Security level:

There have been cases of car theft in the country, which happen in big cities. Pickpocketing is not uncommon in busy places such as markets, bus stops and railway stations. In addition to money and valuables, Bulgarian documents are also of interest.

Healthcare:

Upon entry into the Republic of North Macedonia, no documents are required to certify health status, immunizations or other health-related conditions. In the event that such documents are required by anyone at the border crossing points, assistance should be sought from the Ministry of Interior authorities.

The European Health Insurance Card allows citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria residing in North Macedonia on a short-term basis to receive free medical care only in urgent and emergency cases.

The issues of health insurance of Bulgarian citizens in the Republic of North Macedonia and the use of free medical care are regulated by a bilateral agreement between the two countries. According to the requirements of the above mentioned agreement, Bulgarian citizens residing in the Republic of North Macedonia should submit to the Macedonian Health Insurance Fund documents taken from Bulgaria in advance, namely — Certificate Form 101 from the Regional Health Insurance Fund of the place of residence in the Republic of Bulgaria and Certificate Form 114 from the National Social Security Institute. After the presentation of these documents at the headquarters of the Health Insurance Fund of the Republic of North Macedonia in Skopje, the person concerned is issued a special named document by the Health Insurance Fund of the Republic of North Macedonia, which gives the right to free medical care to the Bulgarian citizen who is a long-term resident in the Republic of North Macedonia. This document does not exempt from payment of fees for medical services not covered by the Macedonian Health Insurance Fund, including for Macedonian citizens

If you carry prescribed medicines, take the prescriptions for them with you. Do not exceed the amounts needed for personal use during the trip, as large amounts of medication may arouse suspicion.

Specifics of the local legislation:

Remember that in North Macedonia you should comply with local acts and norms. You fall within their jurisdiction during your stay there.

Customs requirements:

Local legislation stipulates that items for personal use are not subject to duty on entry, without specifying their amount.

This allows the customs officer to decide what is to be imposed duty on and the amount of duty. In case of refusal to pay the amount demanded, summary trial and sentencing may follow.

Customs requirements for North Macedonia can be downloaded from HERE.

Road traffic:

When passing through the checkpoint of the Republic of North Macedonia, truck drivers must present, in addition to the vehicle registration certificate Part II (the small registration document), a notarized copy of the vehicle registration certificate Part I (the large registration document) of the vehicle.

Drivers of all vehicles with Bulgarian registration are required to present a Green Card insurance policy with coverage for the Republic of North Macedonia when passing through a checkpoint of the Republic of North Macedonia.

There are no vignette stickers in the Republic of North Macedonia, but tolls of up to EUR 2 are payable at entry and exit points.

Violation of the requirement of mandatory daytime use of vehicle headlights on all roads in the country is punishable by a fine of EUR 45.      

The speed limits for vehicles on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia, if there are no other restriction signs, are as follows: on a motorway - 120 km/h, on an interurban road — 80 km/h , in populated areas - 50 km/h. Violation of these restrictions is punishable by a fine of between EUR 45 and EUR 300, depending on the extent of the offence. In view of the existing practice in the country in the regulation of road traffic, the Embassy recommends Bulgarian citizens visiting North Macedonia to drive their vehicles at a maximum speed of at least 10 km/h less than the specified values.

It is forbidden to throw or leave paper, fags, chewing gum, wrappers, vegetable waste, soil, sand and other waste, except in the places designated for this purpose. Leaving pet waste is prohibited. It is forbidden to park cars at a distance of less than 10 metres from a waste container.

Violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of EUR 50. In North Macedonia, the use of seat belts is compulsory for all passengers and all seats in vehicles where seat belts are fitted. Violation of this requirement is punishable by a fine of EUR 20.

In the event of a violation of any of the requirements of the Transport Act and the imposition of a mandatory penalty ‘fine’, the fine shall be paid at the nearest bank or post office. It is not allowed to pay the fine on the spot, directly to the uniformed police officer who imposed the penalty.

In the event that such direct payment ‘in hand’ is requested from you from the sanctioning police officer, you should notify the nearest police station.   

