---
title: "Who Can Get Bulgarian Citizenship? Eligible Groups Explained"
url: https://yeniversiyon.pages.dev/en/who-can-get-bulgarian-citizenship/
lang: en
published: 2020-04-15
updated: 2026-10-02
description: "Who can get Bulgarian citizenship? Bulgarian descendants, 1951 and 1989 emigrants, spouses and long-term residents. Find out which group you belong to."
source: BulgaristanVatandas.com (https://bulgaristanvatandas.com)
---
# Who Can Get Bulgarian Citizenship? Eligible Groups Explained
**Bulgarian citizenship is open to people whose parent, grandparent or other direct ancestor is of Bulgarian origin; children and grandchildren of people who emigrated from Bulgaria (including the 1951 and 1989 emigrants); spouses of Bulgarian citizens; children of Bulgarian citizens; and people who have lived legally in Bulgaria for a long time. On the origin route there is no language, residence or income requirement. Citizenship by investment was abolished in 2022.**
This article answers one question: "Can I apply?" The legal conditions for each route are explained separately in [requirements for Bulgarian citizenship](/en/requirements-for-bulgarian-citizenship/). Start with the table below, then read the section that matches your family history.
## Groups with a right to apply
| Group | In short |
|---|---|
| People of Bulgarian origin (parent, grandparent) | Origin route. No language, residence or income requirement |
| Emigrants from Bulgaria and their descendants (1951, 1989 and others) | Depends on the date of emigration and the records |
| Spouses of Bulgarian citizens | Marriage and a period of residence are required |
| Children of Bulgarian citizens | Through birth registration or an application |
| Long-term residents of Bulgaria | General route: residence, language and income are required |
## People of Bulgarian origin: through a parent or grandparent
The largest group of eligible people is made up of families of Bulgarian origin. If you can document that your mother, father, grandfather or grandmother is of Bulgarian origin, you can apply on the origin route. On this route **you do not need to live in Bulgaria, speak Bulgarian or show income.** What matters is proving the origin with documents.
The key document is the **certificate of Bulgarian origin**. We explain how to obtain it in [certificate of Bulgarian origin: what it is and how to get it](/en/certificate-of-bulgarian-origin/). Depending on your situation you may also want to read:
- [Can I get Bulgarian citizenship through my mother?](/en/bulgarian-citizenship-through-mother/)
- [Can I get Bulgarian citizenship through my father?](/en/bulgarian-citizenship-through-a-father/)
- [Can I get Bulgarian citizenship through my grandfather?](/en/bulgarian-citizenship-through-grandparents/)
If your ancestor has passed away, the right is not lost. Usually the application continues through their child, that is, your mother or father. See [if the emigrant has died, can I still become a citizen?](/en/citizenship-if-the-emigrant-parent-has-died/).
## Emigrants from Bulgaria: the 1951 and 1989 groups
People who left Bulgaria for Türkiye or another country, together with their children and grandchildren, may also be eligible. What counts is the date of emigration and the person's status in Bulgarian records. In some emigration waves the citizenship record was kept, in others it may have been removed, so every file is assessed separately.
- **1951 emigrants:** [can 1951 emigrants from Bulgaria get citizenship?](/en/can-1951-bulgarian-emigrants-get-citizenship/)
- **1989 emigrants:** [Bulgarian citizenship for the 1989 emigrants](/en/bulgarian-citizenship-for-1989-emigrants/)
- **General overview:** [can Bulgarian emigrants get citizenship?](/en/can-bulgarian-emigrants-get-citizenship/)
A practical tip: finding out what your emigrant relative's Bulgarian record looks like today is often the most important first step. Collecting documents before knowing this can waste time.
## Spouses of Bulgarian citizens
If you are married to a Bulgarian citizen there is a path to citizenship, but it differs from the origin route. First a residence permit is obtained through the spouse. After the marriage and legal residence have lasted for a certain period, a citizenship application can be filed. Details are in [can I get Bulgarian citizenship through my spouse?](/en/bulgarian-citizenship-through-a-spouse/) and on our [family reunification service page](/en/services/family-reunification/).
## Children of Bulgarian citizens
A child of a Bulgarian parent is a Bulgarian citizen by birth. For a child born abroad, the birth has to be entered in the Bulgarian civil records. We cover this in [birth registration and Bulgarian citizenship for children](/en/birth-registration-bulgarian-citizenship-for-children/), and for children over 18 in [Bulgarian citizenship for adult children](/en/bulgarian-citizenship-for-adult-children/).
## Long-term residents of Bulgaria
A person with no ancestry or marriage link to Bulgaria can apply on the general route after completing the required period of legal residence. This route has conditions such as residence, knowledge of Bulgarian, a source of income and a clean criminal record. That is the difference from the origin route. For the language question see [the Bulgarian language requirement for citizenship](/en/bulgarian-language-requirement-for-citizenship/).
> The citizenship-by-investment programme was abolished in 2022. Investing today does not give citizenship; at most it can support a residence permit application. Do not trust anyone who promises "citizenship for money".
## Who may find the process harder?
Sometimes the right exists but the file needs more careful preparation. Examples: documents proving Bulgarian origin are incomplete, names in your ancestors' records differ from yours, or the Bulgarian record of an emigrant relative was removed. A criminal record is assessed separately. Such problems can usually be solved if they are spotted before filing. If an earlier application was refused, read [what to do if Bulgarian citizenship is refused](/en/bulgarian-citizenship-application-refused/).
Becoming a Bulgarian citizen also means becoming a citizen of the European Union, so applications are examined closely. The process is long; we describe the typical duration in [how long Bulgarian citizenship takes](/en/evaluation-process-and-timelines-for-bulgarian-citizenship/).
## How do you find out which group you belong to?
1. Write down who in your family was born in Bulgaria or emigrated from it. Go back to parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
2. Collect the documents you have: civil registry extracts, birth and marriage certificates, old identity documents, emigration papers.
3. Have the documents checked by an expert. Name differences and record errors show up at this stage. See [the name equivalence certificate](/en/name-equivalence-certificate-bulgaria/).
## Frequently asked questions
My grandfather emigrated from Bulgaria. Can I get citizenship?
If you can document the Bulgarian origin of your grandfather or grandmother, you can apply on the origin route. Each file is examined individually, so your documents should be checked first.
Do people of Bulgarian origin need to speak Bulgarian?
No. The origin route has no language, residence or income requirement. Those conditions apply to the general route.
Can I become a Bulgarian citizen by investing?
No. The investment citizenship programme was abolished in 2022. Investment can at most be a ground for a residence permit.
If I marry a Bulgarian citizen, do I become a citizen immediately?
No. A residence permit comes first, and you can apply for citizenship after the required marriage and residence period.
How do I find out which group applies to me?
Send us the documents you have. Our free document review will tell you which route you can use.