Dual Citizenship with Bulgaria in 2026: Is It Permitted and Can You Retain Your Russian Passport

Summary: Does Bulgaria Allow Dual Citizenship

Bulgaria takes a calm view of dual (and even multiple) citizenship. The Bulgarian Citizenship Law directly permits a person to remain a citizen of another country – the issue is only which grounds are used to obtain a Bulgarian passport.

To simplify, the 2026 situation is as follows:

• By Ancestry (Bulgarian Roots) – You Do Not Need to Renounce Your Previous Citizenship. This Is the Primary and Most Comfortable Route for Individuals from Russia and Other CIS Countries.
• By Birth – A Person with at Least One Bulgarian Parent Automatically Acquires Citizenship and Retains Any Other.
• By Marriage to a Bulgarian – The Spouse of a Bulgarian Citizen Is Exempt from the Renunciation Requirement.
• General Naturalization Without Benefits – Here, a Renunciation Requirement May Formally Be Raised, but Exceptions Exist in This Case as Well.

That Is, the Mere Fact of Acquiring Bulgarian Citizenship Does Not Automatically "Invalidate" Your First Passport. Bulgaria Does Not Force You to Choose. Everything Depends on What Your Home Country Says – and This Is a Separate Discussion Below.

What the Law Means by Dual Citizenship

It Is Useful to Immediately Distinguish Between Two Common Concepts That Are Often Confused. "Dual Citizenship" in the Strict Sense Is When Two Countries Have a Special Treaty That Recognizes Both Passports Simultaneously (As, for Example, Russia Had with Individual States). "Multiple Citizenship" Is When a Person Simply Holds Passports from Several Countries, and Each Country Considers Him Its Own, Regardless of the Other.

There Is No Dual Citizenship Treaty Between Russia and Bulgaria. This Means That for Bulgaria You Will Be a Bulgarian, and for Russia You Will Be a Russian Citizen. Each Country Looks at You "with Its Own Eyes" and Within Its Territory Requires You to Comply with Its Laws. In Practice, for Most People, This Does Not Create Problems: You Use Your Bulgarian (i.e., European) Passport in the EU and Retain Your Russian Passport for Matters Within Russia.

It Is Important to Understand One Thing: the Absence of a Treaty Is Not a Prohibition. Neither Bulgaria nor Russia Prohibits Its Citizens from Holding a Second Passport. A Prohibition and "No Treaty of Recognition" Are Fundamentally Different Things.

The Ancestry-Based Route: Why Renunciation Is Not Required

The Primary Route to a Bulgarian Passport for People with Roots Is Citizenship by Descent. If Among Your Ancestors (Father, Mother, Grandfather, Grandmother, and Further Down the Line) There Were Bulgarians, You Can Claim Citizenship under a Simplified Procedure.

The Key Advantage of This Particular Route Is That You Are Immediately Exempt from Three Burdensome Conditions of Ordinary Naturalization:

• You Do Not Need to Pass an Exam in the Bulgarian Language;
• You Do Not Need to Confirm a Residency Requirement (Years of Residence in the Country);
• You Do Not Need to Renounce Your Previous Citizenship.

This Last Point Is the Answer to the Main Question of This Article. A Person Who Has Proven Bulgarian Ancestry Retains Their First Passport Legally and Without Reservation. This Follows Directly from the Provisions of Bulgarian Law: Those Whose Citizenship Is Granted by Descent Are Not Included in the List of "Those Obligated to Renounce."

As Part of Recent Reforms, Proof of Ancestry Is Submitted Directly to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice – a Separate Certificate from a State Agency as a Mandatory Stage Is Now a Thing of the Past (the Current Procedure Should Be Verified at the Time of Submission). Ancestry Is Proven Through the Paternal or Maternal Line: Birth Certificates, Extracts, and for Lost Documents – Church Records and Archives.

Naturalization: when the renunciation requirement still applies

An entirely different story is general naturalization—that is, the path without Bulgarian roots, without marriage to a Bulgarian citizen, and without refugee status. Here, a person first lives in the country for years based on a residence permit and permanent residence permit, accumulates a residence requirement, confirms income and language proficiency, and only then applies for citizenship.

For this path, Bulgarian law establishes a general rule: by the time of obtaining a Bulgarian passport, the applicant must renounce their previous citizenship or undertake an obligation to do so. In practice, either a renunciation document is submitted, or a signed commitment to renounce after obtaining Bulgarian citizenship—usually with a specified deadline (approximately up to three years from the date of approval by the Citizenship Council).

However, the law makes notable exceptions here as well. Those exempted from the renunciation requirement are:

• Spouses of Bulgarian citizens;
• Citizens of EU, EEA, and Swiss countries;
• Citizens of countries with which Bulgaria has a reciprocity agreement;
• Persons who obtained refugee status no less than three years before application;
• Those persons of Bulgarian origin mentioned above.

The conclusion is simple: the renunciation requirement applies to general naturalization without benefits, not as a universal rule for everyone. Most clients with roots are simply not subject to it.

What a Bulgarian passport offers as an EU passport

When people speak of "Bulgarian second citizenship," they essentially mean a European Union passport. Bulgaria has been an EU member since 2007, and as of 2025, has become a full participant in the Schengen Area (land borders opened from the beginning of 2025). From 2026, the country will join the eurozone and transition to the euro instead of the lev (the lev rate was pegged at approximately 1.95583 per euro—the current transition date should be verified).

A Bulgarian citizen receives the full set of rights of a European:

• The right to live, work, and conduct business in any EU country without a separate visa or permit;
• The right to study at European universities on the same terms as local students;
• Freedom of movement through the Schengen Area without border control;
• Visa-free or simplified entry to a wide range of countries worldwide on an EU passport.

Your first passport (for example, Russian) remains with you—within the framework of that path where renunciation is not required. This is not an "exchange" of one citizenship for another, but rather an addition of European status to your existing citizenship.

Russia's side: what Russian law says

Now about the second side of the coin, which matters most for Russians. Russia permits its citizens to hold second citizenship. Obtaining a foreign passport does not deprive a person of Russian citizenship—in the eyes of the RF, they remain a Russian citizen and on Russian territory are considered only as a Russian citizen.

However, there is an obligation that must not be forgotten: the existence of second citizenship (or foreign residence permit) must be notified to the state. The notification is submitted to the Interior Ministry office—in person, by mail, through an authorized representative, or through the "Gosuslugi" portal. It cannot be submitted through a consulate abroad.

The notification deadline is approximately 60 days from the date of obtaining second citizenship if the person is in Russia. If the passport is obtained abroad and the person lives abroad, the countdown usually begins from the moment of entry into Russia (generally approximately 30 days from the date of entry). Exact deadlines and procedures should be verified at the time of submission, as details are periodically clarified.

Failure to submit or late submission of the notification incurs liability—up to a fine. Therefore, it is better not to delay this formality: it is not complicated in itself, but the consequences of ignoring it are unpleasant.

Citizenship is not the same as tax residency

A very common misconception: "I will get a Bulgarian passport and will pay taxes in Bulgaria instead of Russia." This is incorrect. Citizenship and tax residency are two different things, and one does not automatically become the other.

Tax residency is determined not by the color of a passport cover, but by where a person actually lives and where the center of their life interests is located. The basic guideline is the 183-day rule per year: the country where you spent most of the year can claim you as its tax resident. This rule has nuances (center of interests, family, property), but the logic is exactly this.

Bulgaria, meanwhile, is one of the most favorable EU jurisdictions for taxes: a flat income tax rate of 10%, corporate tax of 10%, VAT of 20%. This attracts both entrepreneurs and those who actually relocate. However, these rates can only be obtained by actually becoming a Bulgarian tax resident based on residence—a passport alone does not provide such status.

Conclusion: when planning second citizenship, separately consider the tax implications. These are different aspects, and proper calculation here saves money and stress.

Can Bulgarian citizenship be purchased through investment

This deserves to be stated frankly, as the question arises constantly. Bulgaria previously had an investment citizenship program—the so-called "golden passports." In 2022, parliament terminated it. Today, Bulgarian citizenship cannot be purchased directly through investment—such an option simply does not exist.

It is important to understand this to avoid falling for offers promising a "passport for investments in a couple of months." Legal investment citizenship in Bulgaria does not exist.

What remains for an investor without Bulgarian roots? The path through residency:

• Obtain a residence permit on a lawful basis (business, representation, other grounds);
• Live for the required period, transition to permanent residence;
• Then seek the status of long-term EU resident or pursue naturalization.

This is a long path, and it does not yield the same result as ancestry. Therefore, for most people with Bulgarian ancestors, roots remain the fastest and most reliable route to an EU passport.

Real estate and residence permits: important note

Bulgaria is attractive due to affordable real estate: the Black Sea coast (Burgas, Varna, Sunny Beach, Nesebar, Pomorie), Sofia, mountainous Bansko. Prices are among the lowest in the EU, and taxes on purchase and ownership are low. Foreign individuals can purchase apartments and buildings; land is more complicated—restrictions apply, and it is usually registered through a legal entity or under EU rules.

However, there is a common misconception worth stating directly. Purchase of real estate does not in itself provide a residence permit. To obtain a residence permit, separate legal grounds are required—company representation, retiree status with stable income and housing, family reunification, work, or study. Real estate can strengthen your position but does not replace grounds for a residence permit.

