Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry braces for wave of ID renewals in 2020
Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry said on December 13 that it was putting in place additional measures to deal with the upcoming increase of identification documents renewal in 2020, when an estimated 2.25 million IDs are set to expire.
That number included about 996 257 ID cards, 630 666 national passports and 622 788 driver’s licences, the ministry said in a statement.
One of the measures is that Bulgarian nationals would be able to submit renewal applications anywhere within the district (oblast) they reside in, not just at the closest office of the identifications documents directorate. Applicants with valid electronic signatures could also submit their applications online, the ministry said.
The statement did not mention whether the expected surge in applications would impact foreigners with Bulgarian IDs (such as long- or short-term residence permits). These applications are handled by the migration directorate of the ministry, which has separate offices from the identification documents directorate.
(Bulgarian passports photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
