Justice Ministry Proposes Measures to Tighten Control for Bulgarian Citizenship

The Ministry of Justice is proposing measures to tighten control and prevent abuses in the granting of Bulgarian citizenship. In a press release, it said the draft amendments eliminate investment as a reason for granting Bulgarian citizenship, shorten deadlines, refine criteria and introduce a requirement for those applying for citizenship on the basis of origin to speak Bulgarian and to have a job and income in the country.
The proposal to eliminate the granting of Bulgarian citizenship on the grounds of investment is based on an analysis for the last years and a conclusion that the said provision failed to secure more foreign investments and economic growth.
The draft amendments will be discussed on January 30 within the Council of Ministers and will be published for public consultation. The working group in the ministry was set up by order of Minister Tsetska Tsacheva on February 15, 2018.