Bulgaria granted citizenship to more than 16 000 people in 2024

Bulgaria granted citizenship to 16 268 people in 2024, the largest number in a year since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, according to an annual report posted on the website of the Presidency.

The previous time that the number of people granted Bulgarian citizenship exceeded the 16 000-mark was in 2020, falling to 15 171 in 2021, to 7410 in 2022 and rising to 12 205 in 2023.

The largest number of citizenships were granted on the basis of Bulgarian origin or naturalisation, while restoration of Bulgarian citizenship accounted for 4490.

The largest number of those receiving Bulgarian citizenship in 2024 were from Ukraine (2436), followed by Türkiye (2163), Moldova (1887), North Macedonia (1698), Albania (1328), Serbia (847), Russia (474), Israel (260), Syria (150) and Argentina (108).

The remainder came from 56 other countries, including 38 who were from other European Union countries, the report said.

A total of 18 people were granted Bulgarian citizenship on the grounds of merit – one in the field of culture and 17 sports people.

In 2024, citizenship that had been granted on the basis of naturalisation was revoked in the case of 38 people.

These revocations were on the basis of proposals by the Ministry of Justice, because those who had received citizenship had concealed facts that would have prevented them being granted citizenship, such as not disclosing criminal records or using forged documents to claim Bulgarian origin and/or Bulgarian descent.

Decrees of Bulgarian citizenship were refused to 5946 people, for various reasons, including false or forged documents and serious reasons to believe that they posed a threat to national security, public order and/or health.

(Photo: Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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