Duplicate birth certificate in Bulgaria: where and how (2026)
Where to get a duplicate birth certificate in Bulgaria, how to apply online, who is entitled to it and why the fee depends on the municipality.
Contents7 sections
Have you lost your birth record (акт за раждане) and been asked for a new document? In fact you do not get a new record. You get a duplicate of the birth certificate, issued on the basis of the entry in the municipal register.
❓Where do I get a duplicate of a birth record?
Source: ЗГР, Art. 88б
The record and the certificate are not the same thing
The birth record (акт за раждане) is the entry in the register. The birth certificate (удостоверение за раждане) is the document you receive. The first certificate is the original, and every later one is a duplicate.
Civil Registration Act (ЗГР)
Art. 88(1), item 1
The law treats every certificate issued after the first as a duplicate.
Official Bulgarian text
„от акта за раждане - удостоверение за раждане (оригинал - първото издадено удостоверение, и дубликат -всяко следващо);“
Which municipality to apply to
Start with whichever municipality is convenient for you. The law allows any municipal administration to issue the document when the record exists as an electronic entry signed with a qualified electronic signature.
For events after 1 January 2000, the Ministry of Regional Development states explicitly that a duplicate can be issued by any municipality or by a Bulgarian consulate. For an older record, first ask your chosen municipality whether it has the electronic entry. If it does not, the safest address is the municipality or district where the record is kept.
| Your situation | Where to start | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Record with a signed electronic entry | Any municipality or Bulgarian consulate | The document is issued from the national electronic register |
| Record without a signed electronic entry | The municipality that keeps the register | It issues the document on the basis of the record it holds |
| You are abroad | Bulgarian consulate | Issue from the electronic register is possible |
Whether any municipality can issue the document depends on whether a signed electronic record exists.
Civil Registration Act (ЗГР)
Art. 88б(1)
This is the basis for asking for the duplicate outside the municipality that keeps the original register.
Official Bulgarian text
„Длъжностното лице по гражданското състояние от всяка общинска администрация, както и консулското длъжностно лице в чужбина, може да издава дубликати на удостоверения за раждане, за сключен граждански брак или препис-извлечения от акт за смърт, както и препис-извлечения или пълни преписи от актовете въз основа на Националния електронен регистър на актове за гражданско състояние.“
Civil Registration Act (ЗГР)
Art. 88б(2)
The condition is that a signed electronic record exists, not just a paper entry.
Official Bulgarian text
„Документите по ал. 1 се издават само въз основа на електронни актове, подписани с квалифициран електронен подпис.“
How to request a birth certificate online
Service 2076 is not a free lookup by name or personal ID number (ЕГН). It is a protected application for an official document, submitted by a person who is entitled to receive it.
Requesting service 2076
Choose the municipal or district administration that will process the application.
Fill in the request
State who the document is for and how you want to receive the result.
Prove your right
If needed, attach a power of attorney, a court certificate or a document showing legal representation.
Sign and send
On eGov you identify yourself with a qualified or mobile electronic signature. To send through the Secure Electronic Delivery System (Системата за сигурно електронно връчване) you need an active profile.
Receive the document
Depending on the administration you chose, the result can be given at the counter, sent by post or delivered electronically.
Do not send your ЕГН through a random website
Use eGov.bg, the Secure Electronic Delivery System or the municipality’s official portal. A check that an ЕГН is mathematically valid does not prove that a birth record exists.
Which documents to prepare
The basics are an application on the standard form and the local fee you have paid. The additional document depends on whether you want the certificate for yourself, for your child or for someone else.
Check before you submit
The municipality may ask only for the documents that are relevant to your case.
Application for service 2076*
Identity document, if you apply at the counter*
Proof of the fee paid*
Document showing legal representation, if you act for another person
Notarised power of attorney that expressly covers this, if you are an attorney
Court or administrative certificate, if your rights derive from the record
* Mandatory documents
Civil Registration Act (ЗГР)
Art. 88а(1), item 1
The law names the person concerned, their parents and their legal representatives.