The legal blood alcohol limit for a driver is 0.5 ‰. This limit does not apply to professional drivers, who are absolutely prohibited from driving with alcohol in their blood.

Infringement of the above prohibition is punishable by a fine of between EUR 250 and EUR 400, depending on the extent of the infringement. Notwithstanding the imposition of a fine, a driver found to have a blood alcohol level above the legal limit must be removed from the road.   

In the interests of security and travel safety, the Embassy strongly recommends that Bulgarian citizens visiting North Macedonia do not drive after drinking alcohol, even within the 0.5 ‰ permissible limit for amateur drivers.

Persons under 12 years of age and persons who are under the influence of alcohol are prohibited from riding in the front seat next to the driver. Violation of this requirement is punishable by a fine of EUR 45.      

It is prohibited for the driver to use a mobile phone while driving. Violation of this requirement is punishable by a fine of EUR 45.

The possession and presence in the vehicle of winter car accessories is mandatory in the period from 15 November to 15 March. Violation of this requirement is punishable by a fine of EUR 15.

Practical advice:

Important phone numbers in North Macedonia:

Roadside assistance - 196 or 9159

Information Centre of the Union of Motorists of North Macedonia - 9801

Police - 192

Ambulance - 194

Fire safety - 193

Regional Crisis Management Centre - 195

Customs - 197

Reporting corruption to the police - 199

Local currency:

Macedonian denar (MKD)

BGN 1 = MKD 31

EUR 1 = MKD 61

Temporary accreditation of journalists:

Representatives of foreign media in the Republic of North Macedonia, in the performance of their official duties, need the appropriate accreditation provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country. Foreign journalists staying for a short period of time should be granted the so-called. ‘temporary accreditation’ with a validity period of up to 30 days. The documents required for this purpose are:

• a completed form (annex);
• original letter from the media about the purpose of the visit;
• a brief programme of the visit;
• a photograph of the applicant in electronic form;
• a copy of the document on which the applicant will be travelling (identity card or passport);
• contact phone.

The documents should be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia at: [email protected]

The accreditation procedure takes up to 5 working days.

In case of non-compliance with the legal framework for obtaining temporary accreditation of the foreign media, a fine of EUR 500 to EUR 1,000 is imposed.

As of 1 January 2007, all Bulgarian citizens may enter and stay on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia without visas for a period of up to 90 (ninety) days within 6 (months) from the date of first entry. Entry into the territory of the country is carried out with a Bulgarian passport valid for at least six months after the end of the person's planned stay in the Republic of North Macedonia or with a valid identity card. For a number of administrative procedures (payment of fees, fines and other payments at banks and administrative offices) concerning foreigners, Macedonian legislation requires the presentation of a foreign passport and recommends that foreigners, including Bulgarian citizens, enter the country with a foreign passport.

In cases where Bulgarian citizens need to stay on a long-term basis on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia (study, work, specialization, etc.), they must obtain the necessary type of visa in advance, according to the legislation of this country. The procedure for obtaining the specific type of visa is carried out by submitting an application for a long-stay visa at the Embassy of the Republic of North Macedonia in Sofia. After obtaining a visa and arriving in the Republic of North Macedonia, the foreigner should submit documents for obtaining a temporary or permanent residence permit to the Foreigners Police of the Macedonian Ministry of Interior.

Any foreigner who has entered the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia and stays on the territory of the country for more than 24 hours is obliged to register on his/her own initiative at the police station of his/her place of residence. If the foreigner is staying in a hotel, the said registration shall be carried out independently by the hotel authorities. A foreigner who has not registered his/her stay and has not de-registered when leaving his/her place of residence in the Republic of North Macedonia is punishable by a fine of EUR 600 to EUR 1,000, and the authorities of the Ministry of Interior may also impose a ban on entering the country for up to 5 years.

The local legislation reflects that a foreign national entering the Republic of North Macedonia must have sufficient financial means to secure his/her stay in the country — an amount that ranges from EUR 25 to EU 50 per day. If this amount cannot be shown, Bulgarian citizens are turned back.

