Important! Delays in issuing driving licenses in January 2026

12.01.2026 | Bulgaria

The Ministry of Interior warns of possible delays in the issuance and replacement of driving licenses in the period from January 12 to 16, 2026, due to the launch of centralized personalization of the certificates.

Снимка от Tenasan, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

On January 16, 2026, applications for an expedited driver's license service (for 3 days) will not be accepted, the Ministry of Interior announced.

In connection with the upcoming launch of centralized personalization of driving licenses in a new format, a temporary delay or suspension of services for the issuance and replacement of driving licenses is possible in the period from January 12-16, 2026, the Ministry of Interior informs. 

BTA recalls that on December 10, the Council of Ministers adopted amendments to the Regulation for the Implementation of the Foreigners Act (RIIFA) and the Regulation for the Issuance of Bulgarian Personal Documents (RIBPD). The changes in RIBPD introduce fully centralized personalization of all Bulgarian personal documents, which will be carried out by the "Bulgarian Identity Documents" Directorate - Ministry of Interior. Applications are introduced for the issuance of certificates for electronic identity (CEI) when applying for a new ID card or personal document, as well as in an already issued personal document, as well as for stopping, resuming and terminating the CEI, recorded in an electronic information carrier (EIC) of the respective types of documents. The aim is to create an optimal organization for the implementation of the mentioned services related to CEI, which will guarantee administrative service without delay. The order and conditions for issuing driving licenses, temporary identity cards and seaman's passports are optimized. With the amendment to the application for the issuance of personal documents, it is provided that adult citizens can choose a validity period of 5 or 10 years, as well as the processing of data for e-mail and telephone for contact with the applicant in accordance with the regulatory framework in the field of personal data protection.