People without a valid ID card or passport can still vote in Bulgaria's presidential and vice-presidential election on October 25, 2026, if they get a certificate from the interior ministry. That's according to the ministry's Bulgarian Identity Documents directorate.

The ministry issues the certificate when someone's ID card has been lost, stolen, damaged, destroyed or has expired, or in the same cases involving a green personal passport.

The directorate says it's first helping people who have already applied for a new ID card get it faster. If the card isn't ready by the end of the working day on October 23, they can ask for a voting certificate instead.

People must apply in person — at a "BDS" unit at the Sofia police directorate, at a regional interior ministry directorate, at a district police station, or at the directorate itself. A certificate is only issued once an application for a new ID card has been filed.

If the application was filed at a person's permanent address, the certificate can be picked up at any district police station, the Sofia police directorate, a regional interior ministry directorate, or the Bulgarian Identity Documents directorate — no matter where the person lives now or is registered.

From October 19 to 24, offices will issue certificates from 8:30am to 5pm. On election day, October 25, they'll be open from 8:30am to 7pm. Offices will also work on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25. Offices with different hours will follow their own schedule, posted at the entrance and on the websites of the Sofia police directorate and the regional interior ministry directorates.

The certificate is only valid at the polling station, and only on election day, October 25.

If there's a runoff for president and vice-president on November 1, new certificates will be issued from October 26 under the same rules.

Certificates for permanent and current address come from local council offices, not the interior ministry.