Published: 27.07.2026
According to the SANS annual report, more than 40 foreign nationals were expelled from Bulgaria in 2025 in operations countering foreign intelligence activity. In individual cases, residence rights were revoked and entry bans imposed; 25 Bulgarian citizenship applications were rejected over alleged links to foreign intelligence services or other national-security concerns.
According to the source, Bulgarian security authorities are using measures that can directly terminate a foreign national’s residence rights and access to the country. For citizenship applicants, security screening remains a material factor in the assessment, particularly where alleged links to foreign intelligence services are involved. The report is most relevant to foreign residents, citizenship applicants, and nationals of countries treated as high-risk. People planning long-term relocation or naturalisation should take this into account, while the practical impact is lower for ordinary short-term moves.