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Bulgarian passport

A Bulgarian passport is a document issued to nationals of Bulgaria for the purpose of international travel, and may also serve as proof of Bulgarian citizenship. The Ministry of Interior Affairs is responsible for the issuing and renewing of Bulgarian passports. For travel inside the European Union, Schengen countries, as well as Croatia, Bulgarian citizens are not required to carry a passport and can use only their national ID cards. The passport gives its bearer right to assistance and protection by Bulgarian and EU diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad and remains the property of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Types

Regular - available to all Bulgarian citizens.
Service - issued to their staff on request by the respective government agency or directorate.
Diplomatic - issued to diplomats, high-ranking state officials and their immediate families.

Physical Appearance

Bulgarian passports are of the common EU design, being burgundy in color, with the Bulgarian Coat of arms emblazoned in the center of the front cover. The country's official long name "Република България" (Bulgarian) and the English form "Republic of Bulgaria" are inscribed in capital letters above the coat of arms, and the word "паспорт" (Bulgarian) / "passport" (English) below. It is usually issued for a period of five years, and contains 32 pages.

Security features include holographic images, micro printing, UV-visible features, watermarks, etc. In addition, the passport holder's photograph is digitally printed directly onto the paper, in standard ink as well as a holographic image. All passports are machine-readable.

Starting in 2009, all newly-issued Bulgarian passports will contain a chip with biometric data, and also feature the text "Европейски съюз" (Bulgarian) / "European Union" (English) above the country's official name, thus reflecting Bulgaria's EU membership. Additional design changes include the placement of pictures of famous Bulgarian landmarks and monuments on the inside pages of the passports.

Passport Note

The passports contain a note from the issuing state that is addressed to the authorities of all other states, identifying the bearer as a citizen of that state and requesting that he or she be allowed to pass and be treated according to international norms. The note inside Bulgarian passports states: