Over 150,000 citizens from North Macedonia have obtained Bulgarian passports since 2001. Another 53,000 applications sit pending at Bulgaria’s Ministry of Justice. The numbers reveal a system under pressure, with processing times stretching beyond legal limits and rejection rates climbing.
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The Scale of Applications
Bulgaria granted citizenship to 1,698 North Macedonians in 2024, down from 2,422 in 2023. The decline reflects tighter scrutiny rather than reduced interest. Legal firms working with Macedonian clients report rejection rates hitting 80% in some periods, even when applicants submit complete documentation.
Ukrainian nationals topped the 2024 citizenship grants at 2,436, followed by Turkish citizens at 2,163. Moldova placed third with 1,887. North Macedonia ranked fourth despite the shared history and geographic proximity between the two countries.
Eligibility Through Bulgarian Ancestry
Article 15 of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act allows citizenship claims through proven Bulgarian origin. The law extends to the third generation, meaning great-grandparents qualify as valid ancestral connections.
Who can apply:
- Direct descendants with Bulgarian parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents
- Biological children only (stepchildren excluded)
- No requirement for intermediate generations to have claimed citizenship
- Applicants don’t need to speak Bulgarian
An applicant whose great-grandfather held Bulgarian citizenship can apply directly, even if their grandparent and parent never claimed it. The key requirement is documented proof of the ancestral connection.
How the Application Works
Bulgaria eliminated the two-step process in March 2021. Previously, applicants needed a certificate from the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad before applying for citizenship. That preliminary step alone took 12 months.
Current process:
- Collect official documents proving Bulgarian ancestry
- Submit application at Bulgarian consulate abroad or Ministry of Justice in Sofia
- Complete interview (conducted in Bulgarian, English, or with translator)
- Ministry conducts background verification and criminal record checks
- Citizenship Council reviews application and makes recommendation
- Bulgarian President issues decree granting or denying citizenship
- Successful applicants receive citizenship certificate and can apply for passport
The law sets a nine-month deadline for origin-based applications. Reality differs. Most cases take 12 to 18 months, with some extending to two years.
Required Documentation
All documents must be translated by sworn Bulgarian translators. Foreign documents need apostille certification or consular legalization depending on international agreements.
Mandatory documents:
- Applicant’s birth certificate
- Birth certificates of Bulgarian ancestors showing lineage
- Marriage or death certificates of ancestors
- School diplomas or military service records proving Bulgarian ethnicity
- Criminal record certificate from country of current citizenship
- Criminal record certificate from Bulgaria (if applicant lived there)
- Medical certificate confirming no contagious diseases
- Personal data declaration
- Receipt for paid state fees
The Ministry of Justice can request additional proof within 14 days if submitted documents lack sufficient detail. Applications get terminated if required evidence cannot be provided.
Financial Costs
Government fees total BGN 150 (approximately €77):
- Application processing: BGN 100
- Citizenship certificate: BGN 50
Additional expenses include:
- Document translation: €50 per document
- Apostille or legalization: varies by country
- Document retrieval from Bulgarian archives: €200 to €1,000
- Legal representation: €7,000 to €15,000 for complex cases
Most self-directed applications cost between $3,500 and $5,000 total.
Dual Citizenship Status
Bulgaria permits dual citizenship for applicants claiming Bulgarian origin. Section 12, Paragraph 2 of the Citizenship Act exempts origin-based applicants from renunciation requirements.
Standard naturalization applicants must renounce other citizenships. Origin-based applicants keep their North Macedonian nationality while gaining Bulgarian citizenship. Both the United States and Canada also allow dual citizenship, creating no conflicts for diaspora applicants.
Rising Rejection Rates
The Bulgarian Ministry of Justice refused citizenship to 5,946 applicants in 2024 across all nationalities. Common rejection reasons included forged documents, false origin claims, and national security concerns.
The situation hits North Macedonians particularly hard. Immigration lawyers report cases where two brothers applying together receive different outcomes, one approved and one rejected despite identical documentation. Even applicants holding valid certificates from the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad face denials.
Bulgaria revoked 38 previously granted citizenships in 2024 after discovering concealed criminal records or fraudulent Bulgarian origin claims.
The Political Dimension
Bulgaria blocked North Macedonia’s EU accession negotiations in 2020. The dispute centers on historical interpretation, language recognition, and minority rights. Bulgaria demands North Macedonia add Bulgarians to the constitutional list of recognized minorities.
The 2021 census in North Macedonia counted only 3,504 ethnic Bulgarians, representing 0.2% of the population. Yet over 100,000 North Macedonians hold Bulgarian passports. Bulgarian officials claim census manipulation, pointing to 120,000 households that census workers never visited.
Violence has targeted Bulgarian cultural clubs in North Macedonia. The Vancho Mihaylov club in Bitola was set on fire in June 2022. The Boris III club in Ohrid had its facade smashed multiple times in late 2022, with gunfire directed at the building in November.
The European Parliament removed references to “Macedonian identity” and “Macedonian language” from its July 2025 progress report on North Macedonia, further straining relations.
Benefits of Bulgarian Citizenship
Bulgarian citizens hold full European Union citizenship. Bulgaria joined the Schengen Area in 2025, eliminating border controls with 28 other European countries.
Citizenship grants:
- Right to live and work in any EU member state
- Visa-free travel across Schengen Area
- Access to education at EU university rates
- Healthcare rights throughout the European Union
- Consular protection from Bulgarian and EU embassies
- Voting rights in European Parliament elections
- Automatic citizenship for future children
Timeline and Realistic Expectations
Legal processing deadlines rarely match reality. While the law mandates nine months for origin-based applications, expect at least 12 months. Complex cases requiring additional documentation or genealogical research stretch to 18 months or beyond.
After approval, obtaining the actual passport takes additional time. Applicants must first receive the citizenship decree, then apply for a national identity card and passport through regular channels.
Applications submitted in early 2026 should receive decisions by early 2027 under normal circumstances. Delays are common.
Practical Reality for Applicants
The path to Bulgarian citizenship requires authentic documentation and patience. Success rates vary based on documentation quality and current political climate between Bulgaria and North Macedonia.
Applicants need original documents from Bulgarian state archives proving ancestral Bulgarian nationality. Birth and death certificates alone rarely suffice. School records explicitly stating Bulgarian ethnicity or military service documents carry more weight.
Working with lawyers experienced in Bulgarian citizenship law helps navigate the system, but guarantees nothing. The Ministry of Justice and Citizenship Council maintain discretion in evaluating applications.
For North Macedonians with genuine Bulgarian ancestry and proper documentation, the process remains viable despite increased scrutiny. The benefits of EU citizenship justify the effort for many families, particularly those seeking educational and employment opportunities in Western Europe.
The reality of Bulgarian passport applications centers on documentation, patience, and realistic expectations about both timelines and approval chances in the current political environment.
