Bulgarian citizenship by descent. The concept of Bulgarian citizenship by descent is the acquisition of Bulgarian nationality through descent. It implies that any individual may claim Bulgarian citizenship provided that he/she could demonstrate that s)he have at least one direct ancestor (father, mother, grandfather or grandmother) born in Bulgaria or having been a Bulgarian citizen at the moment of his/her birth.
Among all methods of acquiring Bulgarian citizenship by a foreigner, descent is the simplest, as one is required to just demonstrate the relation to a citizen of this country. Also referred to as citizenship by ancestry, origin or heritage, the procedure of obtaining it is slightly different to that of naturalisation, which can also presuppose immigration to Bulgaria.
Who qualifies to get Bulgarian citizenship by descent
Ancestry-based consideration of Bulgarian citizenship is a direct way to acquire the nationality. Nevertheless, it is offered to only some groups of applicants. This implies that the applicants do not need to acquire permanent residency in Bulgaria beforehand. The following are the persons who may claim nationality by descent:
- Individuals of Bulgarian ethnical affiliations.
- Individuals adopted by Bulgarian nationals.
- To the citizens who have or had at least one parent who/was a Bulgarian citizen.
The list of documents needed to acquire Bulgarian citizenship by descent
Among the largest number of documents that are necessary to obtain a Bulgarian passport by descent is the evidence of kinship with a citizen of this state. When it comes to adopted individuals, as well as Bulgarian citizens who want to know more about their roots, the matter can be more complicated to accomplish, even though birth certificates can be quite easily generated.
The following is a list of the documentation needed when applying for Bulgarian citizenship by descent:
- The application form.
- Copies of the birth certificate of the applicant.
- Evidence of relationship.
- Marriage certificate where the individuals are married and have altered their names.
- Clean criminal background.
- Other documents, as may be needed
As to the evidence of kinship, the following documents may be presented:
- Birth certificates of not more than 3 generations of Bulgarian citizens.
- Passports and/or other ID documents of Bulgarian ancestors.
They are also the hardest to get hold of, in that you must trawl through State archives or local municipalities to collect them.
What is the duration of the acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship by origin
A couple of years ago, the Bulgarian government declared a decrease in the waiting list for the procedure of applying for citizenship. Under nationality by descent, it currently takes about 2 years as opposed to naturalisation, which takes between 9 to 12 months to be granted. But the primary benefit of acquiring Bulgarian citizenship by descent is that there are no language demands.
The applications for Bulgarian citizenship by descent are submitted to the Ministry of Justice upon an appointment.
Why have Bulgarian Citizenship
Reasons to live in Bulgaria are numerous, and we begin with the low cost of living. Bulgaria is attributed to a low cost of living relative to other European states without a sacrifice in quality. Housing, food, transportation, and utility prices tend to be lower and enable one to live more cheaply.
It also has a highly established and recognised educational and health system that offers numerous opportunities and quality services as well. Also, education and medical services are cheaper in Bulgaria than the other European countries.
What are the other privileges of Bulgarian Citizenship
Bulgaria is a Member State of the European Union, which gives you the benefits and rights of the citizenship of the European Union that are provided in all member countries, in particular:
- Liberty to work and take part in economic activities in any EU Member State.
- The opportunity to invest and buy real estate in the EU.
- Health care in every EU state.
- The freedom of movement and residence in other EU Member States.
- Education anywhere in the EU, studying in a good university, is free of charge.
- Likelihood of visiting over 160 countries without a visa.
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