Help with process for Registering as an EU citizen

19POSTS

7 years ago

OK,

So I have struggled to find a straight forward explanation of the process and timeframes for registering and receiving a lichna karta here.

Currently I understand the process to be:

Go to the immigration office with:

Application form filled in both Cyrillic and Latin.
Title deeds/rental contract+landlord declaration(notarised
EHIC/Insurance
Proof of funds (6000lev+??)/Job contract
Passport

Upon submitting those documents you wait for 3 days(?) before returning and collecting a residence certificate at which time you can apply for a Residence card. I am unsure on the wait between applying to collect the CERTIFICATE and collecting and applying for the CARD, some say you can go back the next day but others say 3 days.

Then there is an express option for the card which, some say is 24 hours and others 3 days as well.

Also I am unsure what is need when collecting the certificate and applying for the card (photos, notarised passport copies, etc.)

If anyone could provide a simple explanation of the basic process that would be fantastic and may help others in future. All the information I could find was either confusing or people saying they could help for hundreds of euros(!).

Thanks everyone!

See also

Education in Bulgaria - Guide
Registering car in Bulgarian plates as a American citizen? - 2 Replies
Registering marriage - 4 Replies
Registering a business in Bulgaria - 11 Replies
Registering my S1 - 29 Replies
Non-EU spouse family reunification for non-eu parents - 4 Replies
Fees to register aTRO - 2 Replies

Ramses K. Serial expat

358POSTS

7 years ago

I'm a bit confused your profile says "Australian expat", so it would be pointless to register as an EU citizen.

lauraball Member

19POSTS

7 years ago

Hi Ramses,

I am indeed an Australian expat. However my husband is an EU citizen...

Do you have anything that can help with the question?

:-)

Ramses K. Serial expat

358POSTS

7 years ago

Ah okee聽 now I understand

And no I can't help you, my own country has his own guidelines on this subject.

hamousher Active member

25POSTS

7 years ago

Hi laurabell,聽 I am unable to answer your question as I am a family member of a Bulgarian citizen.聽 However, first you do not get a lichna carta.聽 The lichna carta is what Bulgarian citizens have as their ID card.聽 What foreigners get wether EU citizens or family members is a residence permit.聽 The term of which can vary from 1 to 5 years.聽 the ideal information site for you is the official Bulgarian Government site聽 here:https://mvr.bg/gabrovo/邪写屑懈薪懈褋褌褉邪褌懈胁薪懈-褍褋谢褍谐懈/邪写屑懈薪懈褋褌褉邪褌懈胁薪懈-褍褋谢褍谐懈-蟹邪-谐褉邪卸写邪薪懈/谐褉褍锌邪-屑懈谐褉邪褑懈褟---芯写屑胁褉-谐邪斜褉芯胁芯/褉邪蟹褉械褕械薪懈褟-蟹邪-锌褉械斜懈胁邪胁邪薪械/long-term-and-permanent-residence-in-bulgaria-for-eu-citizens-and-their-fam.聽 look at the pdf for :- Non EU citizen family member of an EU citizen.聽 Hope this helps.聽 My wife says that she believes the time frames for issue of permits depends on the location of your permit office.
regards

hamousher Active member

25POSTS

7 years ago

After looking at the PDF.聽 you will need a marriage certificate translated into Bulgarian and your Husbands residence permit along with your other documents you mention

kojidae Serial expat

588POSTS

7 years ago

Uhhh, you can get a lichna card. EU can opt to get only a residence permit or residence permit and lichna card. Non-EU must get a card.

hamousher Active member

25POSTS

7 years ago

kojidae, maybe you could follow the link in my post and then tell me if you can get a Lichna Carta and residence card, because if you have a Lichna Carta you do not need a residence card.聽 I have a 5 year residence card with an 谢薪 number.聽 I have been told by authorities that this is not a Lichna Carta and still have to show my passport. For myself to get a Lichna Carta I would have to apply for Bulgarian citizenship, which I can't do yet.聽聽My wife has her ID card and it states on the top that it is a Lichna Carta, the residence permit paper version or plastic card version does not.
regards

kojidae Serial expat

588POSTS

7 years ago

袥懈褔薪邪泻邪褉褌邪 literally means a card for personal identification.

