A certificate of heirs is issued only by the municipality, the district or the mayoralty at the last permanent address of the deceased person.

The request for the issuance of a certificate of heirs may be filed on a paper form in the prescribed format at the municipality, or electronically, signed with the applicant's electronic signature.

The officials will collect all the necessary data ex officio where it is not available at the municipality issuing the certificate. This is a significant convenience for citizens wishing to obtain a certificate of heirs. Previously, if any of the deceased's departed heirs had their last permanent address in another municipality, the applicant first had to obtain such a certificate for the departed heir and present it to the municipality at the last permanent address of the deceased person. Now this data is collected ex officio.

Required documents:
  • A request in the prescribed form according to Annex No. 2 to Ordinance No. РД-02-20-6 of 24 April 2012.
  • A certified extract from the death certificate.
  • An express notarised power of attorney, if the application is filed by an authorised representative.
  • A document evidencing the fee paid.

Persons who are not heirs or their authorised representatives must present a court certificate (e.g. creditors of the deceased person who have brought a court action).

If the request is filed by a guardian, custodian or parent of a minor, adolescent or legally incapacitated heir, an instrument establishing the guardianship or custodianship, or the birth certificate of the heir child, must be attached.

Where the deceased person is not a Bulgarian citizen but is entered in the population register and no death certificate has been drawn up for them in Bulgaria, a copy or extract from the death certificate drawn up by a foreign civil-status authority must be presented. If the population register does not contain all the data necessary for issuing the certificate, an official document issued by the competent authorities of the relevant state must be presented, certifying the marital status and data on the spouse and relatives in the direct and collateral line.

Fees and time limits

Each municipality determines the amount of the fee for issuing a certificate. The fee usually depends on whether the service is express (immediately or within 24 hours), fast (within 3 days) or ordinary (within 7 days). The express service usually costs between BGN 10 and 15, and the ordinary service BGN 4 to 5.

The ex officio collection of data from another municipality for heirs with a permanent address outside the municipality issuing the certificate may extend the issuance period. If you hold such certificates, it is advisable to attach them to the request.

The fee may be paid in cash, by bank transfer, by bank card at a counter, or electronically.

Receiving the certificate

Citizens may choose how to receive the completed certificate of heirs – in person at the municipality, by registered letter within the country and abroad, by internal courier delivery, or by a licensed postal operator to an address they specify. The certificate may also be received electronically by e-mail.

The certificate of heirs has no fixed period of validity. It is valid until a change occurs in the data on the basis of which it was issued.

Should you require more information or assistance, contact us on telephone: 0887550706 or by e-mail: [email protected]