• Asylum seekers and persons how have been granted protection

Foreign nationals who received their residence permit in Bulgaria are entitled to the same rights in criminal proceedings as Bulgarian citizens. They are also entitled to an interpreter.

• Illegal residents

Illegal foreign residents have the same rights in criminal proceedings as Bulgarian citizens. They are entitled to a lawyer to represent them in court. They may also appear in person in court if they have any type of identity document, including passport. However, in such cases there is always the risk that they will be checked by MoI authorities, fined for not having a residence permit and detained in a SHTAF.