A total of 83 000 Bulgarians have expired and unreplaced identity cards, according to Maria Kostadinova, Director of the Identity Documents Directorate of the Interior Ministry.

"This number includes the number of expired and unreplaced ID cards in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Last month, ID cards were issued to Bulgarian citizens whose documents expired in 2010, 2011 and 2012," she explained, stressing that Bulgarians were failing to get into the habit of taking a quick look at their ID card to make sure it had not expired.

In a Monday interview for the Focus news agency, Kostadinova informed that the number of expired and unreplaced ID cards was dropping from a rate of up to 150 000 last year to the current level of less than 100 000.

She further reminded that Bulgarian citizens were supposed to file identification card renewal applications within a month after the expiration date, adding that the fine amounted to BGN 20 – 150, depending on the period of delay.