Useful information
Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions:
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HOW IS THE HEALTH INSURANCE REGULATED FOR BULGARIAN CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD
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WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO ESTABLISH THE PRESENCE OF BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP
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HOW TO VERIFY A SIGNATURE ON DOCUMENTS (POWERS OF POWER AND DECLARATION)
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HOW TO ISSUE A BULGARIAN BIRTH CERTIFICATE FOR A CHILD BORN IN CANADA
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HOW DOCUMENTS ARE LEGALIZED
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HOW IS A CERTIFICATE OF CRITICAL CONVICTION IS ISSUED
HOW IS THE HEALTH INSURANCE REGULATED FOR BULGARIAN CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD
The Law on Health Insurance (HII) regulates the relations regarding compulsory and voluntary health insurance: the National Revenue Agency (NAA)
WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO ESTABLISH THE PRESENCE OF BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DIRECTORY "BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP"
https://publicbg.mjs.bg/BgInfo/
LIST OF THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR ESTABLISHING THE PRESENCE OF BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP Pursuant to Art. 39 of the Law on Bulgarian Citizenship
1. Application form, according to Appendix No. 5 of Ordinance No. 1 of February 19, 1999 for the implementation of Chapter Five of the Law on Bulgarian Citizenship.
The application must be written in Bulgarian.
When the person is deceased, the application is completed and signed by the heir, entering the details of the deceased person.
When the person has not reached the age of 14 or is placed under full guardianship, the application is submitted on behalf of both parents or his guardian. It is submitted only by one parent when the other is deprived of parental rights or only by the mother when the father is unknown.
A person from 14 to 18 years of age or placed under limited custody submits the application in person. The application is signed by both parents or the guardian. It is signed by only one parent when the other is deprived of parental rights or only by the mother when the father is unknown.
Applications are submitted in person or through a person expressly authorized by a notary in the municipality of the person's permanent address or through the municipality of residence or permanent address before leaving the country, which sends them to the office of the Ministry of Justice in Bulgaria.
People living abroad can submit the application for establishing the presence of Bulgarian citizenship at the Bulgarian Ddiplomatic or Consular Missions abroad.
2. A copy of the birth certificate or a duplicate of a birth certificate issued by the relevant Bulgarian or foreign competent authority.
3. Document certifying the date and manner of leaving the country.
4. Reference to the civil status registers from the relevant municipality or town hall regarding the person's citizenship.
5. An official document certifying the change of names, if any, as well as an official identity document of a person with different names;
6. Photocopy of a document certifying the identity of the applicant;
7. Document of acquired foreign citizenship, if any;
8. Copy of death certificate, if the person is deceased;
9. Current photo passport format - 2 copies - (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm);
10. Receipt for paid state tax.
The documents presented by the interested people, depending on the foreign country from which they originate, must meet the requirements of the relevant provisions of the bilateral international treaties or of the Convention on the Abolition of the Requirement for the Legalization of Foreign Public Acts, drawn up in The Hague on 05 October 1961, to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, or to the Regulations on legalizations, certifications and translations of documents and other papers / pron. SG No. 73 of 1958, amended and supplemented. No. 10 of 1964, No. 77 of 1976, No. 96 of 1982, No. 77 of 1983 and No. 103 of 1990/, as well as to be provided with translations into Bulgarian language, which are carried out and certified according to the procedure provided by the Regulations.
If the applicant wishes to have the copy of the birth certificte or a duplicate of a birth certificate issued by the relevant Bulgarian or foreign competent authority, attached to the application, returned to him after the certificate of Bulgarian citizenship has been issued, he should, when submitting the application, attach a certified photocopy of this document.
In cases where a medical note issued by a personal physician, written in English, is required that:
.. The person does not suffer from any acute and infectious diseases under article 61, paragraph 1 of the Bulgarian Health Act; Any mental diseases under article 146, paragraph 1, items 1 and 2 of the same Act.
(For more information to be submitted to the signing physician - HERE (See Articles 61 and 146))
HOW TO VERIFY SIGNATURES ON DOCUMENTS (POWERS AND DECLARATIONS)
I. Powers of attorney of a general nature
The text is free in the sense of the document. Declarations of citizenship and civil status under Art. 25, para. 6 of the Law on Notaries and Notarial Activities and declarations under Art. 226 paragraph 1 of the Tax Procedure Code, which are filled in when authorizing in connection with the transfer or establishment of real rights (including donations) on real estate and inheritances. For the declarations in question, the consular services provide relevant forms.