Every single place that has asked for a lichna card- the hospital, doctor, registering a new address - has accepted my lichna card on its own. (The only place I needed the passport was to get my license because they check the passport against other european countries).

On the ministry's website it calls the card foreigners receive a 谢懈褔薪邪泻邪褉褌邪 --- it is the term that they officially use.

"袧袗效校袞袛袠袚袪袗袞袛袗袧袠, 锌芯谢褍褔懈谢懈褉邪蟹褉械褕械薪懈械蟹邪锌芯褋褌芯褟薪薪芯锌褉械斜懈胁邪胁邪薪械胁袪械锌褍斜谢懈泻邪袘褗谢谐邪褉懈褟褋械懈蟹写邪胁邪褉邪蟹褉械褕械薪懈械蟹邪锌褉械斜懈胁邪胁邪薪械聽薪邪锌芯褋褌芯褟薪薪芯锌褉械斜懈胁邪胁邪褖胁褋褌褉邪薪邪褌邪褔褍卸写械薪械褑.

袧械芯斜褏芯写懈屑懈写芯泻褍屑械薪褌懈:
鈥� 袛芯泻褍屑械薪褌蟹邪锌谢邪褌械薪邪写褗褉卸邪胁薪邪褌邪泻褋邪

鈥� 袣褋械褉芯泻芯锌懈械薪邪锌械褉褋芯薪邪谢懈蟹懈褉邪薪邪褌邪褋褌褉邪薪懈褑邪芯褌薪邪褑懈芯薪邪谢薪懈褟锌邪褋锌芯褉褌

鈥� 校写芯褋褌芯胁械褉械薪懈械芯褌芯斜褖懈薪邪褌邪蟹邪胁锌懈褋胁邪薪械胁泻邪褉褌芯褌械褔薪懈褟褉械谐懈褋褌褗褉薪邪薪邪褋械谢械薪懈械褌芯 (锌褉懈锌褗褉胁邪谢懈褔薪邪泻邪褉褌邪)

鈥� 校写芯褋褌芯胁械褉械薪懈械芯褌芯斜褖懈薪邪褌邪蟹邪芯斜褟胁械薪锌芯褋褌芯褟薪械薪邪写褉械褋聽 (锌褉懈锌褗褉胁懈写芯泻褍屑械薪褌蟹邪褋邪屑芯谢懈褔薪芯褋褌)

鈥� 袧邪褑懈芯薪邪谢械薪写芯泻褍屑械薪褌 (锌邪褋锌芯褉褌) 蟹邪蟹邪写谐褉邪薪懈褔薪芯锌褗褌褍胁邪薪械, 泻邪泻褌芯懈斜褗谢谐邪褉褋泻懈褟写芯泻褍屑械薪褌蟹邪褋邪屑芯谢懈褔薪芯褋褌, 邪泻芯懈屑邪褌褌邪泻褗胁"

faxo New member

9POSTS

7 years ago

#10

I gather one is a residence card (for foreigners) and another is a Bulgarian national ID. Both are officially referred to as "Lichna Carta" but the writings on the cards themselves differ. Whereas Bulgarian national ID card is showing the words "lichna carta" in Cyrillic, residence cards (as far as I know) do not feature these words.

hamousher Active member

25POSTS

7 years ago

#11

faxo, you are absolutely correct the residence card does not have Lichna Carta on it and as far as I know the only Lichna Carta is the Bulgarian Citizens ID card.聽 The residence card is not an ID as such and is merely a permit for foreigners to live in the country.

guyjones Active member

34POSTS

7 years ago

#12

The residence card (EU) allows you to live and also work in Bulgaria I believe.

JimJ ViP

1562POSTS

7 years ago

#13

The problem is caused by a simple lack of knowledge of Bulgarian

聽袥懈褔薪邪泻邪褉褌邪 doesn't mean "Identity Card" it means "personal card".聽 The personal card (ID Card) you get as a Bulgarian citizen is completely different to the one you receive as a foreign resident (Residence Permit), not least because you aren't able to travel abroad using a Residence Permit as an identity card.

And yes, I have heard of people who claim to have travelled outside Bulgaria with a Residence Permit as their sole ID: they're either fibbing or the authorities of the country they travelled through didn't know what they were looking at - but don't try taking an international flight out of Bulgaria without your passport/ID issued by the state of which you are a citizen!