Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Interest of foreign citizens in Bulgarian passports is growing

Photo: library

The number of applications for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship has doubled for 3 years, according to data by the Ministry of Justice. In 2020, there were 11,447 applications, in 2021 - 20,094, in 2022 – 20,825. Until November 24, 2023, a total of 23,439 applications were submitted.

There is also a drastic rise in the number of citizens of Turkey who want Bulgarian passports. For 3 years, their number has grown nearly 10 tenfold. In 2020, 660 Turks applied for citizenship. In 2023, their number already reached 5,935.

Many naturalization applicants file forged or false documents, the Ministry of Justice reports. This leads to great delays in processing, as the Citizenship Council assigns additional checks taking about 8-9 months, BGNES reports.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Foreign organizations support migrant trafficking along Bulgarian-Turkish border

On February 7, a border patrol with Frontex officers, after hours of surveillance, seized a car with two Italian citizens, one from Spain and one from Lithuania in the area of the town of Zvezdets. Those posing as members of an NGO met a group of 11..

published on 2/9/25 2:21 PM

For the 24th consecutive year Sofia is hosting the Vienna Ball

The Vienna Ball in Sofia was opened by the authentic orchestra of Johann Strauss, with which the organizers of the secular event paid tribute to the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Waltz King . The ball, which is under the patronage of the mayors..

published on 2/9/25 11:15 AM
Highway E-75 passing via Belgrade (illustrative photo)

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry warns of traffic problems in Serbia on E-75

A 7-hour blockade of the Gazela Bridge in Belgrade has been announced from 11:00 to 18:00 on Sunday, February 9, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed. The bridge is part of the international road E-75. The Bulgarian authorities recommend that..

published on 2/9/25 11:01 AM