Evidence of Bulgarian origin

Last Updated on July 30, 2023 by Bulgarian Citizenship Team

To apply for Bulgarian citizenship by origin, you have to provide evidence of your Bulgarian origin. The State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad is no longer involved in the process of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship. The decision on whether you meet the Bulgarian origin requirements now rests solely with the Ministry of Justice.

This new process greatly enhances the efficiency and objectivity of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship by origin. According to the Law for Bulgarians Living Abroad, Bulgarian origin can be established through documentation issued by Bulgarian or foreign state authorities, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, or through a request to the First Instance court.

Evidence of Bulgarian origin can be birth, death, baptism or other certificates which confirm that your ancestors are of Bulgarian descent. If you cannot present evidence of your Bulgarian origin, our law firm may assist you to obtain extracts from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages with the local municipality where your ancestors were born. We can also help you obtain relevant documents from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church or through the Bulgarian court system to establish your Bulgarian origin.

Finding records of Bulgarian origin. The Significance of the EGN number

In order to conduct the records search effectively, you need to provide the full name, date, and place of birth of your ancestors. If your ancestors were born in larger cities, it is essential to narrow down the place of birth to the specific neighborhood. If your ancestors were alive in 1978, they should have a Personal Identification Number (EGN), which allows us to easily generate records from the municipality registries.

The EGN was introduced in Bulgaria at the end of 1977. The oldest Bulgarian citizen with such a number was born in 1869. The reason Bulgaria implemented a unified civil number for each individual, despite having a population of about 8 million, almost 40 years ago, while countries with tens or hundreds of millions of inhabitants like the USSR, China, and democratic Europe did not have such a system, remains a question.

During the period from November 1st to November 30th, 1977, over 8 million people were surveyed. The surveyed included all living Bulgarian citizens and foreign nationals subject to civil registration. This means that anyone who passed away before that year does not have an EGN.

For more details about obtaining evidence of your Bulgarian origin, please feel free to contact us. 

Return to Bulgarian citizenship by origin