Changing your first name or surname

A Bulgarian citizen’s name changes only under Bulgarian law. Without a court this happens in a few cases: on marriage (by declaration in the marriage record), after divorce and when restoring forcibly changed names. In all other cases the change is allowed by a district court under Art. 19 of the Civil Registration Act. A name changed before foreign authorities is not reflected in Bulgaria automatically.

new documents

30 days

after a change of name

court fee

€7.67

application under Art. 19

-ov / -ev

up to 3 years

for a child born abroad

On marriage

When marrying, each spouse states whether they keep their surname, take the other spouse’s or add it to their own (Art. 12 of the Family Code). If you marry abroad, the choice must appear in the foreign record or in a separate document from the foreign authority — see the guide on registering a marriage. Once the marriage is registered, the surname can only be changed by a court.

After divorce

After divorce a spouse may restore their surname from before the marriage (Art. 53 of the Family Code). If the judgment says so, the municipality notes it in the marriage record (Art. 79 of the Civil Registration Act). A divorce granted abroad must first be registered or recognised in Bulgaria — see the guide on divorce abroad.

Through a court

The court allows a change of first name, patronymic or surname when the name is ridiculous, shameful or socially unacceptable, or when important circumstances require it (Art. 19(1)). Whether the circumstances are important enough is for the court to decide in each case.

1. Prepare the application

   A written application to the district court stating which name you want to change, the new name and the reasons. Attach evidence — documents and, if needed, witnesses.

2. Pay the fee

   The court fee for an application to change a name is €7.67 (Art. 5 of the Tariff of court fees under the Civil Procedure Code).

3. If you live abroad

   The case can be handled by a lawyer or another representative in Bulgaria. The power of attorney can be certified at a mission’s consular section.

4. After the judgment

   Once the judgment is final, the civil status officer records the new name in your birth record (Art. 74–75). You then apply for new ID documents.

Special cases

• Forcibly changed names. Bulgarian citizens whose names were changed by force, and their children, can restore their former names by written application to the municipality with a notarised signature (Art. 19a). In Sofia this is free and takes 30 days.
• Citizenship acquired or restored. You can add the -ov or -ev ending to your patronymic and surname and adopt a Bulgarian form of your first name through a court; the procedure is exempt from court fees (Art. 19(2)).
• Child born abroad. A patronymic missing from the foreign record, and the -ov/-ev endings (within three years of birth), are added on the parents’ written request, without a court (Art. 9 and 76(3)).
• Spelling mistakes in a name are corrected administratively by the municipality (Art. 76(1)).

A name changed abroad

If you changed your name before foreign authorities — for example as a citizen of another country too — Bulgaria keeps your former name. When a foreign record with a different name is registered, the municipality asks for proof that both names belong to the same person and enters the name as it appears in the Bulgarian population register (Art. 72(5)). It can also issue a certificate of identity of a person with different names, but only for names already in the Bulgarian registers.

Which documents to replace

After the change you must apply for a new ID card and passport within 30 days, at a mission or in Bulgaria. Your driving licence must be replaced too, but consular sections in the EU do not issue licences: this is done in Bulgaria. You can request birth and marriage certificates in your new name as duplicates from the municipality or through a mission.