Applications for Bulgarian passports from ethic Bulgarians living in neighbouring countries has rocketed in recent months, as a result of the Balkan country's new EU status, dpa quoted officials as saying today. Bulgaria's minister for Bulgarians living abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, said that applications for passports in the first half of the year was twice as high as in the same period of 2009. Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, and a passport issued by Sofia would allow the holder to travel without restriction in the 27-member European Union. Some 9,300 travel documents were granted in the first half of 2010 to ethnic Bulgarians living in Macedonia, who do not have to prove their Bulgarian roots to be granted a passport, Bozhidar said. Sofia considers all Macedonians to have Bulgarian ancestry, as former Bulgar kings dominated the region in medieval times. Bulgaria has also received increased applications from citizens in the non-EU states of Ukraine and Moldova.
