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Most applicants for "golden" Bulgarian passport are from China, Russia and the Middle East

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The Bulgarian Investments Agency has certified investments made by a total of 981 persons from non-EU countries since 2014. On the basis of these investments they have been allowed permanent residence in Bulgaria or Bulgarian citizenship. This is what Deutsche Welle has learned after an inquiry.

619 people received the right of residence in exchange of investments and 362 received Bulgarian citizenship. Most of the investors are from China (169), followed by Russia (147), the Middle East countries and others.

In July, caretaker Minister of Justice Yanaki Stoilov announced the abolition of "investment citizenship" and proposed changes to the Bulgarian Citizenship Act.




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