Do I lose Bulgarian citizenship if I take another one?

No. Bulgarian citizenship ends only by decree — for example, on release at your request. Bulgarians by birth cannot be deprived of citizenship.

Which passport should I use to enter Bulgaria?

Your Bulgarian passport or ID card. In Bulgaria you are treated only as a Bulgarian citizen, so the Bulgarian document is the right one.

Can I vote in both countries?

Under Bulgarian law your right to vote in Bulgarian elections does not depend on any other citizenship. Whether you can also vote in your other country depends on its rules.

Do I have to declare my other citizenship to the Bulgarian authorities?

The Regulation on Bulgarian Identity Documents requires you to notify an embassy or the Ministry of Interior within 60 days if you receive an identity document from another country.

Dual citizenship · BG Sfera

Bulgaria allows dual citizenship. A Bulgarian does not lose their citizenship by taking another one — it ends only by presidential decree if they ask to be released. People of Bulgarian origin can become Bulgarian citizens without giving up their current citizenship. Whether your other country allows dual citizenship depends on its own rules — check with its authorities.

When dual citizenship is allowed

Bulgarians by birth who take a foreign citizenship remain Bulgarian. The Constitution forbids depriving them of citizenship (Art. 25(3)).
People of Bulgarian origin and people with a Bulgarian parent who apply under Art. 15 of the Citizenship Act do not have to give up their other citizenship.
General naturalisation (without Bulgarian origin) normally requires giving up your current citizenship. Exceptions apply to spouses of Bulgarian citizens, citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, and of countries with a reciprocity treaty (Art. 12(2)).

Only a person who lives permanently abroad and has already acquired another citizenship, or has started the procedure, can ask to be released from Bulgarian citizenship (Art. 20).

In Bulgaria you are only a Bulgarian citizen

When Bulgarian law is applied, a citizen who also holds another citizenship is treated only as a Bulgarian citizen (Art. 3 of the Citizenship Act). So in dealings with Bulgarian institutions — courts, taxes, inheritance, elections — you use your Bulgarian identity and personal number (EGN).

Travelling to and from Bulgaria

Because you are treated only as a Bulgarian citizen in Bulgaria, use a valid Bulgarian passport or ID card when entering and leaving the country. Each Bulgarian citizen may hold only one valid ordinary passport and one ID card. If yours have expired, renew them at an embassy before you travel — see the passport guide.

Voting

Every Bulgarian citizen aged 18 or over has the right to vote (Art. 42 of the Constitution), whether or not they hold another citizenship. You can vote in Bulgaria or at a polling station abroad — see the guide on voting abroad.

Offices with extra conditions

Some public offices have conditions on citizenship or residence:

	With another citizenship	Legal basis
President and Vice President	no — must be Bulgarian by birth with no other citizenship	Art. 93(2) of the Constitution
Member of Parliament	yes, if you have lived in Bulgaria for the last 18 months	Art. 65(1) of the Constitution
Minister	on the same conditions as an MP	Art. 110 of the Constitution
Member of the European Parliament	the Code sets no citizenship condition; you need a permanent address in Bulgaria and 6 months in Bulgaria or the EU	Art. 351 of the Election Code
Mayor or municipal councillor	the Code sets no citizenship condition; you need 6 months in the place	Art. 397 of the Election Code

The conditions for MPs and the President were changed at the end of 2023. Check the current text before standing.

If you are not sure you are a Bulgarian citizen

If you left Bulgaria long ago, were born abroad or do not know whether you were ever released from citizenship, you can ask the Ministry of Justice for a certificate of Bulgarian citizenship (Art. 39). You apply through the municipality or an embassy; the certificate is issued within 30 days and is valid for 1 year.

Dual citizenship