Insurance periods and pensions after working in several countries

If you have worked in Bulgaria and in another EU country, your periods are not lost: each country takes the others’ periods into account, but each pays its own part of the pension. You apply only once — to the institution of the country where you live, or of the last country where you were insured. In Bulgaria that is the National Social Security Institute (NOI).

age, women

62 y 6 m

plus 36 y 10 m of service, 2026

age, men

64 y 9 m

plus 39 y 10 m of service, 2026

with short service

67

at least 15 years actually worked

for all countries

1 claim

where you live

How periods are added up in the EU

The rules are in Regulation (EC) No 883/2004. They apply to EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and — under the post-Brexit agreements — the United Kingdom.

• Aggregation. If your Bulgarian periods are not enough for a pension, NOI also counts periods from other countries. Periods are added only if they are of the same kind (for example category I and II work).
• Independent and pro-rata pension. NOI calculates a pension on Bulgarian periods alone (if you qualify for one) and a pro-rata pension: a theoretical amount as if all your periods were Bulgarian, multiplied by the Bulgarian share. You receive the higher of the two.
• Short periods. Periods of under one year in a country are not lost — they are allocated under the Regulation and counted by the countries where you worked longer.
• Different ages. Each country pays its part when you reach its retirement age, so pensions from different countries may start in different years.

Where to apply

1. Apply in the country where you live

   Or in the last EU country where you were insured. The date you apply there counts for every country where you have periods. If you live in an EU country or a country with an agreement, your file at NOI is handled by the Sofia City office.

2. Attach the documents for your Bulgarian periods

   Employment or insurance record book, certificates UP-3 (periods) and UP-2 (earnings). If you live abroad, send originals or certified copies.

3. The institutions exchange the data

   NOI and foreign institutions exchange documents through the EESSI electronic system. You do not need to file a separate claim in each country.

4. You receive the decisions and form P1

   Each country issues its own decision. The institution where you applied also sends you a P1 — a summary of all the decisions. If you think a decision is wrong, check the deadline for an appeal in that country.

With a qualified electronic signature or an NOI personal code (PIK) you can also apply online, through NOI’s e-services portal or the secure electronic delivery system. Start at least 6 months before you plan to retire: claims involving several countries take time.

Countries outside the EU: bilateral agreements

With non-EU countries, periods are added together only if there is a bilateral agreement; its scope depends on the agreement. According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Bulgaria has agreements with:

• Albania (new agreement since 1 June 2024), North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina (under the 1958 convention with former Yugoslavia);
• Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan (agreement on pensions);
• Canada and, separately, Quebec, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Brazil (since 1 January 2025);
• Tunisia, Libya, Turkey (the agreement covers payment of Bulgarian pensions in Turkey).

Bulgarian retirement age in 2026

For an old-age pension (category III work) in 2026 you need: women — 62 years 6 months of age and 36 years 10 months of service; men — 64 years 9 months and 39 years 10 months (Art. 68 of the Social Insurance Code). Without enough service you qualify at 67 with at least 15 years actually worked.

The age rises every year: for men by 1 month a year to 65 in 2029; for women by 2 months a year until 2029 and by 3 months after that, to 65 in 2037. Required service reaches 37 years for women and 40 for men in 2027. With full service you may retire up to a year early, but with a permanently reduced pension (Art. 68a).