Bulgarian citizenship by investment: current position
The two articles that allowed Bulgarian citizenship in return for investment, art. 12a and art. 14a, are repealed in the Law on Bulgarian Citizenship (Закон за българското гражданство). The consolidated text we read on 8 October 2026 marks both as repealed; this page only reports what that text says.
Visas and residence · Last reviewed: 2026-10-08
This is not legal or financial advice
What the law text shows
In the consolidated text on lex.bg, art. 12a and art. 14a carry the note 'Отм. - ДВ, бр. 26 от 2022 г.', meaning they were repealed by the amendment published in issue 26 of the State Gazette (Държавен вестник) of 2022. The amendment list at the top of the text includes issue 26 of 1 April 2022 and later changes up to issue 55 of 16 June 2026.
The Bulgarian word root for 'investment' appears in the text only in the name of a ministry represented on the Citizenship Council and in the transitional provisions. We did not find a provision in force that names investment as a ground for acquiring citizenship.
What the transitional provisions say
- Under the transitional provisions of the 2022 amendment, unfinished proceedings under the repealed art. 12a and art. 14a are terminated (прекратяват се).
- A person who earlier acquired citizenship on those grounds must, if the facts and circumstances behind the investment change, notify the authority that certified the investment within 14 days and submit documents showing the change.
- The same provisions allow naturalisation on those grounds to be revoked if the investments were not maintained for at least two years (art. 14a para. 1) or at least one year (art. 12a para. 1; for art. 14a para. 1 item 3 also the jobs created), or if the change was not notified.
- The Ministry of Justice (Министерство на правосъдието) sends the competent authority information on these persons; the authority reports every change in the investments to the Minister of Justice.
What remains in naturalisation today
Art. 16 of the law says that citizenship may be granted without the conditions of art. 12 if Bulgaria has an interest in the person's naturalisation or the person has special merits to Bulgaria in the social and economic sphere, science, technology, culture or sport. The proposal is made by the minister responsible for the area, and the person must give prior written consent (art. 30). The text does not name investment under this article.
This page is not legal advice
Frequently asked questions
Does Bulgaria still grant citizenship for investment?
In the law text we read, art. 12a and art. 14a, which regulated this route, appear as repealed (Отм. - ДВ, бр. 26 от 2022 г.), and the transitional provisions terminate pending proceedings under them.
What happens to people who acquired citizenship this way earlier?
Under the transitional provisions they must notify changes to the investment within 14 days, and naturalisation can be revoked if the investments were not maintained for the stated period. For a personal situation, ask the Ministry of Justice.
Sources
The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.
- Закон за българското гражданство (lex.bg, 8 Ekim 2026'da okunan birleştirilmiş metin) — https://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2134446592 · 2026-10-08
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