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Issuing a Passport

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Required Documents

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1. Application form (obtained at the Consulate General or downloaded online from HERE).

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Note: It is not necessary to bring photos. Photos/biometric data will be taken on-site at the Consulate General when submitting the application for Bulgarian personal documents.

2. Previous passport - original and photocopy;
 
3. ID card (original and photocopy) in case of absence of the previous passport;
 
4. If the person does not possess Bulgarian personal documents issued after 2000, they need to provide a certificate of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice (original and photocopy), birth certificate (original and photocopy), and a national passport issued by another country (if available);
 
5. State fee, payable on-site at the Consulate General;
 
6. For applicants under 18 years old - birth certificate (original and photocopy) and ID document (original and photocopy). Both parents must be present during the application process, sign the application, and provide their identification documents (ID card or passport - original and photocopy);

Presence of only one parent is possible if:
- There is an explicitly notarized power of attorney in the original from the absent parent for the issuance of the passport;
- The other parent is deprived of parental rights, confirmed by a court decision;
- There is a court decision explicitly stating that one parent can submit documents for the issuance of a passport for the child without the consent of the other parent;
- Document certifying that the other parent has deceased;
- Court decision from a Bulgarian or foreign court, confirmed by a Bulgarian court, stating that the other parent is missing;
- If the father is unknown.

7. In case of a change of permanent address, an address certificate issued by the relevant municipal administration in Bulgaria should be provided;
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8. In the event of a name change due to marriage, a Bulgarian marriage certificate in original and photocopy should be provided;
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9. If the previous passport was lost, destroyed, or stolen, a declaration according to Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations for Issuance of Bulgarian Personal Documents should be completed, detailing the circumstances of the loss or theft of the document. In case of theft, a document from the police authorities should be presented. In this case, the person should also present their birth certificate and ID card, if available;
 
10. Individuals who have lost a Bulgarian personal document or have not returned/renewed their Bulgarian personal document within the legally prescribed period, after its expiration (3 months for passports and 1 month for ID cards), will have an administrative offence report drawn up, and a penalty decree issued based on Article 53 of the Law on Administrative Violations and Article 81 of the Law on Bulgarian Personal Documents.

Receiving

Bulgarian personal documents are received in person, except when the application has been submitted in person - in which case they can be received by an authorized person after presenting a notarized power of attorney or by a person whose details are listed in the application at the time of submission.

 
Bulgarian personal documents can also be received in person using a licensed postal or courier service when the following conditions are simultaneously fulfilled:
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1. The application for the issuance of Bulgarian personal documents is submitted in person;

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2. An address for receiving the new document within the territory of a country where the Republic of Bulgaria has a diplomatic or consular representation is provided during the application;

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3. A prepaid envelope for return with a tracking number is provided during the application.
 
Upon submission of the application, the applicant should return any previous personal documents (regardless of whether they are valid or expired) of the same type, if available, fill out a declaration of loss, theft, damage, or destruction of a Bulgarian personal document, or submit a request for retention of the passport.

Individuals to whom Bulgarian personal documents are issued cannot claim compensation for damages from the competent state authorities for damages resulting from the loss or damage to the Bulgarian personal document if the loss or damage occurred after it was handed over to a licensed postal or courier service provider.

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State Fees for Passport Issuance​

Legal Basis:

Tariff 3 for fees collected for consular services in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs system under the State Fees Act.
Tariff 4 for fees collected in the Ministry of Interior system under the State Fees Act.
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Deadlines for issuing Bulgarian personal documents from the Ministry of the Interior (excluding the deadline for receiving the documents at the Consulate General):

- Regular service - up to 45 days

- Express service - up to 30 days

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For the express service of issuing an identity card and/or passport, when the application is submitted to the diplomatic or consular representations of the Republic of Bulgaria abroad, and at the request of the applicant, the service will be completed within 60 days.

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For the requested express service, an additional fee of 44.70 euros (87.43 BGN) must be paid by bank transfer directly to DHL for courier services. This payment covers the delivery of the personal documents to the consular office and should be accompanied by the issued payment document.

(For more information, see the section Receiving Personal Documents via DHL)​