15, para. 1 of the FDLB, where required, and the seal of its last entry into the country; the original of the passport or the replacement document shall also be presented to verify the authenticity of the copy;
3. evidence of provided housing;
4. evidence of stable, regular, predictable and sufficient means of subsistence, without resorting to the social assistance system, not less than the minimum monthly salary or the minimum pension for the country;
5. a criminal record certificate issued by the state of which the foreigner is a national or by the state of his habitual residence – upon initial submission of the application;
6. marriage certificate;
7. the application for the application of the aliens administrative control services shall be accompanied by an official certificate of continuity of residence of the alien in the country during the last five years.

4. Obtaining citizenship

To obtain Bulgarian citizenship, the spouse of a Bulgarian citizen, must:

1. be of legal age;
2. has obtained a permit for permanent or long-term residence in the Republic of Bulgaria not less than 5 years ago;
3. the spouse has not been convicted of a premeditated crime of general nature by a Bulgarian court and no criminal proceedings have been instituted against him for such a crime, unless rehabilitated;
4. has an income or occupation which enables him to support himself in the Republic of Bulgaria;
5. is fluent in Bulgarian language, which shall be established in the order determined by an ordinance of the Minister of Education and Science;
6. has been exempted from his / her current citizenship or will be exempted from it at the moment of acquiring Bulgarian citizenship;
7. at least 3 years have been and continue to be legally married to a Bulgarian citizen.

Citizenship & Investments Ltd. provides legal protection and assistance in the overall procedure for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship. If you need legal advice or assistance, do not hesitate to contact us. You can send your inquiries to the following email address: info@bglaw.eu and to the telephone number: 02/4260393 and our lawyer will contact you.