Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 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

Heatwave continues, yellow code is in force

On Wednesday, minimum temperatures will range from 18 to 23°C , in Sofia – 18°. It will be a sunny and hot day, with a yellow heat warning in place for western and central Bulgaria. There will be a light to moderate easterly wind. Maximum..

published on 8/12/25 7:05 PM

Increasing number of companies in Bulgaria want licenses for weapons-related activities

The number of companies requesting licenses for weapons-related activities from the Commission for Export Control and Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction has been rising. This is indicated in the report of the commission..

published on 8/12/25 6:41 PM

Special operation by security services targets arms dealer over illegal practices

Security services in Bulgaria are conducting searches and seizures at homes and offices in Sofia and other parts of the country. The operations are being carried out at the request of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, as part of an..

published on 8/12/25 1:52 PM