Why it is needed
A Bulgarian citizen born or married abroad exists for the Bulgarian administration only if the event has been entered here.
Until it is: the child has no Bulgarian documents, the marital status in the registers is wrong, inheritance becomes complicated, and every institution asks for something that cannot exist.
When it comes to light
Almost always late. When obtaining a passport for the child. On the sale of a property. On an inheritance, where the deceased was abroad and the death certificate is foreign. When applying for a pension.
What is required
The original record from the country concerned, prepared so that it will be accepted here. That means an apostille or consular legalisation depending on the country, and a translation in the required form. See apostille and legalisation.
Plus documents proving Bulgarian citizenship and identity, and for a marriage, details of both spouses.
The exact list depends on the country and the type of event. So the first step is to establish what the particular office will ask for, rather than gathering everything at random.
The most common problem
A mismatch in names. The foreign record spells the name by the rules of its own alphabet, and the Bulgarian register expects it another way. A child can end up with two different names in two countries.
This can be resolved, but it is easier to anticipate than to correct afterwards.
If it relates to an inheritance
Then there is an order: first the record is reissued, then the certificate of heirs is obtained, and only then does anything else start. Beginning at the end sends you back to the beginning.
If you are abroad
You do not need to come. Gathering the documents where the event took place is your part. Filing and following it up here is done under a power of attorney.
What I will need
What the record is, which country it comes from, and whose it is. The original or a copy. A Bulgarian identity document if there is one. And the reason you need it, because that determines whether there is a shorter route.
This page provides general information and does not constitute legal advice on any specific case. Rights and deadlines depend on the facts and the applicable law.