How Bulgarian citizenship by descent works
The eligibility rules for Bulgarian citizenship by descent, in plain English — who may qualify, what disqualifies, and the legal regimes over time, each cited to its primary statute.
Who may qualify
A qualifying path — via the declaration route
Requirements
ALL of the following
the applicant has a qualifying adoption (was finalized). If this fact is absent, the rule treats it as not applying (rather than asking for more information).
- was finalized:
- true
the applicant has a recorded adoption such that adoption type = full. If this fact is absent, the rule treats it as not applying (rather than asking for more information).
- adoption type:
- full
Citizenship must have passed to the applicant through a finalized adoption, with the adoptive parent holding bulgarian citizenship at the time of the adoption.
- required citizenship:
- bulgarian
Primary sources
- § Bulgarian Citizenship Act, Art. 15(1)(2) (as amended SG 41/2001) — facilitated naturalization by full adoption (пълно осиновяване) by a Bulgarian citizen; no Bulgarian biological ancestry required; waives Art. 12(1) items 2/4/5/6 (residence, renunciation, income, language)
A qualifying path — via the declaration route
Requirements
ALL of the following
Must NOT be true
the applicant's link to the qualifying ancestor is by adoption (rather than by birth).
- tie is adoptive:
- yes
ANY of the following
the applicant must be the parent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- parent
the applicant must be the grandparent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- grandparent
the applicant must be the great grandparent of the qualifying ancestor.
- relationship:
- great_grandparent
ANY of the following
the qualifying ancestor must have held bulgarian citizenship at the moment the applicant was born, passing it down the line by descent. Where the claim runs through more than one generation, a later loss of that citizenship is measured against the birth of that ancestor's own child on the line — the point at which it would have passed down — rather than against the applicant's birth.
- required citizenship:
- bulgarian
a qualifying ancestor on any line must have documented bulgarian heritage.
- heritage type:
- bulgarian
Primary sources
- § Bulgarian Citizenship Act, Art. 15(1) — facilitated naturalization (declaration) by Bulgarian origin
- § Bulgarian Citizenship Act, Art. 15(2) + Additional Provisions §2(1) — Bulgarian-origin ascendant up to the 3rd degree (great-grandparent); 'Bulgarian origin' = at least one ascendant who is Bulgarian (ethnicity/national identity, not necessarily a citizenship holder)
See how these rules apply to your family
The free eligibility check walks your own lineage through these rules — no account, no card, about two minutes.
Check your Bulgarian eligibility