Service Description

Search of archival documents and preparing a written reference

Legal grounds

• Art. 90, p. 2 of the Law on the National Archival Fonds (LNAF);
• Art. 20 of the Regulation for the procedure of use of the National Archival Fonds' records.

Specification

Upon request by individuals and legal entity the archives undertake search of the records, kept at the state archives on specific topics and provide written reference. Reference can be provided for records without access restriction. For each topic a separate application has to be submitted.

After completing the search and the written reference the archives informs the applicant about the cost of the search. The reference is provided to the applicant following payment of the due charges for state fees and services. The conducted search has to be paid for without distinction if the result form the search is positive (found data, information, etc. relevant to the request) or negative (no data is found). If the elaboration of the reference requires unjustifiable spending of work and time, the archives may deny it, for which the applicant will be notified in writing. In case of imprecise or too general request, the applicant is informed that it has to be made more specific.

Competent authority

“Central State Archives” Directorate, “State Military Historical Archives” Directorate – Veliko Tarnovo and the “State archives” departments.

Submitting requests for issuing

• at desk;
• via licensed post operator;
• electronically;

Necessary documents

If necessary, the applicant provides on his or her own judgment additional information, facts and circumstances description which may facilitate the archival records search or may be of import regarding the scope of the requested reference.

Receiving the service product

• at desk;
• electronic notification;
• via post/currier service on the declared correspondence address;
• via post/currier service on a different address;
• via post/currier service to a mail box;

Fees and service payment

• Receiving request on a standard form - BGN 5,00;
• Preparing a reference at ‘Archival fonds’ level:
  1. up to 20 inventories – BGN 3,00.
  2. up to 50 inventories – BGN 5,00.
  3. up to 100 inventories – BGN 6,00.
• Preparing a reference with annotations at ‘Archival record/unit’ level:
  1. per single annotation – BGN 3,00.
• Search of archival record on a specific topic up to 250 sheets:
  1. per archival record – BGN 3,00.
• Search of archival record on a specific topic over 250 sheets:
  1. per archival record – BGN 5,00.
• Preparing a reference with annotations at ‘document’ level:
  1. per single annotation – BGN 5,00.

For up to date information you may check the Quick Links section, the pages Fees for the fees collected by the “Archives” SA and Service charges, provided by the “Archives” SA.

Payment method

• at desk;
• bank payment;
• online via bank card and virtual POS terminal;

Term for providing the service

In accordance with Art. 37, section. 4 of the Rules for the procedure and the organization of the archival records' use in the “Archives” State Agency – the term is up to 10 calendar days and with a more extensive search – up to 20 calendar days.

Internal service proceedings

• Following the successful registration of the application in the records management system of the “Archives” SA the applicant receives notification on the provided email address, containing information about: unique registration identification (URI) number of the application in the records management system of the “Archives” SA, the date of the application registration and unique numerical access code. With this information the applicant can track the progress on his or her document in section “Service status” in the “Archives” SA electronic services portal;
• The following steps in the process of application processing are detailed in the Law on the National Archival Fonds (LNAF), the Regulation for the procedure of use of the National Archival Fonds' records and the Rules for the procedure and the organization of the archival records' use in the “Archives” State Agency;

Note: If the application is incomplete (text not properly completed or lack of information for issuing reader’s card), the applicant shall be notified with instruction to fix the problem within three days (art. 30 of the Administrative Procedural Codex).*

Service outcome

Prepared written reference.