Artel-22 EOOD Agency provides certification and legalization of documents issued by Bulgarian and foreign institutions, at all ministries, departments, consulates and government institutions in the Republic of Bulgaria.
I. BULGARIAN DOCUMENTS THAT NEED TO BE CERTIFIED WITH AN APOSTILLE, SHOULD BE CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO THE RULES OF LEGALIZATION AND CERTIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS AND OTHER PAPERS.
To download the Rules of legalization and certification of documents and other papers, click HERE.
II. LEGALIZATION OF DOCUMENTS WITH AN APOSTILLE
The Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents is associated with abolishing the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents. It was signed in The Hague on October 5, 1961, while for Bulgaria it is effective as of April 30, 2001.
The Hague Convention introduces mutual recognition of documents with APOSTILLE certification laid by the countries that have ratified the Convention.
Documents originating from countries-parties to the Hague Convention and equipped with an APOSTILLE, are not legalized by the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular missions accredited to the relevant country. Such documents are recognized by the Bulgarian authorities if an APOSTILLE in the original form is affixed or attached thereto.
Countries which have ratified the Hague Convention and certify documents with an APOSTILLE:
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, UK, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Germany, Grenada, Georgia, Greece, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Israel, India, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, China – only the special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau, Cape Verde, Colombia, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Costa Rica, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Macedonia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niue, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Cook Islands, Panama , Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, El Salvador, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kids and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Suriname, United States, Serbia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Hungary, Uruguay, Fiji, Finland, France, Holland, Honduras, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Japan.
Information about the authorized bodies issuing APOSTILLE in each of the countries-parties to the Convention, can be found at the following address: http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=authorities.listing.
Legalization of documents:
Foreign documents originating from a country that is a party to the Hague Convention have to be certified with an Apostille issued by the bodies designated by such country, in accordance with their official certification duties.
Documents and other papers issued by a foreign country that is not a party to the Hague Convention and with which the Republic of Bulgaria does not have a valid Legal Aid Agreement, are subject to legalization in accordance with the Regulation on Legalization, Certification and Translation of Documents and Other Papers. These documents and other papers are legalized abroad by the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions only if they are certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country, where the missions are located. Foreign documents legalized by the diplomatic or consular missions of the Republic of Bulgaria do not need additional certification and are valid on the territory of Bulgaria.
On 28.11.2017 an amendment to the Regulation on Legalization, Certification and Translation of
Documents and Other Papers was adopted, effective from 01.03.2018:
For foreign documents translated into Bulgarian in accordance with the Regulation on Legalization, Certification and Translation of Documents and Other Papers on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and intended to be used in the Republic of Bulgaria, the signature of the translator laid on the translation, must be notarized in the Republic of Bulgaria. The signature can be placed only by a sworn translator before a notary.
For a Bulgarian document translated into a foreign language subject to this Regulation on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and intended for use abroad, the signature of the translator, laid on the translation made by him, shall be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if such certification is required or accepted by the country where it will be used.
Further changes:
As of 01.01.2019 the Apostille certification of documents issued by the mayors and municipal administrations will be carried out by the regional administrations in the Republic of Bulgaria, instead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
III. VALIDITY OF APOSTILLED DOCUMENTS
Documents certified with an APOSTILLE are recognized and can produce action in each country – party to the Convention.
The following documents cannot be certified with an APOSTILLE and the Hague Convention does not apply thereto:
Such Bulgarian documents can be certified for use abroad (legalized) by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in accordance with the current requirements.
“APOSTILLE” CERTIFICATION IS NOT NECESSARY IF A LEGAL ASSISTANCE TREATY HAS BEEN CONCLUDED BETWEEN BULGARIA AND THE STATE ISSUING THE DOCUMENT
Important!
Legalization of documents issued by countries that have ratified the Hague Convention is not necessary!
IV. COUNTRIES WITH WHICH THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA HAS SIGNED BILATERAL MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE TREATIES
For countries with which Bulgaria has signed bilateral mutual legal assistance treaties, including texts for exemption of documents from an APOSTILLE legalization, documents issued by the foreign state should bear the stamp of the department authorized under the Treaty. The relevant document is accepted by the Bulgarian institutions and only needs a Bulgarian translation and certification of the translation.
To download the list of countries with which Bulgaria has signed bilateral mutual legal assistance treaties, click HERE.
V. ALL OTHER COUNTRIES
If the documents do not have or cannot be provided with an APOSTILLE, to be valid on the territory of Bulgaria, they must be certified (legalized) according to the general practice:
If there is no Bulgarian Embassy/Consulate in the issuing State:
The stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country should be authenticated/legalized by the Embassy of the relevant country in the capital of a third country, which is also accredited for Bulgaria. Then, the signature and certification of the consulate at the embassy must be certified by the Consular Department of the Bulgarian Embassy in that country.
VI.
VII. Documents can be delivered to you in the country or abroad by a courier service of your choice – DHL, FedEx, Bulpost, Arameks, Econt, etc.