In such cases, a so-called ‘thin stamp’ is sometimes affixed to the passport, prohibiting entry into the country for 24 hours.

What consular officers can do for you:

• Issue a travel document for you if you do not have one;
• Inform your loved ones in the event of an accident, serious illness or death and to provide any assistance possible;
• In case of arrest, inform your relatives, help them to visit you in prison and ensure that you are treated in the same way as nationals of the host country;
• Provide assistance in case of unforeseen circumstances, such as natural disasters and civil protests;
• Give you the most up-to-date travel information;
• Certify and authenticate a signature;
• Draw up civil status certificates (birth, marriage and death certificates);
• Forward civil status certificates already issued by the local authorities to the municipality of your permanent address in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian identity documents:

The Consular Office with the Embassy in Skopje has the technical capability to capture biometric data and therefore accepts applications for passport, identity card, and Emergency Travel Document.

Legalizations and Certifications

By virtue of a bilateral legal assistance treaty between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, no further legalization of documents/deeds drawn up on the territory of either country is required.

Documents required for the issuance of:

• First identity card of persons from 14 to 16 years of age

• personal presence of one of the parents and the child;
• valid passport/identity card of the attending parent — original and photocopy;
• a Bulgarian birth certificate of the child with the birth certificate's unique civil number — in original and photocopy; for persons who acquired Bulgarian citizenship after their birth, it is necessary to present their foreign birth certificate.
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. The application shall be submitted in person and signed by the under-aged applicant at the designated place and his/her parent shall consent by signing the application in the presence of a consular officer;
• For persons who have acquired Bulgarian citizenship the following shall also apply:
• certificate of permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria — the permanent address shall be declared in person or with a notarized explicit power of attorney in the respective municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria (Article 92 and Article 95, paragraph 2 of the Civil Registration Act). The permanent address may be private or official / Metropolitan municipality, city of Sofia, Sredets district, 6 Lege Street/, but it is a condition that it is located on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The certificate of permanent address must contain all the requisites, i.e. it must be signed and stamped by the mayor and duly certified by the relevant municipality.
• A copy of the decree and/or certificate of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• Copy of national passport.

• Identity card of persons from 18 to 58 years of age

• personal presence of the applicant;
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It shall be submitted in person by the applicant and signed by him/her in the presence of a consular officer at the designated place;
• valid/expired: passport, identity card, driving licence or Bulgarian birth certificate with registered personal identification number — original and photocopy. If the identity card is lost, damaged or destroyed, or if it is not returned within 30 days after the expiry of its validity, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.
• For persons acquiring Bulgarian citizenship who apply for a first identity card, the following shall also apply:
• certificate of permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria — the permanent address shall be declared in person or with a notarized explicit power of attorney in the respective municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria (Article 92 and Article 95, paragraph 2 of the Civil Registry Act). The permanent address may be private or official / Metropolitan municipality, city of Sofia, Sredets district, 6 Lege Street/, but it is a condition that it is located on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The certificate of permanent address must contain all the requisites, i.e. it must be signed and stamped by the mayor and duly certified by the relevant municipality.
• Foreign birth certificate.
• A copy of the decree and/or certificate of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• Copy of national passport.

• Identity card of persons from 58 to 70 years of age

• personal presence of the applicant;
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It shall be submitted in person by the applicant and signed by the applicant in the space provided;
• valid/expired: passport, identity card, driving licence or Bulgarian birth certificate with registered personal identification number — original and photocopy. If the identity card is lost, damaged or destroyed or if it is not returned within 30 days after its expiry date, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.
• For persons acquiring Bulgarian citizenship who apply for a first identity card, the following shall also apply:
• certificate of permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria — the permanent address shall be declared in person or with a notarized explicit power of attorney in the respective municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria (Article 92 and Article 95, paragraph 2 of the Civil Registry Act). The permanent address may be private or official / Metropolitan municipality, city of Sofia, Sredets district, 6 Lege Street/, but it is a condition that it is located on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The certificate of permanent address must contain all the requisites, i.e. it must be signed and stamped by the mayor and duly certified by the relevant municipality.
• Foreign birth certificate.
• A copy of the decree and/or certificate of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• Copy of national passport.

