Health insurance while living abroad

Every Bulgarian citizen without another citizenship is compulsorily health-insured in Bulgaria, including while living abroad. If nobody pays contributions for you (an employer or the state) and you are not insured in another EU country, you pay them yourself to the National Revenue Agency (NRA, НАП). The obligation ends in three cases: you are insured in another EU country, you live outside the EU for more than 183 days a year and have applied for the exemption, or you hold another citizenship and live permanently abroad.

per month

€24.81

from 1.08.2026; until 31.07 — €22.03

deadline

by the 25th

of the following month

outside the EU

183 days

for the exemption

interruption

over 3 unpaid

within 36 months

When you pay and when you don’t

Insured in another EU country

Anyone who, under the EU coordination rules (Regulation (EC) No 883/2004), is subject to health insurance in another member state is not compulsorily insured with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF, НЗОК) (Art. 33(2) of the Health Insurance Act). The NRA does not learn this automatically, though: unless you prove it, your record shows months without contributions and the NRA may assess a debt.

Give the NRA a document from the foreign institution stating a specific period of insurance: form S041, A1, E104, E106, a copy of that country’s EHIC or another document from the competent institution, with a translation into Bulgarian by a sworn translator. Submit it to the NRA office for your permanent address — in person, through an authorised person or by registered post with return receipt.

The reverse case: if you are insured in Bulgaria (for example you receive only a Bulgarian pension or you are a posted worker) but live in another EU country, the NHIF issues form S1. You register it with the health insurer where you live and receive treatment there as a local insured person.

Living outside the EU for over 183 days

If you have to insure yourself and stay in a non-EU country for more than 183 days in a calendar year, you may stop paying from the date you left until the end of that year, and for following years while the conditions are met (Art. 40a). You submit an application for leaving the country to the NRA; the exemption can also cover past periods.

Dual citizens

Bulgarian citizens who also hold another citizenship are compulsorily insured in Bulgaria only if they live here permanently (Art. 33(1)(2)). If you live abroad for more than 183 days a year, no contributions are due. You may submit a declaration under Art. 40c to the NRA so that your status is clear.

How much in 2026

The rate is 8%. People without any other basis for insurance pay on at least half of the minimum insurable income for the self-employed: €22.03 a month from 1 January to 31 July 2026 and €24.81 a month from 1 August 2026 (8% of €310.10). Pay by the 25th of the following month to the NRA’s account. When the obligation first arises, you file declaration form 7 by the 25th of the following month.

Interrupted rights and restoring them

If you pay your own contributions and more than three are unpaid within the last 36 months, your rights are interrupted (Art. 109) and you pay for treatment yourself. They are restored once you pay all contributions due for the last 60 months, from the date of payment; what you paid for treatment in the meantime is not refunded.

If you used the Art. 40a exemption and are coming back, the procedure is different:

1. Submit an application for returning to the country

   To the NRA, with proof that you were abroad for more than 183 days: a copy of your passport, a police certificate or a foreign document with a sworn translation. Contributions are due from your return date.

2. Pay contributions for 6 months

   Your rights are restored automatically after 6 consecutive months of contributions.

3. Or restore them at once

   File declaration form 9 and pay a one-off 12 contributions on the minimum insurable income: from 1 August 2026, 12 × 8% × €620.20 = €595.39.

Checking your status

• On the NRA e-services portal, the “Health insurance status” service shows the months with no insurance data. A certificate of uninterrupted rights requires a qualified electronic signature or an NRA PIN code.
• By phone to the NRA: 0700 18 700.
• At an NRA office, in person with an identity document.

If your status shows gaps while you were insured abroad, it is corrected at an NRA office with the documents above. There is no online correction.