Does Bulgaria allow dual citizenship? (2026)

Does Bulgaria allow dual citizenship?

Yes, but conditionally. Bulgaria recognises multiple citizenship for its own nationals — a Bulgarian who acquires another passport does not lose their Bulgarian one. The catch is on the way in: whether a foreigner can become Bulgarian while keeping their existing nationality depends on which route they use.

The catch to watch

Under the Bulgarian Citizenship Act, general naturalisation on the standard residence track requires the applicant to be released from their previous citizenship — or to undertake to renounce it. In practice this bites after the Citizenship Council approves your application: you are then given a grace period (currently 18 months) to provide proof that you have been released from your prior nationality. Several groups are exempt from the renunciation rule altogether: people of Bulgarian origin (descent), nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, spouses of Bulgarian citizens, and citizens of states with which Bulgaria has a reciprocity agreement. The rule also does not apply where your home country does not permit renunciation, or where giving it up would leave you stateless.

The routes that keep both passports

The cleanest way to hold two passports is citizenship by descent (Bulgarian origin): if a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Bulgarian citizen, you can apply as a person of Bulgarian origin and are not required to renounce your current nationality. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who naturalise are exempt from renunciation by law, as are spouses of Bulgarian nationals.

No golden passport

Bulgaria abolished its citizenship-by-investment programme in April 2022, under EU pressure. There is no way to buy a Bulgarian passport. What remains is a residency-by-investment permit (often marketed as a golden visa) that can lead to permanent residence and, only after the ordinary naturalisation period, to citizenship on the standard terms — including the renunciation rule for non-exempt applicants.

At a glance

Where it fits in a borderless plan

A Bulgarian passport is an EU passport, and Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 — so it pairs a mobile second nationality with an attractive base. Bulgaria's flat 10% personal income tax and residence-based system make it one of the EU's simpler tax residency options. Pair it with a self-custody plan for your Bitcoin. New to this? See which countries allow dual citizenship, or claim one through ancestry.