Bulgaria Migration Head Eases EU Citizens Residence Confusion

The Director of Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry Migration Department, Stefan Hristov, has confirmed that EU citizens will all automatically receive a personal number to be used in institutions along with their certificate for long-term residence.

After receiving complaints from many EU citizens regarding problems with the current Bulgarian regulations regarding the certificate for long-term residence in Bulgaria and applying for permanent Bulgarian residence Novinite.com launched an ongoing investigation into the issue in September.

Hristov, replying to questions from Novinite.com, said that “to resolve the difficulties in the use of certificates of residence of EU citizens, they are now issued additional certificates on paper containing a personal number, to serve them at the request of the authorities when necessary.”

He added that the practical difficulties encountered by EU citizens and their families have been caused by the fact that institutions have not adapted their systems to perform administrative services for EU citizens with the new documents, which were introduced in 2007 when Bulgaria joined the EU.

Hristov also confirmed that new documents will be issued to third-country citizens in 2010 so as to conform to new EU requirements for third-country citizens. They will include the following details: personal number, photograph of the holder, address, document number, signature of the holder, date and place of issue, names, date of birth, sex, nationality and the authority that issued the document.

Regarding permanent residence Hristov concluded that EU citizens who have resided continuously for five years in Bulgaria can receive a permanent residence certificate if they have an authorized account of continuous residence prior to Bulgaria joining the EU.

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