For Russian retirees, the option with income and housing is popular: stable pension plus own seaside property—a common basis for a residence permit. The residence permit is extended annually; after five years it opens the door to permanent residence, and then to long-term EU resident status or naturalization.

Russians and compliance: what to consider in 2026

For Russian citizens, the process has involved heightened compliance attention since 2022. This is normal reality, and it should be approached calmly and seriously. Any path to a Bulgarian (that is, European) passport proceeds strictly within the framework of EU legislation—without any schemes to bypass sanctions.

What receives attention:

• Source of funds. The origin of money for investments or maintenance must be confirmed documentally—this is a basic requirement of banks and regulators.
• Document authenticity. Any archival and genealogical papers must be genuine and verifiable.
• Realistic expectations. No "guarantees within a month" or "workarounds" – the path through ancestry is more reliable than any promises of speed.

Regarding travel: visa and entry situations for Russian citizens have changed after 2022 – there are Schengen visa restrictions. However, Bulgarian citizenship removes this barrier: with an EU passport, the visa question for entry into the Union becomes moot.

Comparison of pathways: where renunciation is required and where it is not.

To consolidate everything, we will gather the grounds for obtaining Bulgarian citizenship in one table – with an answer to the main question: is it necessary to renounce your previous passport?

As can be seen, the renunciation requirement is a narrow exception, not a general rule. For the vast majority of people with Bulgarian ancestors, the question "will I have to part with my first passport" is eliminated entirely: you will not have to part with it.

Timelines and documents: what to expect in practice.

Timelines vary significantly depending on the pathway. Through ancestry, the entire process typically takes approximately 24 to 36 months – depending on document completeness and administrative workload. Once a decision is made, the ID card and EU passport are usually issued within one to two months.

The basic set of documents for the ancestry pathway includes:

• Documents confirming Bulgarian roots (birth certificates, archival extracts, church records in case of losses);
• An established line of kinship from you to the Bulgarian ancestor on either the paternal or maternal side;
• Personal documents of the applicant, certificates of good conduct, apostilles, and certified translations.

The main difficulty is typically not in the application itself, but in collecting and recovering old documents: archives in different countries, missing birth certificates, discrepancies in surname spelling in transliteration. This is precisely where professional assistance saves months: specialists know which archive to contact and how to assemble the genealogical line into a convincing package.

In parallel, a Russian citizen should plan in advance to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs about dual citizenship – to complete this formality on schedule immediately after receiving the passport.

Conditions and course of action: where to start.

To summarize everything concisely, a reasonable course of action looks as follows:

• Step 1. Assess the grounds. Do you have Bulgarian roots (father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, or further back)? If yes – this is the most comfortable pathway without renouncing your previous passport.
• Step 2. Collect documents. Find and recover papers confirming your descent, establish the line of kinship, prepare translations and apostilles.
• Step 3. Submit to the Ministry of Justice. According to current procedure, proving descent goes directly to the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice.
• Step 4. Obtain an EU passport. After approval – ID card and Bulgarian passport.
• Step 5. Notify the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Within the allotted timeframe, submit notification of dual citizenship.

At each step, there are pitfalls – from discrepancies in archival records to translation requirements. If you want to understand whether you have the right to a Bulgarian passport through ancestry and how quickly it can realistically be processed, begin with an analysis of your situation. Submit an application for consultation - we will review your family lineage and tell you which path to Bulgarian citizenship suits you and how long it will take.

Expert commentary: what to pay attention to first

Several practical tips that help people make the right decision and not waste time. Detailed analysis of individual programs - in our materials: about Bulgarian citizenship in general, about the ancestry route, separately for Russians and about the Bulgarian passport. You can select a specific route for your situation on the program page.

Summary: is it possible to have dual citizenship with Bulgaria

We will provide the answer to the main question in a few lines so you remember it.

• Yes, dual citizenship with Bulgaria is possible. Bulgaria treats multiple citizenship calmly and does not force you to choose.
• By ancestry, by birth, and by marriage renunciation of your previous passport is not required - this is the main convenient path for Russians and CIS nationals.
• General naturalization without benefits - the only case where a renunciation requirement may formally be mentioned, but there are exceptions there too.
• Russia permits dual citizenship, but asks you to notify the Interior Ministry within the allotted timeframe - do not forget about this formality.
• Citizenship is not taxes. Tax residency is determined by residence, not by passport.

A Bulgarian passport is an EU passport with all its rights, and for a person with roots, it remains one of the most accessible ways to obtain European status while keeping your original passport. The key is to proceed legally and realistically assess the timelines.