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Updated: June 2026

Case study · Bulgaria · Citizenship

How a Student Facing Deportation Secured CitizenshipThrough Ancestry, Not Language

Sometimes the biggest barrier is fear of a barrier that doesn't actually exist. Danil, a nineteen-year-old student, faced deportation after graduation and sought ways to remain in Europe. One fear held him back from Bulgarian citizenship: he didn't speak the language and was afraid of the language exam, believing he couldn't obtain status without Bulgarian. Yet his great-grandfather's roots offered a path where language testing isn't required at all. We explain step-by-step how we eliminated this fear and secured citizenship by descent.

Sergey EvdokimovSergey EvdokimovManaging Partner, BRIDGESReading time8 min readVerificationReviewed by an expert

This case is based on a real matter. The name and certain identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.

BRIDGES client story - How a Student Facing Deportation Secured Citizenship Through Ancestry, Not Language
Contents

Case at a glance

Situation, solution and outcome in seven lines

Client
Danil, approximately 19 years old, Kharkiv, currently Munich
Situation
Faces deportation after graduation, seeking ways to remain in the EU
Fear
Doesn't speak Bulgarian, afraid of language exam
Program
Bulgaria, citizenship by descent (through Bulgarian ancestry, EU passport)
Reality
Language exam not required for descent applicants—applicants are exempt
Solution
Prove great-grandfather's ancestry and secure citizenship without exam
Result
Fear eliminated, pathway to EU passport opened

Client story

Client's Story

Where they started

Danil is a young student who, after completing his studies, faced a wall familiar to thousands of his peers: student status ending and needing to remain in Europe somehow, otherwise facing return and effectively deportation. He considered various options and was anxious because time was running out.

Why the standard route did not work

He had Bulgarian roots through his great-grandfather—a legitimate basis for citizenship, meaning an EU passport. But Danil dismissed this path because of one fear: he didn't speak Bulgarian at all. In his mind, citizenship was inextricably linked to a language exam that he was convinced he would definitely fail. This fear kept him from the obvious solution.

What BRIDGES had to solve

But the fear was based on a misunderstanding. Bulgarian citizenship by descent works differently than naturalization: applicants through ancestry are exempt from language exams, as well as from residency requirements and renunciation of other citizenship. That is, Danil needed to prove his great-grandfather to get his passport, not learn the language for an exam.

Why a standard answer would not do

Danil turned to BRIDGES having almost lost hope—and the first thing we did was remove the false barrier: we explained that language testing wasn't required on his path at all. The rest was purely documentary—proving Bulgarian descent of his great-grandfather before the deadline passed.

After graduation I genuinely faced deportation, and I dismissed Bulgarian citizenship—I was convinced they wouldn't grant it without the language, and I don't speak Bulgarian at all. Sergey started with exactly that: he said that for ancestry you don't take the language exam at all, I'm exempt. It felt like a weight lifted from my shoulders. Then they proved my great-grandfather's roots, and that was it. I feared an exam that simply wasn't on my path.

Danil, 19 · Danil, StudentThe name and certain identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.

What Was at Risk

What Was at Risk

Sometimes the main barrier is fear of a barrier that doesn't exist. Danil associated citizenship with a language exam and therefore dismissed his actual right through ancestry. But citizenship by descent works differently: applicants are exempt from language requirements, residency requirements, and renunciation of citizenship. False fear can cost a missed right.

Renouncing an actual right through ancestry because of an imaginary barrier

  1. 01Believing citizenship couldn't be obtained without the Bulgarian language
  2. 02Wasting time under threat of deportation while seeking workarounds
  3. 03Missing the deadline while fearing an exam that doesn't exist
  4. 04Not learning about language exemption through descent

The logic of the solution

How the matter progressed: from checks to result

The chart is built from the facts of this matter and shows the logic of the work without decorative or unverified data.

  1. 01
    Stage 1

    We eliminated the illusory barrier first. The main obstacle was not the language, but fear of the language, and we removed it immediately: we explained to Danilo that applicants by descent are exempt from language examination, residence requirement, and renunciation of citizenship. The difficulty here is psychological - the person held onto false conviction for months; it was important to show him the difference between the paths clearly so he would stop fearing what does not exist.