• Identity card of a person over 70 years of age /unlimited /

• personal presence of the applicant;
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It shall be submitted in person by the applicant and signed by the applicant in the space provided;
• valid/expired: passport, identity card, driving licence or Bulgarian birth certificate with registered personal identification number — original and photocopy. If the identity card is lost, damaged or destroyed or if it is not returned within 30 days after its expiry date, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.
• For persons acquiring Bulgarian citizenship who apply for a first identity card, the following shall also apply:
• certificate of permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria — the permanent address shall be declared in person or with a notarized explicit power of attorney in the respective municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria (Article 92 and Article 95, paragraph 2 of the Civil Registry Act). The permanent address may be private or official / Metropolitan municipality, city of Sofia, Sredets district, 6 Lege Street/, but it is a condition that it is located on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The certificate of permanent address must contain all the requisites, i.e. it must be signed and stamped by the mayor and duly certified by the relevant municipality.
• Foreign birth certificate.
• A copy of the decree and/or certificate of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• Copy of national passport.

• Identity card of a person with a permanently reduced working capacity or with a type and degree of disability of 50% or more

• personal presence of the applicant;
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It shall be submitted in person by the applicant and signed by the applicant in the space provided;
• valid/expired: passport, identity card, driving licence or Bulgarian birth certificate with registered personal identification number — original and photocopy. If the identity card is lost, damaged or destroyed or if it is not returned within 30 days after its expiry date, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
• For persons acquiring Bulgarian citizenship who apply for a first identity card, the following shall also apply:
• certificate of permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria — the permanent address shall be declared in person or with a notarized explicit power of attorney in the respective municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria (Article 92 and Article 95, paragraph 2 of the Civil Registry Act). The permanent address may be private or official / Metropolitan municipality, city of Sofia, Sredets district, 6 Lege Street/, but it is a condition that it is located on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The certificate of permanent address must contain all the requisites, i.e. it must be signed and stamped by the mayor and duly certified by the relevant municipality.
• Foreign birth certificate.
• A copy of the decree and/or certificate of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• Copy of national passport.
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.
• expert decision of the TEMC (Territorial Expert Medical Commission) or NEMC (National Expert Medical Commission) — original and photocopy;

TERM AND DELIVERY OF ISSUED BULGARIAN IDENTITY DOCUMENTS

• In case the applicants have met the requirements of the relevant regulations and the information has been processed by the Bulgarian competent authorities, the applicant should receive the issued Bulgarian identity document at the diplomatic and/or consular representation of the Republic of Bulgaria within 45 days for a regular order and 30 days for a fast order, only in case the applicant will use the service of the

1. The issued documents shall be received in one of the following ways:

• Ex officio by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Through a courier company certified for the transport of valuable items, if the applicant has requested the use of the service ‘forwarding by courier company’ and has paid for this service by bank transfer in euro or in Bulgarian leva to the account of the

The price in euro for delivery via DHL on an issued identity card is EUR 35.78.

• Bank account in EUR:
• Beneficiary: DHL EXPRESS BULGARIA EOOD
• Beneficiary's IBAN No: BG40UNCR70001523563800
• Beneficiary’s Bank: UniCredit Bulbank AD
• BIC/SWIFT Code: UNCRBGSF
• Beneficiary’s Bank Address: 7, Sveta Nedelya square, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

 The price in BGN for delivery via DHL of an issued identity card is BGN 69.98.

• Bank account in BGN:
• Beneficiary: DHL EXPRESS BULGARIA EOOD
• Beneficiary's IBAN No: BG94UNCR70001523563798
• Beneficiary’s Bank: UniCredit Bulbank AD
• BIC/SWIFT Code: UNCRBGSF
• Beneficiary’s Bank Address: 7, Sveta Nedelya square, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
  
• Payment information is mandatory to include:
  BDS_city_name_your name. Example: BDS_Nicosia_Ivan Ivanov Ivanov. This is necessary for the payment to be recognized as your payment for sending prepared personal documents and to be confirmed by the courier company's finance department. Make sure you ask the bank for a document stating that you have made the payment and take it to the Consular Office with the overseas mission where you have applied or will apply for new identity documents.

