The information given below on the legal requirements for getting married in Bulgaria is a general guide and is based upon information given on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.

To obtain up-to-date information about marriage in Bulgaria you should also contact the relevant local authority, and the Bulgarian Embassy in London, to be sure of what is needed in order for you to get married in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian authorities currently require a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage to be produced at the local Registry Office. If you are not resident in Bulgaria, you should obtain a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage from your local Registrar in the UK. This document is to show the Bulgarian authorities that you are free to marry. You can obtain this document from the British Embassy in Sofia.

You are also required to have a Bulgarian Health Certificate by having a blood test in Bulgaria. This can be obtained by going to a clinic of your choice in Bulgaria and asking for a general check-up for marriage.

Marriages in Bulgaria are subject to a residency requirement. One of the parties to the marriage should be either a citizen of Bulgaria or a resident in Bulgaria (either long-term or temporary). For more information on residency in Bulgaria, please check the Residence Permits section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. Please note that you need to have spent 21 clear days in the Consular district of the British Embassy prior to submitting an application for a Notice of Marriage.

Generally speaking a marriage should be recognised as valid in the UK provided it was contracted in accordance with the laws of the country/state where it took place and the couple had the capacity to marry under their law of domicile. You should have an official translation made of the Bulgarian marriage certificate.

If you are resident in Bulgaria you need to start the procedure by giving a Notice of Marriage at the Consular Section of the British Embassy at least three weeks prior to the intended marriage. In order to do that you will have to swear an Affidavit in front of HM Consul or Pro-Consul to confirm that:

a) you are a British Citizen

b) you are not in any prohibited, by the local law, degree of relationship with your future spouse

c) you have for three weeks immediately preceding the date of placing the Notice of Marriage had your usual residence within the consular district of the British Embassy at Sofia

d) are over 18 years old

e) to the best of your knowledge, there is no other lawful hindrance to the proposed marriage. You will also need to complete a Marriage Formalities Form giving basic information about yourself.

In the event that you or your future spouse are widowed or divorced, you will need to produce the relevant papers, confirming that the previous marriage is no longer valid (Death Certificate or Decree Absolute).

Your Notice of Marriage will be posted on the Consular Section notice board for 21 clear days.  Thereafter, subject to no objections to the marriage being raised, you will be asked to take an oath [solemnly and sincerely affirm] an Affidavit containing personal details such as your name, British passport number, place and date of birth and the names of your parents, in English and Bulgarian.  Along with the dual language Affidavit the British Embassy will issue a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage in Bulgarian language for you.

If have obtained a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage from a Registrar in the UK a translated version in Bulgarian will be issued after you have sworn the dual-language Affidavit. Current fees for these services are available on the Consular website.

You should contact the British Embassy Consular Section to make an appointment:
9 Moskovska Street, Sofia.
Tel: (+359 2) 933 9222
Email: consularsection.sofia@fco.gov.uk

Once you have your dual-Language Affidavit and Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage issued (in Bulgarian), you will need to legalise them at the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For more information they can be contacted at:
2 Alfred Nobel Street, Sofia
Tel: (00359) (2) 807 6425 / 807 6412 / 8076413
Monday to Friday 10.00am – 15.00pm.