British National Getting Married in Bulgaria CNI Divorce Document

About the Author

Kwok is a practising solicitor based in London, admitted in England & Wales and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. He is registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Kwok has worked as legal counsel and in-house solicitor across leading firms and corporations. He personally oversees every apostille and legalisation case at Ginkgo Advisory, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and end-to-end quality control.

Kwok Lam
Legal Consultant of Ginkgo Advisory

British Nationals Getting Married in Bulgaria

If you are a British national planning to get married in Bulgaria, you must follow the Bulgarian marriage process.

Your marriage will usually be recognised in the UK if:

you follow the correct process under Bulgarian law; and
the marriage would be allowed under UK law.

The Bulgarian local authority, registrar, venue or person conducting your ceremony can confirm which documents you need.

To get married in Bulgaria, one of the following usually applies:

your partner must be a Bulgarian national; or
you or your partner must live in Bulgaria.

British nationals may need a Certificate of No Impediment, also known as a CNI.

A CNI is a legal document. It confirms that no legal barrier to your marriage has been shown to exist.

Certificate of No Impediment for Bulgaria

To get a CNI for Bulgaria, British nationals usually need to complete a notice of marriage and an affirmation.

You must sign these documents in front of a notary in Bulgaria before applying online.

The process usually involves these steps:

download the affirmation and notice forms;
fill in your details by hand;
do not sign the forms yet;
book an appointment with a notary in Bulgaria;
sign the notice and affirmation in front of the notary;
ask the notary to sign and stamp the documents;
apply online for the CNI;
pay the application fee;
post the required documents to the British Embassy Sofia.

The CNI fee is £100. This includes:

£50 for receiving notice; and
£50 for issuing the CNI.

Once the CNI has been issued, Bulgarian local authorities usually accept it for 6 months.

The Bulgarian Notary Step

You must sign the notice and affirmation in front of a notary in Bulgaria.

Do not sign the documents before the appointment.

The details on the notarised documents must match the documents you upload online.

For example, your name should match your UK passport exactly.

If the details do not match, the British Embassy may ask you to complete a new version and have it notarised again.

This can delay your application.

Before the notary appointment, ask the notary what documents you need to bring. They may ask for proof of address, passport details or other supporting documents.

Apply Online for the Bulgaria CNI

After the notary appointment, you can apply online for your CNI.

To apply, you usually need:

your notarised CNI affirmation;
your notarised notice;
your UK passport;
proof of address;
your partner’s passport or national identity card;
your partner’s proof of address;
proof that any previous marriage or civil partnership has ended;
a credit or debit card for payment;
the chosen address where your documents will be sent.

If any document is not in English or Bulgarian, you may need to upload a certified translation.

Prepare everything before you start. The online application may time out if you are inactive for 20 minutes.

You should only apply online after you have signed the notice and affirmation in front of a Bulgarian notary.

The online application usually takes about 20 minutes.

Documents to Send to the British Embassy Sofia

After you apply online, you will be told which documents to post to the British Embassy Sofia.

You do not need to post your original passport.

All original documents will be posted back to you with your CNI.

Your notice will be displayed for 7 days.

If no one raises a legal objection, your CNI will be issued.

You can choose whether to:

collect the CNI; or
have it posted to your chosen address in Bulgaria.

Proof of Address if You Live in Bulgaria

If you live in Bulgaria, you need to provide proof of your address.

The name on your proof of address must match the name on your passport.

You may use:

a residence permit, residence certificate or residence card;
a bank or mortgage statement;
a letter from your bank;
a utility bill;
a council tax bill or local equivalent;
a tenancy agreement;
a housing association rent card or equivalent;
a government tax demand;
a self-assessment statement.

Your proof of address must usually be dated within the last 3 months, unless it is a residence permit.

If You Are Only Staying in Bulgaria

If you do not live in Bulgaria, you must be in Bulgaria for 3 whole days before your notary appointment.

The count starts the day after you arrive.

For example, if you arrive in Bulgaria on Thursday, the earliest day you can attend the notary appointment is Monday.

When you apply online, you need evidence showing:

when you arrived in Bulgaria; and
where you stayed in Bulgaria.

To prove when you arrived, you may use:

a hotel or accommodation booking showing you checked in at least 3 days before the notary appointment;
a passport stamp;
a ticket;
a boarding pass.

To prove where you stayed, you may use:

a hotel or accommodation booking showing the address; or
a written statement from the property owner or tenant if you stayed with friends or family.

The written statement should include:

the dates you stayed at the property;
the address;
your full name;
the owner’s or tenant’s full name.

Marriage Registration in Bulgaria

If you marry in Bulgaria, your marriage will be registered in Bulgaria.

It will not be added to UK marriage records.

You cannot register the marriage later at:

a UK register office;
a British Embassy;
a British Consulate.

You should keep your Bulgarian marriage certificate as evidence of your marriage.

If you want to use the certificate outside Bulgaria, you may need:

a translation;
an apostille;
or further legalisation, depending on the destination country.