Obtaining of an identity card

The new documents shall be received in person at the consular post or, exceptionally, by an authorised person with an explicit notarised power of attorney or by a person whose details are entered in the application form. The appropriate box for receipt on the application shall be completed and signed.

Identity cards (ID cards) of persons under 18 years of age are obtained in person by one parent certifying his identity with a passport or identity card or by a person expressly indicated in the application for Bulgarian identity documents or by a notarized power of attorney. The child's original birth certificate shall also be produced. His names and details shall be recorded.

The documents (identity card and/or passport) returned by the applicants are declared invalid, which is reflected in the Ministry of Interior system, and cannot be used.

Upon receipt of the new identity card issued, it is obligatory to return the previous one to the Consular Office.

Getting a new ID card issued can be done:

1. In the Republic of Bulgaria, or in one of the Bulgarian diplomatic and/or consular representations, in person or through an authorized person — with an explicit notarized power of attorney or by a person whose details are entered in the application upon submission. The authorized person should obtain the issued identity document from the Bulgarian Identity Documents Directorate, Sofia, Bulgaria. Sofia, 48 Knyaginya Maria Louisa Blvd. after presenting your identity document and returning the previous passport.

Obtaining of a certificate pursuant to the Bulgarian citizenship decree and applying for registration in the Republic of Bulgaria

A certificate in execution of the decree shall be obtained only in person.

After receiving the certificate, the person should apply for an address for registration in the Republic of Bulgaria through the Consular Office 

Required documents for requesting an address for registration in the Republic of Bulgaria through the Consular Office:

• application to the Ministry of Justice, Bulgarian Citizenship Directorate — 2 copies;
• 3 colour photos, passport size 3.5x4.5 cm;
• copy of Bulgarian citizenship certificate — 2 pcs;
• copy of travel document from the RNM — 2 pcs.
• receipt for payment of the fee of EUR 26 (EUR 11 for persons under 18 years of age) in accordance with Tariff 1 of the Ministry of Justice — original and copy, transferred to:

REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

EMBASSY IN THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

UNI-BANK-AD-GR. СКОПИЕ-1000

6 MAXIMUS GORKI ST.

account No 70810000-240008000100055

IBAN-MK07-240008000100055

SWIFT: UIBMMK22

Bulgarian citizens living abroad, who are not registered in the population register (do not have permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria) and cannot indicate an address in the Republic of Bulgaria, can request the official address for registration in the city of Sofia, district Sredets, 6 Legge St.

Documents required for the issuance of:

• First passport of persons under 14 years of age
• personal presence of both parents and the child (if not possible, see Important);
• valid passports/identity cards of parents — original and photocopy;
• a Bulgarian birth certificate of the child with the birth certificate's unique civil number — in original and photocopy; for persons who acquired Bulgarian citizenship after their birth, it is necessary to present their foreign birth certificate.
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It is submitted by the child's parents/legal guardians who sign the application. Neither the child's nor the parents' signatures should be placed in the signature box below the photo;

• For persons who have acquired Bulgarian citizenship the following shall also apply:
• certificate of permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria — the permanent address shall be declared in person or with a notarized explicit power of attorney in the respective municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria (Article 92 and Article 95, paragraph 2 of the Civil Registration Act). The permanent address may be private or official / Metropolitan municipality, city of Sofia, Sredets district, 6 Lege Street/, but it is a condition that it is located on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The certificate of permanent address must contain all the requisites, i.e. it must be signed and stamped by the mayor and duly certified by the relevant municipality.
• A copy of the decree and/or certificate of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• Copy of national passport.

• Second and subsequent passport of a person under 14 years of age

• personal presence of both parents and the child (if not possible, see Important );
• valid passports/identity cards of parents — original and photocopy;

• a Bulgarian birth certificate of the child with the birth certificate's unique civil number — in original and photocopy; for persons who acquired Bulgarian citizenship after their birth, it is necessary to present their foreign birth certificate.

• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It is submitted by the child's parents/legal guardians who sign the application. Neither the child's nor the parents' signatures should be placed in the signature box below the photo;
• previous passport of the person — original and photocopy. If it is lost, damaged or destroyed, or if it is not returned within 3 months after its expiry, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.

• Passport for persons from 14 to 18 years of age

• personal presence of both parents and the child (if not possible, see Important );

• valid passports/identity cards of parents — original and photocopy;
• a Bulgarian birth certificate with the person's personal identification number entered in it — original and photocopy; persons who acquired Bulgarian citizenship after their birth must present their foreign birth certificate.
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. The application shall be submitted in person and signed by the under-aged applicant at the designated place and both parents shall express their consent by signing the application before the consular officer;

• previous passport of the person — original and photocopy. If it is lost, damaged or destroyed, or if it is not returned within 3 months after its expiry, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.
• For persons who have acquired Bulgarian citizenship the following shall also apply:
• certificate of permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria — the permanent address shall be declared in person or with a notarized explicit power of attorney in the respective municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria (Article 92 and Article 95, paragraph 2 of the Civil Registration Act). The permanent address may be private or official / Metropolitan municipality, city of Sofia, Sredets district, 6 Lege Street/, but it is a condition that it is located on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The certificate of permanent address must contain all the requisites, i.e. it must be signed and stamped by the mayor and duly certified by the relevant municipality.
• A copy of the decree and/or certificate of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• Copy of national passport.

• Passport for persons from 18 to 58 years of age

• personal presence of the applicant;

• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It shall be submitted in person by the applicant and signed by him/her at the designated place; Bulgarian birth certificate of the person with the personal identification number entered therein — in original and photocopy; for persons who acquired Bulgarian citizenship after their birth it is necessary to submit their foreign birth certificate.

• valid/expired: passport, identity card, driving licence or Bulgarian birth certificate with the personal identification number (original and photocopy). If the previous passport is lost, damaged or destroyed or if it is not returned within 3 months after its expiration, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.
• For persons who have acquired Bulgarian citizenship the following shall also apply:
• certificate of permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria — the permanent address shall be declared in person or with a notarized explicit power of attorney in the respective municipality in the Republic of Bulgaria (Article 92 and Article 95, paragraph 2 of the Civil Registration Act). The permanent address may be private or official / Metropolitan municipality, city of Sofia, Sredets district, 6 Lege Street/, but it is a condition that it is located on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The certificate of permanent address must contain all the requisites, i.e. it must be signed and stamped by the mayor and duly certified by the relevant municipality.
• A copy of the decree and/or certificate of acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria.
• Copy of national passport.

• Passport for persons from 58 to 70 years of age

• personal presence of the applicant;
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It shall be submitted in person by the applicant and signed by the applicant in the space provided;
• valid/expired: passport, identity card, driving licence or Bulgarian birth certificate with the personal identification number (original and photocopy). If the previous passport is lost, damaged or destroyed or if it is not returned within 3 months after its expiration, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.

• Passport for persons over 70 years of age

• personal presence of the applicant;
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It shall be submitted in person by the applicant and signed by the applicant in the space provided;
• valid/expired: passport, identity card, driving licence or Bulgarian birth certificate with the personal identification number (original and photocopy). If the previous passport is lost, damaged or destroyed or if it is not returned within 3 months after its expiration, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.

• Passport of a person with a permanently reduced working capacity or with a type and degree of disability of 50% or more

• personal presence of the applicant;
• application for the issuance of an identity document of a Bulgarian citizen (in a form) — completed in advance in Bulgarian. It shall be submitted in person by the applicant and signed by the applicant in the space provided;
• valid/expired: passport, identity card, driving licence or Bulgarian birth certificate with the personal identification number (original and photocopy). If the previous passport is lost, damaged or destroyed or if it is not returned within 3 months after its expiration, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with Article 80 and Article 81 of the Bulgarian Identity Documents Act. Additional submissions include:
  -declaration under Article 17, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Issuance of Bulgarian Identity Documents;
  -a document certifying these circumstances (if any) issued by the competent police authorities.
• expert decision of the TEMC /Territorial Expert Medical Committee/ or NEMC /National Expert Medical Committee/ — original and photocopy.

