How much does an EU passport through Bulgaria really cost?

One of the most common myths is that "EU citizenship can be bought through investment." In practice, things look different. €512,000 is exactly what Bulgaria's "Golden Visa" costs. But that is not a passport. It is permanent residence.

Next: 5 years of waiting → a language exam → an application for naturalization → and only then a chance at citizenship. Long. Expensive. And with no guarantees.

There is another path: Bulgarian citizenship by ancestry.

No investment. No residence requirement. No exams. No need to give up your current citizenship. The timeline averages 14–24 months until you receive an EU passport.

But here it is important to understand the main thing: there is no universal "turnkey" price. The real budget always consists of three parts: — mandatory expenses (translations, apostilles, state fees) — archive work (if there are no documents) — legal support. Every case is individual. That is why "one price for everyone" is either marketing or an incomplete picture. The second common mistake is thinking that citizenship can be arranged for the whole family "in one package."

First, the parent goes through the procedure and receives a passport. Only then is a separate case opened for each child, with its own documents, timelines and decree. Plus roughly a year for each child. That is why the key strategy is to start as early as possible. While the children are minors, they can go through a simplified procedure.

And here it is important to look more broadly. Citizenship is not a one-time story. It is an asset that is passed on: children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren receive EU citizenship automatically, by right of blood