Application for a polling station abroad

The application to vote abroad is submitted online on the Central Election Commission (CIK) website (cik.bg) or on paper at the embassy or consulate, no later than 25 days before election day. It serves two purposes: applications decide whether a polling station opens where you asked for one, and they are used to draw up the voter lists for abroad.

deadline

25 days

before election day

applications

40

for a station outside an embassy

voters

100

in the EU a station opens automatically

applications

300

for machine voting

Who applies

Any Bulgarian citizen entitled to vote who wants to vote abroad in a parliamentary, presidential or European Parliament election. One application covers one person. A single letter to the embassy may contain several applications, for example for the whole family.

How to apply

1. Open the CIK form

   The online application appears on cik.bg under “Voting abroad” for each election once it has been called.

2. Fill in your details

   Your names in Bulgarian as they appear on your ID card or passport, your personal number (EGN), your permanent address in Bulgaria, the place abroad where you want to vote and your current address there. An email address is optional, but you will be notified there if the application is not confirmed.

3. Or apply on paper

   A hand-signed application on the standard form, in person or by post to the embassy or consulate in your country.

4. Check the result

   Online applications are checked automatically as you submit them. CIK publishes a list of confirmed and a list of unconfirmed applications.

When a polling station opens

At an embassy or consulate a polling station is always set up where the host country allows it — no applications are needed.

Outside the embassy in an EU country a station opens:

• if at least 40 applications are submitted for the place, or
• automatically, if in the past 5 years a station there had at least 100 voters. CIK publishes the list of these places no later than 50 days before the election.

Outside the embassy in a non-EU country a station may open with at least 40 applications, but CIK decides on a reasoned proposal from the embassy. It takes into account where the community lives, distances, premises and the host country’s consent. For European Parliament elections, outside the EU polling stations open only in embassies and consulates.

One station is set up for every 500 applications in a place, and another may be added for the remainder. Bulgarian organisations in a city may also propose locations to the head of the embassy or consulate, up to 25 days before the election.

What the application means

• If you are on the list for abroad, your name is removed from the list at your permanent address in Bulgaria.
• The application is valid for the election it was made for, including a second round. The law does not provide for separate applications for each round.
• If you did not apply, you can still vote at any station opened abroad by signing a declaration there.

Deadlines are counted back from election day. For the election of 25 October 2026, for example, online applications were accepted until 24:00 Bulgarian time on 29 September 2026.