  2. 02
    Stage 2

    We assessed the urgency under deportation threat. Time was running out: his student status was ending. We immediately checked whether the ancestry was realistic and planned the work so that establishing descent would proceed quickly, while Danilo maintained legal status and did not fall out of lawful position while the file was being prepared.

  3. 03
    Stage 3

    We verified and confirmed the great-grandfather's ancestry. The real foundation - a Bulgarian great-grandfather. We retrieved documents confirming his descent and verified that the line was viable. The complexity was in finding the record where the great-grandfather's Bulgarian nationality is directly registered and making it the foundation of the entire case.

  4. 04
    Stage 4

    We established a line from the great-grandfather to Danilo. We connected the found foundation with birth certificates down the line - great-grandfather, grandfather, father, Danilo - recovering missing generations through civil registration offices. We obtained a continuous documentary line proving the applicant's descent, without breaks.

  5. 05
    Stage 5

    We assembled a file without a single weak point. Since the case was proceeding under time pressure, we prepared it quickly but carefully: descent, genealogical line, translations - everything that the Ministry of Justice would accept without additional questions, so that haste would not result in delay due to gaps.

Takeaway. Conclusion: citizenship by descent exempts from language examination, residence requirement, and renunciation of citizenship - this is a different path than naturalization. The greatest barrier often proves illusory, and fear of examination should not cost a real right by ancestry.

How we solved the problem

How we solved the problem

The work was split into verifiable stages so that every conclusion rested on documents.

  1. 01

    Stage 1

    We eliminated the illusory barrier first. The main obstacle was not the language, but fear of the language, and we removed it immediately: we explained to Danilo that applicants by descent are exempt from language examination, residence requirement, and renunciation of citizenship. The difficulty here is psychological - the person held onto false conviction for months; it was important to show him the difference between the paths clearly so he would stop fearing what does not exist.

  2. 02

    Stage 2

    We assessed the urgency under deportation threat. Time was running out: his student status was ending. We immediately checked whether the ancestry was realistic and planned the work so that establishing descent would proceed quickly, while Danilo maintained legal status and did not fall out of lawful position while the file was being prepared.

  3. 03

    Stage 3

    We verified and confirmed the great-grandfather's ancestry. The real foundation - a Bulgarian great-grandfather. We retrieved documents confirming his descent and verified that the line was viable. The complexity was in finding the record where the great-grandfather's Bulgarian nationality is directly registered and making it the foundation of the entire case.

  4. 04

    Stage 4

    We established a line from the great-grandfather to Danilo. We connected the found foundation with birth certificates down the line - great-grandfather, grandfather, father, Danilo - recovering missing generations through civil registration offices. We obtained a continuous documentary line proving the applicant's descent, without breaks.

  5. 05

    Stage 5

    We assembled a file without a single weak point. Since the case was proceeding under time pressure, we prepared it quickly but carefully: descent, genealogical line, translations - everything that the Ministry of Justice would accept without additional questions, so that haste would not result in delay due to gaps.

  6. 06

    Stage 6

    We submitted by descent - without any language examination. As of 2026, proof of descent is submitted directly to the Ministry of Justice. We submitted Danilo's file based on his great-grandfather's ancestry - without language examination, without residence requirement, without renunciation of previous citizenship. The barrier he so feared simply did not arise in the case, and the path to an EU passport opened.

Expert comment

This is a very human case - when a person is held back not by a real obstacle, but by fear. Danilo, nineteen years old, under threat of deportation, and yet he has a Bulgarian great-grandfather, meaning a direct right to an EU passport. But he dismisses that right: "I don't know the language, I won't pass the examination." And here is what is important to understand: naturalization and citizenship by descent are different paths. By descent, the language is not examined at all, just as residence requirement or renunciation of citizenship is not needed. The first thing I did was remove this false fear and show the difference. A weight lifted from the young man's shoulders. After that - straightforward work: prove the great-grandfather and establish the line, and do it quickly because time was running out. I always say: sometimes the greatest barrier is imaginary. For Danilo it was exactly that, and the actual path turned out to be open.

