Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 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

Aleksandar Nikoloski

Sharp reactions in Bulgaria after North Macedonia's Deputy Premier called Bulgarians "uncivilized"

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) insists that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons the Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia to explain comments made by North Macedonia’s Deputy Premier Aleksandar Nikoloski. In a TV interview he called..

published on 9/18/24 5:18 PM
Златни пясъци

Bulgaria has the fifth highest growth in overnight stays in the EU, according to Eurostat

Bulgaria is among the top 5 countries in the EU in terms of growth in the number of nights spent by visitors in the period Apr-June 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, Eurostat said.  The data show that the country is establishing itself as a..

published on 9/18/24 3:57 PM

MPs introduce 'national resort' criteria

Parliament has adopted, in first reading, amendments to the Tourism Act that regulate the criteria for the designation of National Resorts. The designation will be made by a decision of the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Minister of..

published on 9/18/24 1:53 PM