The document should contain complete and accurate data - the three names, Personal Identification Number (PIN), passport data of the person whose signature is being certified, and in the case of powers of attorney, it should also contain complete and accurate data about the proxy.
The document is signed in front of the official in the consular office, and the person identifies himself with a VALID photo identity document.
Note: Please also carry a photocopy of your valid ID for the consulate's records.
If the person cannot appear at the consular office:
1. The signature is placed in front of a Canadian notary, who certifies the identity of the person, but not the content of the document.
2. The certified document should be legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Canada.
Authentication and Services Section
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (by mail)
111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (upon personal presentation of the documents)
K1A 0G2
Telephone:
1-800-267-8376 (Toll Free in Canada)
613-944-4000 (in the National Capital Region and outside Canada)
613-944-9136 (TTY for the deaf)
More information - on the website of Global Affairs Canada - Authentication of documents
3. After January 11, 2024, documents certified by Global Affairs will NOT be legalized by the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Toronto.
The documents must only be translated into Bulgarian. For translations made by translators registered with us, the certification from the consulate remains mandatory.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto is not responsible for lost documents from the postal services. Carrying out certifications and legalizations through postal services is at the expense of the applicants, as well as their responsibility.
II. Declarations for a child's travel abroad
In case a declaration is required for a child's travel abroad, the parents should present the child's Birth Certificate (original + 1 photocopy for the archives of the Consulate General in Toronto) in addition to their valid Bulgarian personal documents and their photocopies.
HOW TO ISSUE A BULGARIAN BIRTH CERTIFICATE FOR A CHILD BORN IN CANADA
According to Art. 8 of the Law on Bulgarian Citizenship, a child born in Canada, of whom at least one of the parents is a Bulgarian citizen, has the right to Bulgarian citizenship by descent.
1. In order to register the birth in the Republic of Bulgaria and to issue the child's Peronal Civil Number + record of the birth in the National Database "Population", it is necessary at the Civil Status Office of the municipality of the mother's place of residence in Bulgaria (and if the mother is not a Bulgarian citizen - by the place of residence of the father) to be presented with a legalized extended form of the Canadian birth certificate of the child (Statement of Live Birth - for the province of Ontario or Birth certificate long form - for other provinces) - a document with the full names of the parents indicated.
2. The legalization (authentication) of an extended form of the child's Canadian birth certificate is carried out FIRST by Global Affairs Canada or by Provincial and territorial authentication services - Ontario:
Authentication Services Section
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0G2
Telephone:
1-800-267-8376 (Toll Free in Canada)
613-944-4000 (in the National Capital Region and outside Canada)
613-944-9136 (TTY for the deaf)
More information - on the website of Global Affairs Canada - Authentication of documents
3. After the legalization (authentication) by Global Affairs Canada or by Provincial and territorial authentication services has been carried out after January 11, 2024, the document should NOT be legalized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto.
After January 11, 2024, documents certified in Global Affairs are NOT legalized by the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Toronto.
The documents must only be translated into Bulgarian. For translations made by translators registered with us, the certification from the consulate remains mandatory.
If the service is by post, the documents should be accompanied by a self-addressed envelope with postage prepaid.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto is not responsible for lost documents from the postal services. Carrying out certifications and legalizations through postal services is at the expense of the applicants, as well as their responsibility.
4. Translation into Bulgarian of the birth certificate already legalized by Global Affairs Canada or by Provincial and territorial authentication services Consulate General Toronto.
The translation can be carried out OR 1) By a translator registered with Consulate General Toronto (in this case, certification of the translator's signature at Consulate General Toronto is required) OR 2) By an authorized company for translations and legalization in the Republic of Bulgaria, certified by a notary or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
5. The document must be submitted to the civil status office of the municipality of the child's mother's place of residence in Bulgaria (and if the mother is not a Bulgarian citizen - at the father's place of residence), where the birth certificate is also issued.
Registration can also be done through an authorized person, based on a power of attorney certified by the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto.
Note: Please note that the legalized birth certificate will be retained by the municipality.
HOW DOCUMENTS ARE LEGALIZED
On April 30, 2001, the Convention for the Abolition of the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Acts entered into force for the Republic of Bulgaria, drawn up in The Hague on October 5, 1961. The Convention provides for a unified method for drawing up a certain category of documents (public acts) intended for use abroad - by placing a special certificate on the document itself or in an appendix to it (apostille). The "apostille" certification represents the legalization of the document by the competent authority in the country where it was issued. Documents equipped with an original "apostille" are exempted from any subsequent forms of certification and legalization (by other higher-ranking local authorities in the issuing country, as well as by the diplomatic or consular representation of the country-party to the convention, in whose territory they must be presented).
