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Civil Marriage in Bulgaria

Oded Germanov
Oded Germanov

David De La Rosa

Very friendly, professional, and effective, highly recommended

Eden Weiss

Extrmely friendly, professional and helpful. A big thank you to Irina especially from the Jerusalem office. Highly Recommended.

Andreas Kelling

We have been working with Decker, Pex & Co - Law Firm in Tel Aviv for many years very well. Because we appreciated their lawyers services, we recommended businesses and individuals again and again to go there as well.

Kfir Cohen

We were searching for a law firm that will be honest with us and really work hard for a satisfying result, it wasn't an easy task
We found them online; they were the only law firm from all of our searchings which were completely honest and NOT gave us just what we wanted to hear
Using them guaranteed honesty above all. A legal team that is friendly and cares for a superb result
They really care about helping their customers without any other interest
Nadia gave us service behind what we expected; she was professional which lead to fast and easy process with great result
We definitely recommend using them

Genaan Abdelall

I cannot recommend Nechama enough! Her expertise, professionalism, and dedication to her clients is unparalleled. From the moment I reached out to her, she provided clear and concise communication, and helped me navigate through a complex legal issue with ease.

Throughout the entire process, Nechama went above and beyond to ensure that I was informed and comfortable with every decision. She demonstrated a deep knowledge of the law, and was able to offer sound advice that ultimately led to a positive outcome.

What sets Nechama apart is her compassionate and empathetic approach to her clients. She truly cares about the well-being of her clients, and it shows in the way she handles every case.

If you are in need of a lawyer, I highly recommend Nechama.

Michelle Long

Josh has been helping me on and off for a few years now. I have needed legal advice and assistance with immigration due to a complex situation of mine, and he has been extremely available and responsive, honest and clear about my route and how to proceed. Very much recommended!

TarcisioePotira Freitas

I really recommend the law office's services. The service is very professional and efficient, the price is right. I am satisfied with the services I needed and happy to have known them.

Arielle Bosch

Incredibly knowledgeable, approachable, accessible, and evident across the board that they truly care about the people they are helping. They are quick to respond, engaged, and obviously top-notch lawyers. I couldn't recommend them highly enough. Thank you, Joshua and Itamar for your help with our Joint Life Application. You were a calming energy during a storm - always breathed a sigh of relief after speaking with you. It is so difficult to get straight answers from the Misrad Hapnim, but you guys are straight shooters. I appreciate your candor and evident integrity. Hope to work with you in the future, and will send everyone I know in need of legal aid your way. Thank you for your guidance and support.

Prima Lorenzo

I admire the Austrian citizenship team in Tel-Aviv branch! They deserve more then 5 stars!! They are very friendly and professional. I've got Austrian citizenship in 4 months for all family members which consists of 12 people! The entire team is very friendly and responsive. They are always answering questions and support during the process. I recommend to everyone. Was 100% satisfied.

Matthias Oppliger

I have been receiving services from this Law Firm for several years now and I want to say THANK YOU to the team, especially Joshua Pex. They are doing outstanding work. The services I have received for both our Israeli non profit association but also our social business have helped us solve many issues at hand and provided solutions in complicated situations. Personally, I am grateful for support in visa issues as a foreigner living now in Israel for many years.

Marce Ruth St. Rey

Party time in the heart, my beloved husband received his residence after so much time of battles and faith. Gratitude, God has blessed us with wonderful beings who have accompanied us, including a "precious angel" who touched our hearts, our excellent and fantastic lawyer: Maria Chernin Dekel, sweet and wonderful human being, who has guided us and stayed On our side. side in this intense legal transit whom we bless on every occasion. God bless you dear Maria, you have exceeded your professional duty by containing us and collaborating with us in hard times, very hard, for that we want to thank you publicly, you are unique!!!
We bless and thank the entire team at Decker Pex Tal Ofir Law Firm.

Schruuf

We were very pleased and content with the services of this law firm. They supported us 100% and solved our case successfully, we couldn't be happier.

Sveta Vashkevich

We (myself and my husband) came to Mr. Joshua Pex – for his professional advice – and we received such human warmth and caring attitude, that our hearts melted …

His attention to our details and our situation peculiarities, combined with his professionalism and knowledge, helped us to map out what needs to be done on our part: we appreciate and recommend You, Mr. Joshua!

Jacob Newberry

A really excellent firm. They knew exactly how to handle my situation effectively and efficiently, and we got the result I needed without much fuss. Adi Berger was a wonderful advocate for me and I am deeply grateful for her help!

Esty A

I had a consultation with Batya and she was very helpful. She made sure I understood all the information I needed, and was patient with me in gathering documents I needed.

Lilian Granovsky

I can highly recommend these services!
Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond.

Greg Olson

We highly recommend Adv. Mike Decker and have know him for many years. He has helped our family with many battles over the years. We recently received our permanent residency after 23 years in Israel. We so much appreciate Mike’s representation of us.

Dongdiet & Nellie

We are very happy with the services. Somehow they managed to translate the law lingo into language we actually understand 😉 and their outstanding YouTube videos helped us to have a better grasp of what process we had to go through. Their patience, clear explanation and experience are very valuable. It's also very nice to know that you will receive response promptly; it made us feel we can really trust their services. We recommend all those looking for immigration lawyers to get in touch.

Lauma Zariņa

This is definitely the best lawyer I know!!! very honest and super helpful he really helped me a lot dealing with immigration issues in Israel and it was very successful!
I highly recommend

Tomer Hila Birnbach

I received a recommendation from friends about the firm, and indeed every word is correct, a service team, professional, welcoming, a fair price for the work I requested, I am satisfied

Michael and Ariellah Waizman

For Advocate Joshua Pex.

We were in a devastating situation when my wife received an order from the immigration office to leave Israel within 30 days, without any explanation, after we have been married and in the process for six and a half years. We heard of Advocate Pex through a friend of a friend. We contacted Mr. Pex and he was ready to help us when he heard of our situation.

The service is amazing! Always ready to assist without regard to the time it takes. The advice Mr. Pex gave us was great, such as what to do, he gave useful links, and advice about which officials to contact. The price for the service was great!

The process until we received the extension for another year for my wife was not long (3 months). Things started moving once Mr. Pex came into the picture.

We highly recommend Advocate Joshua Pex! We achieved our goal and the fear of deportation has been lifted!

Dumitrascu Cristina

Best lawyer house from Israel! I couldn’t dealt with my situation without their professionalism and effectiveness. Their dedication to every legal aspect and their drive it’s how a true lawyer house can be!
Working in European market and international now, I couldn’t dare to let myself wide my wings on countries unknown to me. Definitely they’ll be the lawyers representing me, my business at every international aspect and on personal development.
When you hear Decker,Pex,Ofir &Co, you hear 10+ class services, luxurious professionals, confidentiality and exclusive attention to your needs.

Israel iluz

We were very satisfied with the service of Nehama. She was very professional in all her dealings and kept us informed all the way.
We highly recommend this law firm. They proved to be reliable, efficient and pleasant to work with.

lynn vonne

Excellent service, very friendly and helpful, fast responding and very patient. Highly recommend. I will choose them again next time if needed.

Joshua Pex was both an amazing human being and an inspiring human rights attorney. I reported directly to him for various activities I performed as in intern. I was impressed with his incredibly solid character. He is trustworthy, fair, and goes above and beyond to advocate for the vulnerable. He is completely trustworthy and high caliber in his work. His partners and employees are very blessed to work with him. I am honored to know them.

Heather Lebrun

Josh W-S

The firm had a quick response to my last-minute needs, they were helpful in communicating with me in English, and they fulfilled my needs in a timely fashion.

YK C

We had a pleasure of working with Irena Rosenberg who assisted in getting our two U.S. born children registered in Israel and supported visa process for my wife in 2021. During the pandemic, my wife and I decided to move to Israel where I am originally from after living in the U.S. for over 20 years, but we had no idea how to go about securing visas before and after arriving in Israel. Irena is knowledgeable, reliable and competent lawyer who always had answers to all our questions which made us feel confident that everything would be fine with her assistance. We are now happily living in Israel and are so grateful to have Irena who is a genuinely nice person as our lawyer.

Priscilla Moses

competent consulting, fast processing, reliable, warm & good team. highly recommended

Halvor Ronning

Courteous, clear, efficient service.

Stuart Safft

I am delighted to report that my wife and I have just obtained our Israeli citizenship. We will be forever grateful for all of the help, guidance and support which Ariel Galili of Decker, Pex & Co. provided through this process.
I am a Jewish, 80-year-old American, and my wife is not Jewish. We had started the process on our own back in November 2020 via the Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh, but soon became entangled in the delays and often-changing regulations due to Covid-19. The pandemic also caused delays in obtaining the required apostilles for various documents from various state agencies and the US State Department.
We found Decker, Pex & Co. On the internet and began working with Ariel in late November 2021. Ariel did a superb job of leading us through the process, helping us to understand which documents were essential, which would most likely be required, and which, though included on the list of required documents, were rarely required. He helped us several times to understand what was likely and unlikely to occur as “the next step.” Helping us manage our expectations was extremely useful to us.
Besides his knowing the laws, regulations and procedures, Ariel also made us feel that he was truly interested in helping us to successfully work through this process in as smooth, timely, and frustration-free manner as possible.
My wife and I strongly recommend anyone planning to go through this process seriously consider hiring Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. and, specifically, Ariel Galili.