Official Bulgarian text
„Документи по чл. 88 се издават на: 1. лицето, за което се отнася актът за раждане, на неговите родители/законните му представители;“
Ask Pravko and get an answer with citations from the law.
What it costs and how long it takes
The first certificate is issued free of charge when the record is drawn up. A local fee is payable for a duplicate. There is no single price for the whole country, because each municipality sets its own fees and deadlines.
| Example as of September 2026 | Ordinary | Fast | Fastest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varna | €2.05, 7 days | €4.09, 3 days | €6.14, 1 day |
| Ruse, if the record is kept there | €2.56, 72 hours | €5.11, 24 hours | €7.67, up to 6 hours |
These are examples, not a national tariff. In Ruse the up-to-6-hours service is only for a record kept in that municipality. For a record from another place, the service card lists only the ordinary and fast options.
Civil Registration Act (ЗГР)
Art. 40(1)
The first document is free, but a fee is due for any further one.
Official Bulgarian text
„Актовете за гражданско състояние се издават безплатно. На заинтересуваните страни се издават безплатно удостоверения за раждане и сключен граждански брак и препис извлечение от акт за смърт по утвърдени образци. За издаването на удостоверения и преписи от тези актове за втори и следващ път се заплаща такса. Издаването на препис за служебно ползване е безплатно.“
See the current examples on the pages of Varna Municipality (Община Варна) and Ruse Municipality (Община Русе). Deadlines and prices may change.
What happens if the electronic record is missing
If there is no electronic record signed with a qualified electronic signature, the rule that any municipality can issue the document does not apply. In that case, go to the municipality, district or mayoralty where the register containing the record is kept.
Civil Registration Act (ЗГР)
Art. 88(1), item 1
When there is no signed electronic record, the deciding factor is the place where the register is kept.
Official Bulgarian text
„Въз основа на актовете за гражданско състояние длъжностните лица по гражданското състояние в общинските администрации по местосъхранението им издават следните документи по утвърден образец: 1. от акта за раждане - удостоверение за раждане (оригинал - първото издадено удостоверение, и дубликат -всяко следващо);“
Do not confuse a duplicate with a correction of an error
A new duplicate does not by itself correct the original record. For a technical error or an inaccuracy in the spelling of a name, you file a separate request for correction. Different rules apply to a change of basic data.
Civil Registration Act (ЗГР)
Art. 76(1)
Correction is a separate procedure and depends on the type of error.
Official Bulgarian text
„По административен ред въз основа на официални документи може да се извършва промяна и вписване само на данни, които по същество няма да променят смисъла на съставения вече акт. Технически грешки и неточности в изписването на името се отстраняват по искане на заинтересуваните лица.“
If the document is for use abroad
Before you order an ordinary duplicate, ask the receiving institution exactly which document it wants. Depending on the country, you may need a multilingual extract, a multilingual standard form, a translation or some other certification.
For a birth certificate issued in one European Union country and presented to an authority in another, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 removes the requirement for an apostille. The multilingual standard form helps with translation, but it is not a stand-alone document. For a country outside the European Union, check the receiving institution’s requirement before you pay for certification or translation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I look up a birth record using only an ЕГН?
Service 2076 does not show the record just because you enter an ЕГН. You submit an application for an official document, and the administration checks whether you are entitled to receive it.
Can a parent get a duplicate for their child?
Yes. The law and the official description of service 2076 list the person concerned, their parents and their legal representatives among those who can request the document.
Does the certificate have an expiry date?
The law sets no general period after which the document automatically becomes invalid. The institution you present it to may ask for a recently issued copy, so check its requirement.
Where can I read the official rules?
Start with service 2076 on eGov.bg and the explanation from the Ministry of Regional Development. If you need a document for an inheritance, see also our guide to the certificate of heirs (удостоверение за наследници).
Have a question about the birth document you need?
Ask Pravko and get an answer with citations from the law.
⚠️ Important
Pravko provides legal information, but it does not replace advice from a lawyer. For important legal matters, consult a licensed lawyer.
