Apply for permanent residence in Bulgaria. The permit for permanent residence lasts one year, and you must renew it every year for at least five consecutive years. Five years of consecutive residence is mandatory for citizenship, and without citizenship you cannot obtain a Bulgarian passport.
Learn to speak Bulgarian fluently. There is a language test you must pass before obtaining a Bulgarian passport. Pass the test and you will get an official document from the Ministry of Education and Science attesting to your fluency in Bulgarian.
Find employment in Bulgaria that will allow you to support yourself there. You will need to show proof of income and employment as part of your application for Bulgarian citizenship.
Avoid getting into trouble with the law. Anyone that has been sentenced for a crime by a Bulgarian court or involved in criminal proceedings in Bulgaria will have their application for citizenship rejected, unless they can show proof of rehabilitation.
Undergo a medical and psychological exam, along with an HIV test. Get an official document from the Doctors' Consultative Committee of the hospital affirming the veracity of the medical results.
Submit an application for citizenship at the Ministry of Justice. Include:
- a detailed resumé
- one photograph
- birth certificate or a notarized/legalized copy of it
- a declaration explaining why you want to become a Bulgarian citizen
- document by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria showing your proficiency in Bulgarian language
- court certificate from the Bulgarian courts regarding your criminal record in Bulgaria, if any.
- criminal background check of your home country
- proof of five years' permanent residence
- certificate from the Bulgarian Prosecution Service that you are not being prosecuted for a crime
- a document from your employer in Bulgaria that you have legal employment or a document from the respective local tax authority for a declared income from the previous year.
- medical document issued by the Doctors' Consultative Committee of your local hospital in Bulgaria confirming that you are free of disease
Apply for a Bulgarian passport. As a citizen of Bulgaria, there will be no problem with the application and it should be issued to you within several days of application.
