Bulgaria: Information on the procedures for obtaining passports, late 1980s to present and whether military or police clearances are required
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BGR8564 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Bulgaria: Information on the procedures for obtaining passports, late 1980s to present and whether military or police clearances are required, 1 May 1991, BGR8564, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac5c88.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a 1986 report from Helsinki Watch, "Bulgarians [faced] a heavily bureaucratized passport/exit visa system, with travel documents often issued on an arbitrary basis by local officials after delays of months or years" (Helsinki Watch November 1986, 23). The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1987 and 1988 state that "exit visas may be refused for a variety of reasons, e.g. political unreliability, or for no reason" (Country Reports 1987 1988, 867; Country Reports 1988 1989, 999). There is no information currently available to the IRBDC regarding the specific procedures required to obtain a passport or exit visa in Bulgaria during this period.
New passport legislation was adopted by the Bulgarian Grand National Assembly in May 1989. For the most recent information currently available to the IRBDC on this legislation and current procedures in obtaining passports in Bulgaria, please see the response to Information Request BGR8387 which is available at your regional documentation centre.
Please see the attached article relating to the question of the necessity of military clearances prior to obtaining a passport. There is no information currently available to the IRBDC on whether a police clearance is necessary to obtain a passport.
Bibliography
FBI-EEU-91-034. 20 February 1991. "Defense Minister Mutafchiev on Army's Future" in Narodna Armiya [Sofia, in Bulgaria], 12 February 1991.
Helsinki Watch. November 1986. Violations of the Helsinki Accords: Bulgaria.
U.S. Department of State. 1989. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
. 1988. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1987. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
