Do I need a declaration to fly from Sofia to Munich with one parent?

There has been no border check at internal Schengen borders since 31 March 2024. The rule on both parents’ consent still applies, though, and in a police check at the airport you may be asked for the declaration. The Foreign Ministry advises carrying it.

How long is the declaration valid?

As long as it says: for one specific trip or for multiple trips until the child turns 18.

Can a grandmother travel with her grandchild?

Yes, with a notarised declaration from both parents naming the grandmother as the companion.

We live abroad — can we certify the declaration there?

Yes, at the consular section of the Bulgarian embassy. Some embassies also accept a local notary with an apostille and a Bulgarian translation — check with the mission.

The other parent does not agree. What can I do?

Apply to the district court for the child’s current address. The court can allow travel for a set period, specific countries or a number of trips if it is in the child’s interest.

Children travelling abroad without a parent

A child who is a Bulgarian citizen and under 18 leaves Bulgaria with the consent of both parents. If the child is not travelling with both of them, a notarised written declaration of consent from the parent or parents who stay behind is required (Art. 76(9) of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act). Without it, border officers may stop the child from leaving.

Whose consent is needed

	Declaration from	Who goes to the notary
With both parents	not needed	—
With one parent	the other parent	the parent who is not travelling
Alone, unaccompanied	both parents	both parents
With a grandparent, relative, teacher, coach	both parents, naming the companion	both parents

The declaration names a specific person — a parent or companion. It can cover one trip or multiple trips until the child turns 18.

How to make the declaration

Download the form
The Foreign Ministry’s website has two forms: a declaration for a child travelling alone and one for travel with a companion.
Go to a notary or consul
In Bulgaria — a notary. Abroad — the consular section of a Bulgarian embassy. The parent brings their ID and the child’s birth certificate to prove they are the parent.
State the period and the companion
Write whether consent covers one trip or multiple trips until the age of 18, and the companion’s full name, if there is one.
Bring the original and a copy
At the border you show the original and a plain copy. The copy stays at the border crossing; the original is returned to you.

Some embassies also accept a declaration certified by a local notary if it has an apostille and a Bulgarian translation — for example the embassy in Brussels for Belgium and Luxembourg. Check with your mission in advance.

When no declaration is needed

The parent who is not travelling is not a Bulgarian citizen — shown by the child’s Bulgarian birth certificate.
The parent has been deprived of parental rights — bring the court decision (original and copy).
Only one parent is on the birth record or the other parent has died — bring the birth certificate and/or death certificate.
The child lives abroad permanently and has a residence document there. According to the embassies, border officers sometimes still ask for a declaration, so it is safer to have one.
A court has allowed the trip — bring the court decision.

Children with dual citizenship

If the child shows both the Bulgarian and the foreign identity document at the border, no declaration from the absent parent is required. If the child shows only the foreign passport and the parent who stays behind is a Bulgarian citizen who has not given written consent, the child cannot leave Bulgaria.

School groups, camps and sport

For trips with a class teacher, coach or group leader, the Foreign Ministry recommends a notarised power of attorney from the parents. Besides consent to the trip, it should expressly allow the companion, if the child loses their documents, to sign a declaration under Art. 17(1) of the Regulation on Bulgarian Identity Documents and to apply for a temporary passport so the child can return to Bulgaria.

If one parent refuses

The dispute is decided by the district court for the child’s current address (Art. 127a of the Family Code). The court gives permission if the trip is in the child’s interest — treatment, study, holidays, visiting relatives. Under interpretative decision No. 1/2016 of the Supreme Court of Cassation, permission must be limited: to a set period, specific countries or a set number of trips. The court cannot give open-ended permission for all countries.

If there is a risk of abduction, a parent can ask the court to ban the child from leaving the country. The ban is also entered in the Schengen Information System, so it applies even where there are no border checks.

The child’s identity document

A child under 14 travels with a passport, including within the Schengen area. From 14 to 18 — with a passport or ID card, depending on the country. If the child has no valid document, the consulate can issue a temporary passport.