Paul Prince

The team of lawyers and assistants are incredibly professional. Aiming to give their clients the advice possible regarding the normative and the law of Israel. With well trained and professional secretary at the front desk to the lawyers team, I could say that I had one of the most professional services possible. I'm super glad of choosing Joshua Pex of Law office for immigration solution, lawyers to advise in my case, to me, it is remarkable.

Наталья Мажуга

Great lawyers Joshua Pex and Nechama and Michael Deker who really want to help you and I have very trustful relationships with them. All my cases they took they won. Thank you and let’s keep working together

Shaltiel Devorah

Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. I really appreciate his courteous and direct approach.

Adi Katina

Great Team. With no doubt, this office is actually thee best-leading office in Israel. Simply put, if you want your case to win, just join them, hand in your documents, and celebrate the victory.

Kindest regards,
Adi k.

Alexander P Gutterman

EU PASSPORT ! Big news! Thanks to Michael Decker and the other good people at the law office, as well as to the virtue of my ancestors, the cruelty of the Inquisition, reparations issued in the Iberian Peninsula, and etc, I am delighted to be on track for Portuguese and European Union Citizenship! A truly incredible development and one which brings me deep joy.

Sophie Cooperman

Oded Ger did an excellent job by reviewing a modeling contract I was offered. Explained the bad clauses in the contract, and their possible consequences. Thank you for your amazing job, your professionalism, your consultation and honesty. You showed me from your experience how it can be done differently. It was the best decision choosing you as my lawyer.
I highly recommend this firm, especially Oded Ger.

Gáspár Erőss

If you need to solve any complicated legal issue in Israel, don't hesitate to contact them. Otherwise you will loose hours/days/weeks with things that they can solve in minutes. They helped me to obtain my expert working visa in Israel and even after that they responded further questions and gave me advices related to administrative issues in Israel which saved me a lot of time. Irena Rosenberg and Michael Decker worked on my case, they are very professional and helpful. They will not let you down, feel free to contact them.

Morgan Jones

The team at Decker, Pex & Co have been awesome to work with in helping our US company establish banking in Israel and in providing counsel for legal needs in Israel. I highly recommend!

Michael Soffer

I would like to recommend Attorney Yehuda Elcharar. He assisted both me and my company in a complex lawsuit. He handled negotiations that led to a favorable outcome much quicker than expected.

I am extremely pleased with choosing Attorney Elcharar. Many thanks also to the office team, Oz and Chaya, for their assistance throughout the entire process.

Thanks again ????

Shurouq Hajyassin

We were very satisfied with the consultation we had.
You were very straightforward with us , You tried to help us in every way you could . we really appreciate that.
And of course the fast reply we got from you on our emails and the appointment you gave us .
You deserve more than 5 stars????

Amir Abt

The best lawyer firm I’ve had dealt with. I would like to thank Anat Levi and Ariel Galili from the Jerusalem branch for all of their efforts and patience, we could not have been Able to reach to where we are now without them

Yossi Montrose

Very knowledgeable and professional

Sergei m Vashkevich

We came to Mr. Joshua with so many questions (and most of all, with so many concerns and worries) …

When we explained our case to him, first of all, he calmed us down and helped us to see the big picture, which took away our fears;

Then he presented us with a detailed explanation and a few options to explore, and a timeline, how things work and necessary steps to undertake on our part,

We thank and highly recommend Mr. Joshua for showing us so much empathy, care and professionalism (!)

Congratulations! You have decided to marry your Bulgarian loved one! But wait… is it possible for a foreigner to arrange a civil marriage in Bulgaria?

The answer to that question is simple: yes! Many foreign nationals from the EU and non-EU countries get their Bulgarian citizenship on the grounds of marriage every year. Despite the above, we advise you not to send any invitations yet nor secure a date for your special ceremony. If you are not a Bulgarian citizen, there are documents you will need and procedures you should go through before going ahead with your dream marriage.

Getting married in Bulgaria could be a dream come true; picturesque rural landscapes as well as gorgeous beaches you can conduct your wedding on, not to mention numerous other possibilities. All of that, at a fraction of the cost getting married in almost everywhere else in the world.

It would be very saddening to let any documentation or other legal issues stand in your way of getting married in Bulgaria. We highly recommend a well-experienced law firm which is highly familiar with such proceedings; our law office would be happy to assist the soon to be a married couple with all the necessary procedures.