Important : The presence of only one parent is possible when:

1. A notarized power of attorney from the absent parent for the issuance of the passport shall be submitted in original;
   2. The other parent is deprived of parental rights, certified by a court decision;
   3. Be presented with a court decision that explicitly states that a parent may submit documents for the issuance of a child's passport without the consent of the other parent;
   4. Document certifying that the second parent is deceased /death certificate/;
   5. An act of a Bulgarian or foreign court, confirmed by a Bulgarian court, that the other parent is missing;
   6. If the father is unknown.

TERM AND DELIVERY OF ISSUED BULGARIAN IDENTITY DOCUMENTS

In case the applicants have met the requirements of the relevant regulations and the information has been processed by the Bulgarian competent authorities, the applicant should receive the issued Bulgarian identity document at the diplomatic and/or consular representation of the Republic of Bulgaria within 45 days for a regular order and 30 days for a fast order, only in case the applicant will use the service of the DHL.

The issued documents shall be received in one of the following ways:

1. Ex officio by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
2. Through a courier service company certified for the transport of valuable items, if the applicant has requested the use of the service ‘forwarding by courier company’ and has paid for this service by bank transfer in euro to the account of the

The price in euro for delivery via DHL on an issued identity card is EUR 35.78.

Bank account in EUR:

Beneficiary:  DHL EXPRESS BULGARIA EOOD

Beneficiary's IBAN No: BG40UNCR70001523563800

Beneficiary’s Bank:   UniCredit Bulbank AD

BIC/SWIFT Code:  UNCRBGSF

Beneficiary’s Bank Address: 7, Sveta Nedelya square, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

The price in BGN for delivery via DHL of an issued identity card is BGN 69,98.

Bank account in BGN:

Beneficiary: DHL EXPRESS BULGARIA EOOD

Beneficiary's IBAN No: BG94UNCR70001523563798

Beneficiary’s Bank: UniCredit Bulbank AD

BIC/SWIFT Code: UNCRBGSF

Beneficiary’s Bank Address: 7, Sveta Nedelya square, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria

Payment information is mandatory to include:
BDS_city_name_your name. Example: BDS_Nicosia_Ivan Ivanov Ivanov. This is necessary for the payment to be recognized as your payment for sending prepared personal documents and to be confirmed by the courier company's finance department. Make sure you ask the bank for a document stating that you have made the payment and take it to the Consular Office with the overseas mission where you have applied or will apply for new identity documents.

Obtaining of the passport

The new documents shall be received in person at a consular post or, exceptionally, by an authorised person with an explicit notarized power of attorney or by a person whose details are entered in the application form. Fill in the appropriate box for receipt on the application and sign.

Passports for persons under the age of 18 shall be obtained in person by a parent, or a person authorized by the parents, certifying his or her identity with a passport or identity card. The child's original birth certificate shall also be produced. His names and details shall be recorded.

Old documents (identity card and/or passport) are declared invalid, which is reflected in the Ministry of Interior system, and cannot be used.

Upon receipt of the new passport issued, the previous passport should be returned to the Consular Office. A person who has a need to present visas or border stamps affixed in the passport may retain it after the expiry date by presenting it to the Consular Office and submitting a request in a form /Annex No 7 to Article 32, paragraph 2 of the Regulations for issuing Bulgarian Identity Documents/ The person is obliged to return the document within 3 months after the claimed need has ceased.

Obtaining a new passport may be done both in the Republic of Bulgaria and in any of the Bulgarian diplomatic and/or consular representations, in person or through an authorized person — with an explicit notarized power of attorney or by a person whose details are entered in the application. The authorized person should obtain the issued identity document from the Bulgarian Identity Documents Directorate, Sofia, Bulgaria. Sofia, 48 Knyaginya Maria Louisa Blvd. after presenting your identity document and returning the previous passport.