ЕГН: Bulgaria's civil identification number
ЕГН — единен граждански номер — uniquely identifies people recorded in Bulgaria's population register. It is the primary identifier in almost every administrative procedure, from the ID card through notarial deeds to tax returns. For a foreign national the practical question is not how to obtain one, but whether your status leads to an ЕГН at all or to an ЛНЧ instead.
Visas and residence · Last reviewed: 2026-08-16
The number follows from civil registration
An ЕГН is generated when a civil-status event is entered in the register — a birth, acquisition of citizenship, or entry as a permanent resident. The number is therefore the consequence of a registration, not of a separate application. Its structure encodes the date of birth together with a check digit, so it doubles as a consistency test on the record itself.
Can a foreign national hold one
Anyone who acquires Bulgarian citizenship receives an ЕГН. Some permanent residents are also entered in the population register and fall within its scope. For long-term residence and for registered EU citizens, the expected identifier is an ЛНЧ. Which number applies is decided by your status, not by preference.
Where it shows up
- On the ID card, passport and civil-status certificates.
- In notarial and property transactions, to identify the parties.
- In tax returns and social-security records.
- In health registration and school enrolment.
- When requesting electronic administrative services and official extracts.
Not a secret, but not for casual sharing
The number appears on many documents, so it does not function as a password. Combined with other details, however, it identifies a person directly and is covered by data-protection rules. Asking on what legal basis someone requires your ЕГН is a normal and accepted question in Bulgaria.
Fixing an incorrect record
Find the primary record
Corrections to an ЕГН run through civil registration: the municipal ГРАО unit and ГД ГРАО centrally.Account for identity documents
A change usually means the ID card has to be reissued, which is a separate procedure on the МВР side.Update the derived records
Banks, employers, the revenue agency and your health record do not update automatically — each needs separate notification.
The number is not proof of status
This is not legal or financial advice
Frequently asked questions
I have permanent residence — do I switch from ЛНЧ to ЕГН?
It depends on whether your status places you in the population register. Some permanent residents are entered there and receive an ЕГН; others keep using an ЛНЧ. Ask ГРАО and the migration authority to confirm which register holds your record.
Will my old number stay valid after naturalisation?
Earlier records keep referring to the old identifier, while new procedures use the ЕГН. During the overlap, make sure banks and employers hold the current one.
Can I check my own entry in the register?
Bulgaria offers electronic services for civil-registration extracts. What is available and how you authenticate is published on egov.bg, so start there rather than with intermediaries.
Sources
The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.
- ГД ГРАО — гражданска регистрация и административно обслужване — https://www.grao.bg/ · 2026-08-16
- Министерство на вътрешните работи (МВР) — https://www.mvr.bg/ · 2026-08-16
- Единен портал за електронни административни услуги (egov.bg) — https://egov.bg/ · 2026-08-16
- Национална агенция за приходите (НАП) — https://nra.bg/ · 2026-08-16
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