Sergey Evdokimov, Managing Partner, BRIDGESSergey EvdokimovManaging Partner, BRIDGES

Outcome

What the client received

What was required
How we did it · Result
Eliminate fear of language
Demonstrated exemption by descent · Illusory barrier removed
Meet the deadlines
Swift proof of descent + status protection · Maintained lawful status
Prove great-grandfather's ancestry
Documents of descent + genealogical line · Kinship confirmed
Obtain path to passport
Submission by descent to Ministry of Justice · Without examination and residence requirement
Obtain path to passport
Submission by descent to Ministry of Justice · Without examination and residence requirement

What was: a student under threat of deportation faced loss of status, and fear of a language examination prevented him from pursuing citizenship by Bulgarian ancestry. What we did: we immediately eliminated the illusory barrier by explaining that language examination is not required by descent; we assessed the urgency and secured his status; we confirmed the great-grandfather's ancestry; we established an unbroken line to Danilo; we assembled an impeccable file and submitted it by descent directly to the Ministry of Justice. What the client received: a path to an EU passport without language examination, residence requirement, or renunciation of citizenship.

Practical takeaway

What matters in a similar situation

  • Conclusion: citizenship by descent exempts from language examination, residence requirement, and renunciation of citizenship - this is a different path than naturalization. The greatest barrier often proves illusory, and fear of examination should not cost a real right by ancestry.
  • Danilo feared an examination that simply does not exist on his path - and instead of deportation, he obtained the road to EU citizenship by his great-grandfather's ancestry.

FAQ

Questions people ask in a similar situation

01Is it necessary to pass a Bulgarian language examination for citizenship by descent?

No. Applicants by descent are exempt from language examination. The language examination is required for naturalization, but by ancestry this requirement does not apply - you need to prove Bulgarian descent, not knowledge of the language.

02How does citizenship by descent differ from naturalization?

By the rules. Citizenship by descent does not require a language examination, residency requirement, or obligation to renounce other citizenship. Naturalization requires years of residence, language proficiency, and often renunciation of previous citizenship.

03Can citizenship be obtained if you do not speak the language at all?

Yes, citizenship by descent allows this. Knowledge of Bulgarian is not required for this pathway. The key is to documentarily prove your roots and an unbroken family lineage to the applicant.

04What should be done if there are tight deadlines and risk of deportation?

Act immediately: verify the viability of your roots, secure legal status as backup, and promptly yet carefully gather a descent documentation file. From 2026 onwards, it is submitted directly to the Ministry of Justice.

05What documentation is needed for citizenship by descent?

Documentarily confirmed Bulgarian ancestry of a predecessor—for example, a great-grandfather—and an unbroken family lineage from them to the applicant. This is sufficient: neither language nor residence requirements apply.

06Worried about a language examination but have Bulgarian roots?

We will dispel this false barrier and prove your ancestry: with descent-based citizenship, you do not take an examination at all. We will confirm your predecessor, establish the family lineage, and submit your application for citizenship by descent directly to the Ministry of Justice—without examination or residency requirement.

About the author

Sergey Evdokimov

Author: Sergey Evdokimov

Managing Partner, BRIDGES

As Founder and Managing Partner of BRIDGES, I am responsible for the firm's strategy and personally lead its most complex client matters, including cases in which citizenship or residence decisions require a strategic view and consideration of capital.

I begin by defining the objective: the outcome the client needs, the facts that affect the choice, and the matters that require further review. I then establish the available directions, the sequence of work, and the key decision points.

Once the strategy has been agreed, I oversee the BRIDGES team's key decisions and remain involved at the stages that shape the course of the matter. The purpose is to give the client a clear rationale for the chosen direction and a precise understanding of the next steps.

Prepared on the basis of BRIDGES practice and reviewed by a subject-matter expert.

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Anna KovalevskayaHead of Legal, BRIDGES
Anna Kovalevskaya, Head of Legal, BRIDGES

Names and certain details have been changed to protect client confidentiality. The result described reflects one specific situation and is neither a public offer nor a guarantee of a similar outcome. Programme terms are stated as of 2026 and may change - please confirm current parameters with a BRIDGES consultant.