Myths about Bulgarian citizenship
Bulgaria is one of the European countries located on the Balkan peninsula. Having joined the European Union, it became of interest to many CIS citizens who want to get a European passport. And the advantages in the form of warm climate, sea, mountains and affordable prices caused even more excitement. But it is more difficult to obtain Bulgarian citizenship than it seems at first glance. And the efforts made are not always justified. Several myths are closely connected with obtaining the citizenship of the republic, which do not give a correct assessment of the possibilities of living in this state.
Myth 1. Citizenship for the purchase of real estate
Many European countries attract the attention of foreign investors with the possibility of obtaining an EU passport for the purchase of real estate. In this way it is possible to obtain a permanent residence permit of Cyprus or Malta. In the Bulgarian legislation such a right is not prescribed. Documents for the purchase of a house on the territory of the state do not give the right even to a residence permit. The owner of real estate can count only on a multi-visa with the possibility of living in the Republic of not more than 90 days in six months. The owner of the property will have to apply for a residence permit, after 5 years - for permanent residence status or citizenship on general grounds.
Myth 2: Bulgarian citizenship is earned (bribe)
Many people equate the possibility of obtaining a Bulgarian passport with paying a bribe. Such an opinion is erroneous. To become a subject of the state you will have to try hard. People who have made a great contribution to the economy, public activity, national security, development of science and technology, culture and sports can count on the coveted passport. The disadvantage of this method is that only a couple of sportsmen have been able to use it for the last decade.
Myth 3: Citizenship can be bought
This statement is only partially true. The state really has its own investment program, which allows you to get a residence permit for investing in the economy of the state from 500 thousand to 3 million EUR. Having lived in the republic for a year with this status, the investor can apply for a passport when re-investing the same amount in the same enterprise. Since Bulgaria is not yet part of the Schengen area, its citizenship does not provide such opportunities as the citizenship of Schengen states. On this basis, it is more advantageous both financially and potentially to obtain investment citizenship of Malta or Cyprus.
Myth 4: Documents can be submitted through a lawyer
You will have to collect and submit documents to obtain citizenship of the Republic in person. In addition, all official papers must be translated into Bulgarian and notarized.
Myth 5: Free entry to the Schengen zone
The most common myth about coveted citizenship is that any EU citizenship entitles you to free movement in the Schengen zone countries. In reality, Bulgaria is one of the 6 non-Schengen countries in the European commonwealth. In order to obtain a visa to most EU states, a citizen of the republic will have to prove compliance with the conditions of entry to the territory of free movement. For most people, obtaining Bulgarian citizenship is a rather troublesome process. Lack of the possibility to travel visa-free in the Schengen zone, difficulties in paperwork, impossibility of quick acquisition of citizenship even for investors - significant disadvantages, taking into account which it is worth considering whether to pay attention to more favorable and affordable opportunities to obtain EU citizenship.
New conditions of the Bulgarian investment citizenship program
The European Commission's comments on the conditions for obtaining investment citizenship in the EU countries became the reason for changing Bulgaria's BIIP passport program. The Parliament approved the amendments to the Act, which entered into force on March 12, 2021.
As before, the norms regulate the procedure for investor participation, the size of financial investments, asset retention periods and other conditions of the program. Changes have been made to the options that lead to obtaining a residence permit and citizenship.
Retention of the residence permit and holding the investment for 5 years entitles the applicant to claim the status of a Bulgarian citizen.
Note! Buying real estate, opening a deposit in a local bank and investing in intellectual property are no longer grounds for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship.
Conditions of the Bulgarian Investment Citizenship Program Requirements for the applicant:
Age from 18 years;
absence of criminal record and criminal proceedings;
sufficient income to support a family;
impeccable personal and business reputation.
Together with the investor, the following may apply for permanent residence and then citizenship:
minor children; spouse.
The investor is not obliged to:
confirm the level of knowledge of the Bulgarian language;
reside on the territory of Bulgaria.
Personal presence of the applicant is required:
to obtain a residence permit card;
to apply for citizenship;
to obtain a naturalization certificate and ID-card.
Accelerated procedure for obtaining citizenship under the BIIP program
The new BIIP program provides for the possibility of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship 12 months after obtaining a residence permit.
The conditions depend on the option selected:
Option 1. The investor doubles the investment within one year if option 2, 3, 4, 5 is selected for participation.
Option 2: The investor increases the total investment in the company to €512 thousand and the number of jobs to 20, if option 1 is selected for participation.
Option 3. The investor increases the investment in a Bulgarian company that is implementing a certified project by €512 thousand in one year, if option 6 is selected for participation.
Option 4. The investor guarantees financial support for the realization of the certified project at a level higher than the minimum, if option 7 is selected for participation.
Advantages of Bulgarian citizenship
Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, which significantly expands the rights of its citizens.
The state ranks 18th in the world ranking of passport freedom and allows its holders to visit more than 170 countries without prior registration of authorization documents.
Bulgarian citizenship allows you to enjoy all the benefits of a civilized European society and opens up new business opportunities.
At the moment Bulgaria is the only EU state that issues passports to third-country nationals under an accelerated procedure. Despite the existing rumors about the possible closure of the program, there are no preconditions for this.