General knowledge regarding Bulgarian civil marriage 

Civil Marriage in BulgariaThe only recognized form of marriage in Bulgaria is a civil marriage. Religious marriage ceremonies have no legal status in Bulgaria and can only take place after the civil union is completed and approved.

Marriage in Bulgaria is possible only if the couple show they intend to become residents of Bulgaria. Evidence of intent can be a lease or contract for rental or ownership of an apartment, a registered company in Bulgaria, or  an employment contract, as well as other indications that the couple or at least one spouse can provide. The intention evidence can also be used for a residency appeal, Our firm can help you obtain the needed documents.

 The legal marriage in Bulgaria is 18. Only the regional court chair can authorize marriage for spouse under 18 – the minimum age for applying such requests is 16.

According to Bulgarian law, only individuals of the opposite sex can get married in Bulgaria, thus making gay-marriage illegal in Bulgaria; however, this issue is under debate in Bulgarian society and politics.

Most countries recognize Bulgarian civil marriage, but we advise to check this issue with the respective country’s authorities. Some countries require an apostille on the marriage certificate issued by the Bulgarian Ministry of foreign affairs in Bulgaria.

Marriage in Bulgaria – the actual process 

This section will discuss marriage in Bulgaria when one of the parties is a foreign citizen, from a EU or non-EU country.

As a reminder, after getting married in Bulgaria legally, a person can apply for Bulgarian citizenship by naturalization after three years of marriage and residency in Bulgaria.

Due to recently passed laws (2009), marriage in Bulgaria has become more complicated than it used to. The law now requires medical examinations before applying for marriage at the local town hall. The authorities can deny applications on the grounds of some mental and psychiatric conditions.

 The documents required from both parties to engage in civil marriage

  • Proof of identity: the i.d of the Bulgaria citizen, the i.d of the e.u foreign national/non-EU national passport.
  • Certificates of “no impediment to marriage”: translated and legalized in Bulgarian. The document proves that the person is single divorced widowed and can legally get married in Bulgaria.

*It is essential to state that foreign nationals that have residency in Bulgaria would have to make an affidavit before a consul at the embassy of their country in Bulgaria that there are no legal impediments for them to get married in Bulgaria. This statement includes details of both parties willing to marry. In addition to the affidavit, the embassy may issue a certificate of no impediment.

If one of the spouses is not a Bulgarian resident, the certificate should be issued in their home country; there it should be, notarized and receive an apostille.

All documents in a foreign language other than Bulgarian must be translated by a sworn translator and authenticated with an apostille approved by the Bulgarian Ministry of foreign affairs.

Medical certificates: the medical certificates required for civil marriage in Bulgaria are valid for 30 days from the issue date. They comprise of several examinations, mainly; blood tests to check for sexily transmitted diseases, genetic mutations and other life-threatening diseases, psychiatric evaluation, and a test for the presence of tuberculosis.

Although comprised of several stages, the medical examinations are standard in Bulgaria before marriage and could be conducted in almost every Bulgaria clinic.

Awareness declaration: both parties declare they are aware of the results of the medical examinations of their spouse.

Additional documents that might be required:

-If under 18 years of age, a document permitting civil marriage is needed from the regional court’s chief.

-If one marrying parties was married before, the final divorce decree or death certificate in the case of a widow/er is required.

Foreign nationals should check their specific documentation needed in their respective countries. The same rule applies as for other foreign documents; they have to be legalized and notarized in the home country of the foreign party of the civil marriage, and translated with a sworn translator to Bulgarian and apostille in Bulgaria.

Proof of application payment: a receipt of payment for the civil marriage application.

Once all the above documents are ready, the happy married-to-be couple can apply for civil marriage in the municipality of the Bulgarian citizen/permanent residence. The local municipality is determined by the Bulgarian citizen/permanent resident’s permanent address.

**The application should be submitted at least 30 days before the intended civil marriage ceremony.

Finally! The big day, the civil marriage in Bulgaria day has come.

If all the documents were applied according to law and your application was confirmed, you can now get married!

 All is left is to come to the wedding day with the validated documents, identity documents, and two witnesses. They can be either Bulgarian or foreign nationals. And of course, the civil status officer, the state official responsible for the ceremony.

Congratulations!

We might add that obtaining Bulgarian residency by marriage and later Bulgarian citizenship by marriage is one of the fastest options available. However, fake marriage and/or any attempt to “cut-corners” in the process is a severe felony and could result in jail time!

 Our law firm will accompany both parties through the entire process to make sure no mistakes are made. Even if unintentional, any discrepancy could jeopardize the whole process.

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