People who emigrated from Bulgaria in 1989 (the “89 emigrants”) do not need to file a new citizenship application. The process has 3 stages: obtaining the birth certificate and correcting the date and place of birth (1-2 months), an inquiry into your Bulgarian citizenship at the Ministry of Justice in Sofia (2 months), and issuing the passport and ID card. The passport can be issued in 1 day if you come to Bulgaria; at Bulgarian consulates in Türkiye it takes 1-3 months.
In this article we explain the 3 stages that 89 emigrants and their children go through, what is done at each stage, how long it takes and which documents are required.
Why don’t 89 emigrants apply again?
In the summer of 1989, tens of thousands of people left Bulgaria for Türkiye. They were born in Bulgaria and were Bulgarian citizens registered in the population records there. In later years they acquired Turkish citizenship.
Bulgaria allows dual citizenship. Becoming a Turkish citizen does not end Bulgarian citizenship by itself. For this reason, what 89 emigrants need is not a new citizenship application but documenting the citizenship they already hold and having their identity documents issued again. It should not be confused with new applications based on origin; the process for 89 emigrants is measured in months.
The process has 3 stages
| Stage | What is done? | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Birth certificate | A birth certificate is obtained from the birth record in Bulgaria; date and place of birth are corrected | 1-2 months |
| 2. Inquiry | Bulgarian citizenship is checked with the Ministry of Justice in Sofia | 2 months |
| 3. Passport and ID | Bulgarian passport and ID card are issued | 1 day in Bulgaria, 1-3 months at consulates in Türkiye |
The stages go in order: the result of each stage is the document for the next.
Stage 1: Birth certificate, correcting date and place of birth
The first step is to obtain a birth certificate from the record at the municipality of your birthplace in Bulgaria. This document shows who you are in the Bulgarian population register and is the basis of the next two stages.
The most common problem for 89 emigrants is that the details in Turkish and Bulgarian records do not match:
- Date of birth mismatch: The date of birth may have been written differently during emigration or in the Turkish population record.
- Place of birth mismatch: The name of the village or town may differ between Turkish and Bulgarian records, or may be misspelled.
These mismatches are corrected at this stage. If they are not corrected, the file is returned at the inquiry and passport stages. We explained how the birth certificate is obtained in detail in our article how to get a birth certificate from Bulgaria.
Time: 1-2 months.
Stage 2: Citizenship inquiry at the Ministry of Justice
Once the birth certificate is ready, your Bulgarian citizenship is checked with the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice in Sofia. The inquiry officially establishes that your citizenship continues. The passport and ID application rests on this result.
We can carry out the inquiry on your behalf with a power of attorney; you do not need to travel to Bulgaria for this stage.
Time: 2 months.
Stage 3: Completing citizenship, passport and ID
With the inquiry result, you apply for the Bulgarian passport and ID card. There are two ways:
- Applying in Bulgaria: If you apply by coming to Bulgaria, the passport can be issued in 1 day.
- Bulgarian consulates in Türkiye: The application is made from Türkiye; processing takes between 1 and 3 months.
You can find the details of the passport application in our article how to get a Bulgarian passport.
Time: 1 day in Bulgaria, 1-3 months in Türkiye.
What is the total time?
Added together, the process usually takes 4-7 months when handled from Türkiye, and 3-4 months when the passport is collected by coming to Bulgaria. Preparing the documents completely and correcting the differences in birth details at the first stage keeps the time at the short end.
What about children and grandchildren?
Children of 89 emigrants who were born in Türkiye are Bulgarian citizens by birth if one of their parents was a Bulgarian citizen when they were born. No new citizenship application is made for them either; their birth is notified to Bulgaria. For this, the parent’s record is first completed through the stages above. We explained the process step by step in our article Bulgarian citizenship for a child through birth notification.
Name differences and the name equivalence certificate
In the mid-1980s the names of Bulgarian citizens of Turkish origin were changed by force. After emigrating, most people used their original names in Türkiye. As a result, the same person can have one name in Bulgarian records and another in the Turkish population record.
The document showing that the names belong to the same person is called a name equivalence certificate. If there is a name difference, this document is prepared at the first stage together with the birth certificate. Details are in our article what is a name equivalence certificate.
Which documents are required?
| Document | Why is it needed? |
|---|---|
| Old Bulgarian passport or ID card (if you have one) | Shows your Bulgarian record and identity details |
| Birth certificate from Bulgaria | Result of stage 1; the basis of the inquiry |
| Full family register extract from Türkiye | Shows the name, date of birth and place of birth in Turkish records |
| Name equivalence certificate (if there is a name difference) | Shows that the names in the two records belong to the same person |
| Power of attorney | So that we can carry out the procedures on your behalf |
Turkish documents must carry an apostille and a sworn Bulgarian translation. If you no longer have your old Bulgarian documents, do not worry; the record is found at the municipality of your birthplace. For details see our population record extract and apostille guide.
Common mistakes
- Making a new citizenship application based on origin even though you are an 89 emigrant. This lengthens the process needlessly.
- Moving on to the inquiry without correcting the date or place of birth mismatch.
- Throwing away the old Bulgarian passport or ID. Old documents speed up finding the record.
- Postponing the birth notification of children for years.
Proceeding with consultancy
We carry out the 3 stages on your behalf with a power of attorney. With a free document review you can send us the documents you have, and with an online appointment you can speak to our specialist. For the general framework, see our citizenship services page.
Frequently asked questions
I am an 89 emigrant. Do I need to apply for Bulgarian citizenship again?
No. There is no new application for people who emigrated in 1989. The process has 3 stages: birth certificate, Ministry of Justice inquiry, and passport and ID.
How many months does a Bulgarian passport take for 89 emigrants?
The birth certificate stage takes 1-2 months and the inquiry takes 2 months. The passport is issued in 1 day if you come to Bulgaria, or in 1-3 months at consulates in Türkiye. The total is usually 3-7 months.
My date of birth is different in my Turkish records. Is that a problem?
It is not a barrier, but it must be corrected. Differences in date and place of birth are corrected at the first stage, while the birth certificate is obtained.
Do I need to go to Bulgaria for the inquiry?
No. We carry out the birth certificate and inquiry stages on your behalf with a power of attorney. You only need to go to Bulgaria, or to a Bulgarian consulate in Türkiye, for the passport.
Can my children born in Türkiye become Bulgarian citizens?
If one of the parents was a Bulgarian citizen when the child was born, the child is a citizen by birth. No new application is made; notifying Bulgaria of the birth is enough.