As of January 11, 2024, Canada is a party to the above-mentioned Convention, therefore, legalization is carried out as described below, and no certification by the Consular Office of the Apostille is required.
1. Documents originating in Bulgaria.
The authorities competent to put an "apostille" on Bulgarian public acts are:
- for the acts of the courts and notaries:
Department of Justice
1 Slavyanska Str.
1040 Sofia
Tel.: 02-92-37-352
- for educational and certification documents issued by higher schools, by institutions in the public education system and by the Ministry of Education and Science and its units:
Ministry of Education and Science
2A "Knyaz Dondukov" Str.
1000 Sofia
Tel.: 02-92-17-79
- for all other official documents (documents for civil status and address registration of municipalities; various certificates, certificates, licenses and others of ministries, state agencies and commissions; documents for acquired qualifications and legal capacity; documents of the National Institute of Social Sciences, NSI and the like) apostille should be placed by:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
Directorate "Consular Relations"
"Certifications and legalizations" sector
2 Alfred Nobel Str.
Sofia 1040;
Apostilled and English-translated books and documents can be notarized at the Consular Office of the Canadian Embassy in Bucharest
1-3, Tuberozelor Str.
011411, Bucharest, sector 1
Romania
Tel.: +40-21-307-5000
Fax: +40-21-307-5010
Email: bucst@international.gc.ca
or
at the Embassy of the Republic in Ottawa/Consulate General in Toronto for their presentation to the Canadian authorities.
2. Documents originating in Canada.
- Before being legalized by the Consulate General in Toronto with a view to their use in Bulgaria, documents issued by Canadian institutions and officials should be legalized by the Global Affairs Canada or by Regional Offices of the Ministry of Global Affairs of the receiving country, considered from 04/07/2023:
Authentication Services Section
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0G2
Telephone:
1-800-267-8376 (Toll Free in Canada)
613-944-4000 (in the National Capital Region and outside Canada)
613-944-9136 (TTY for the deaf)
More information - on the website of Global Affairs Canada - Authentication of documents
- After the legalization (authentication) by Global Affairs Canada or by Provincial and territorial authentication services has been carried out after January 11, 2024, the document should NOT be legalized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto.
After January 11, 2024, documents certified in Global Affairs are NOT legalized by the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Toronto.
The documents just have to be translated into Bulgarian. For translations made by translators registered with us, the certification from the consulate remains mandatory.
- In order to serve in Bulgaria, a translation of the Canadian document legalized by Global Affairs Canada and the Consulate General Toronto is also necessary. The translation can be carried out OR 1) By a translator registered with the Consulate General Toronto (in this case, certification of the translator's signature at the Consulate General Toronto is required) OR 2) By an authorized company for translations and legalization in the Republic of Bulgaria, certified by a notary or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The fee for certification of the translator's signature in GK-Toronto is 23.00 CAD. (for 3 working days) or 45.00 CAD (for 4 working hours) for each document, payable by debit or credit VISA/MC, money order or certified check in the name of the Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto.
If services are provided by mail, the documents should be accompanied by a self-addressed envelope, with all postage prepaid.
The Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Toronto is not responsible for lost documents from the postal services. Carrying out certifications and legalizations through postal services is at the expense of the applicants, as well as their responsibility.
* The documents submitted to the Bulgarian municipal authorities remain in their archives.
HOW A CRIMINAL RECORD CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED
We inform you that starting from 01.01.2006, it is possible for any Bulgarian citizen to submit an application and obtain a criminal record certificate, provided with an apostille, through the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular representation.
The application for the issuance of a criminal record certificate, which you can download HERE, contains:
1. First, Middle, Surname and address of the person;
2. National civil number;
3. Day, month and year of birth;
4. Deposit;
5. Citizenship;
6. First, patronymic and surname of the mother and father of the person requesting a criminal record certificate;
7. The purpose for which the certificate is requested, and when requested for employment - the exact position.
8. When the first, middle or last name of the person requesting a criminal record certificate has been changed after reaching the age of 14 due to marriage, adoption or for any other reason, the birth names shall also be indicated;
9. The court-ordered rehabilitation, if any, is explicitly indicated.
Attached to the application:
For Bulgarian citizens:
1. Application form
2. Valid identity card or passport
For foreign citizens:
1. Application form
2. Valid passport
3. Birth certificate with translation into Bulgarian
4. Copy of a residence card in the Republic of Bulgaria