If You Were Previously Married or in a Civil Partnership

If you have been married or in a civil partnership before, you must prove that the previous relationship has ended.

The UK Government guidance lists documents such as:

a Decree Absolute or Final Order;
a death certificate for your husband, wife or civil partner;
an annulment certificate.

For England and Wales divorce cases, you will usually need a Decree Absolute or Final Order.

A Decree Absolute is the older final divorce order. It usually applies to divorces completed before 6 April 2022.

A Final Order is the current final divorce order. It usually applies to divorce cases issued on or after 6 April 2022.

Both documents prove that the previous marriage has legally ended.

If You Do Not Have the UK Divorce Document

Many British nationals no longer hold the original Decree Absolute or Final Order.

Some only have:

an old scan;
a downloaded PDF;
a court email attachment;
a blurred photo;
an electronic divorce order;
an unclear copy from an old file.

The UK Government guidance says you can order a UK Decree Absolute or Final Order from a divorce, dissolution or annulment record.

This matters because your Bulgaria CNI application may require proof that a previous marriage or civil partnership has ended.

Ginkgo Advisory can help with this UK document stage.

Digital Divorce Documents Need Extra Evidence

The Bulgaria guidance includes an important point.

If you only have a digital document showing that the marriage or civil partnership has ended, you can upload it when you apply online. However, you will need to post further evidence to the British Embassy Sofia.

For example, you may need an email, letter or other court document confirming that the court issued the divorce document.

This matters for modern UK divorce records.

Many Final Orders now exist as court PDFs or electronic documents. A loose printout may not show the full source trail.

A stronger route may include:

reviewing the UK court document;
checking whether it is a court PDF, HMCTS copy or paper order;
obtaining supporting court evidence where available;
preparing solicitor certification;
arranging a UK FCDO apostille where needed.

This gives the document a clearer chain before you use it for Bulgaria marriage paperwork.

Do You Need an Apostille for Bulgaria?

You should check this with the Bulgarian local authority or the person conducting your ceremony.

The guidance states that some documents may need to be legalised with an apostille or translated by a qualified translator.

For a UK divorce document, the common route may be:

UK divorce document → solicitor certification → UK FCDO apostille → Bulgarian translation if required → use in Bulgaria

This route can help where the document is:

a court PDF;
an electronic Final Order;
an unclear scan;
a certified copy;
or a document that needs a clearer source trail.

Ginkgo Advisory handles the UK side. You should confirm any Bulgarian translation or local acceptance rules with the Bulgarian authority.

If the Divorce Took Place Outside the UK

If your divorce or dissolution took place outside the UK, you may need extra evidence.

You may be asked to show that you or your ex-partner were a national of that country or resident there when the divorce took place.

If you have a paper document, you may need to post the original document to the embassy. You may also be able to use a copy certified in the country where it was issued.

If you only have a digital document, you may need further evidence from the issuing court or authority.

Check this before you apply. Missing evidence can delay the CNI process.

UK Death Certificate Warning

If your former husband, wife or civil partner has died, you may need to post the original UK death certificate.

The guidance states that it is against copyright law to make a copy of a UK death certificate. A certified copy will not be accepted.

If the death certificate does not show your relationship to the deceased, you may also need to post your marriage or civil partnership certificate.

All original documents will be posted back to you with your CNI.

If You Want to Marry Your Civil Partner

You cannot get a CNI while you are still in a civil partnership.

If you want to marry your civil partner, you must either:

convert the civil partnership into a marriage; or
end the civil partnership before getting married.

If you registered a same-sex civil partnership in the UK, you may be able to convert it into a marriage.

Check the law of that country if the civil partnership was registered elsewhere.

How Ginkgo Advisory Helps

Ginkgo Advisory is a London-based legal service provider.

We assist with the UK document side of marriage preparation for Bulgaria. This is especially useful if a British national has been divorced in England or Wales.

We can help with:

UK Decree Absolute retrieval;
UK Final Order retrieval;
UK divorce document review;
supporting court evidence review where available;
solicitor certification;
UK FCDO apostille;
2 working days UK apostille service, where suitable;
document preparation for Bulgaria marriage use.

We do not replace the British Embassy Sofia, a Bulgarian notary or the Bulgarian local authority.

You should always check the Bulgarian marriage requirements directly.

Our role is focused. We help ensure that the UK divorce document is obtained, reviewed, certified and apostilled correctly before you use it overseas.

British National Getting Married in Bulgaria: UK Divorce Document Support

If you are a British national getting married in Bulgaria and you were previously divorced in England or Wales, your Decree Absolute or Final Order may form part of your CNI paperwork.

Ginkgo Advisory can help you obtain the UK divorce document, prepare solicitor certification and arrange a UK FCDO apostille in suitable cases.

Contact Ginkgo Advisory for UK Decree Absolute / Final Order certification and apostille support for marriage in Bulgaria.

Contact Us

Email

info@ginkgoadvisory.com

+44 7388 833283

Address

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British National Getting Married in Bulgaria: CNI, Bulgarian Notary, British Embassy Sofia and UK Divorce Document Support