Bulgaria begins issuing new 10-year biometric passports

A new type of international passport with a 10-year validity period and biometric data will be issued in Bulgaria. This is foreseen in amendments adopted by the Council of Ministers. Fees for issuing identity documents will also be updated. The changes are introduced through the revised Tariff No. 4. The government decision is part of the transition to a centralized system for personalizing identity documents.

The new fees and rules will take effect on 27 April 2026. Citizens will also be able to obtain a temporary identity card.

The changes aim to modernize administrative services and to provide a total of 27 types of identity documents with a higher level of security. The electronic service for issuing passports, which was suspended on 22 April, will be restored on 27 April, the Ministry of Interior said.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov