Bulgaria will also have a consulate in Edinburgh
The Council of Ministers adopted a decision to open the Consulate of Bulgaria in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with headquarters in Edinburgh and a consular district covering the territories of Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as the counties of Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham and Tye and Wear in England, it was announced the press office of the government.
The opening of the consulate of Bulgaria in Edinburgh is justified by the growing number of Bulgarian citizens in the territory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. According to data from the Home Office, as of December 31, 2021, the number of Bulgarian citizens who received residency status was 289,700.
In April 2021, Bulgarian citizens in the UK organized a petition, supported by 800 Bulgarian citizens in Scotland, to open the consulate in Edinburgh.
The consulate will assist in improving consular and administrative services for Bulgarian citizens residing in territories far from London, where the only diplomatic mission of Bulgaria in the United Kingdom operates.
The consulate will provide easier and faster access to consular services such as submitting an application for the issuance of Bulgarian identity documents, performing notarizations and power of attorneys and declarations, as well as obtaining acts of civil status. The opening of the consulate in Edinburgh will increase the intensity of political dialogue and create new opportunities for deepening bilateral cooperation in trade and economic relations, education and science, culture and tourism, the announcement noted.
For the financial provision for the opening of the consulate, the Council of Ministers approved additional expenses under the budget of the MFA for 2022 in the amount of BGN 671,200.
/AB/