Registering marriage

@Taaliak

Hello Taaliak,

I can answer some of your questions, but I don't know about Sofia, as I'm in Varna.

I got married to a Bulgarian lady in Varna in May 2021.

It's quite complicated and you must do things exactly as the forms ask.

For the non Bulgarian partner...  He / she will first have to notify there embassy, that they intend to marry a Bulgarian citizen.  You will most probably be able to have the form sent you. Once completed, it must be endorsed and stamped by a Notary... To do this, the document must also be in Bulgarian language, as well as the country of origin. Once this is done, the non Bulgarian must apply for a certificate of good standing, which states that you do not have any convictions for any crimes and that you are a good person. This must also be translated into Bulgarian.

If the non Bulgarian is divorced, they must present to the Bulgarian Registry Office a certificate of final divorce - Decree Absolute.  If you don't have this, you may need to apply for a copy from your country's divorce courts.

The non Bulgarian, must have residency in Bulgaria and have an ID card to prove it.

All this took me around 3 months to complete, but we were in Covid restrictions!

For the Bulgarian citizen...

You must require the same as the non Bulgarian, except that you don't have to notify your embassy of your wish to marry.

Once you have all the required documents, you can take them to the registry office and when they've been dealt with and accepted, you can reserve a wedding date.  A selection of dates will be offered to you.  You must pay for the wedding in advance. You will be offered extras of music and a photographer!

If the non Bulgarian does not speak Bulgarian, you will need a translator on the day of the wedding. These can be hired easily, but must be a government registered translator.

I can't help with the address of your foreign embassy, nor the registry office, but there will be a main one in Sofia.

Hope this helps and good luck with the bureaucracy

@cyberescue1

Thank you very much!

@shahparmar0

You'll need to have lived in Bulgaria for 3 years before you can apply for citizenship through your Bulgarian spouse. You'll have to pass a written language test and undergo an interview, in Bulgarian.  If you're hoping to obtain citizenship simply because you're married to a Bulgarian, I'm afraid it doesn't work like that...

@shahparmar0 Canadian how?