How to claim a pension with a permanent residence permit and how to transfer your pension to Bulgaria

Retirement for those living in Bulgaria

Holders of a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status in Bulgaria have the right to work as employees or for themselves. In both cases social contributions – осигуровки – must be paid, including into the Bulgarian pension fund. In turn, this fund will pay a pension once retirement age is reached, which in Bulgaria is gradually rising.

On the website of the National Social Security Institute, NOI (Национален Осигурителен Институт) there is a published table showing in which year, at what age and with what length of service a person may retire. For example, in 2021 women may retire if they are older than 61 years and 8 months and have 36 years of service. Men need 39 years of service and an age of at least 64 years and 4 months. Those who do not meet these conditions may retire in 2021 at the age of 66 years and 8 months, provided their length of service is at least 15 years.

As in other countries, people in certain professions, for example divers, ballerinas or intelligence service employees, may retire at an earlier age.

Those who have earned pension rights both in their home country and in Bulgaria should also apply to the NOI. In this case the payment procedure is governed by the agreement on social benefits between the home country and the Republic of Bulgaria. For instance, the length of service required for retirement that has been accrued in different countries which have concluded such an agreement may be added together.

Reinstating the pension of Russians living in Bulgaria

This option suits those who have already been granted a pension. After moving to another country, a Russian pensioner loses the right to regional supplements (for example, “Moscow” or “northern” ones), but may receive:

• insurance pensions;
• state pension provision pensions (except social ones);
• pension supplements linked to employment (for example, for special merits);
• ДЕМО for veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

The pension is transferred in accordance with the social security agreement of 27.02.2009. Under this agreement, a work pension earned in Russia can be received on Bulgarian territory in leva. It must be stressed once again that the agreement does not cover funded and social pensions.

For pensioners permanently residing in Bulgaria, the pension transfer procedure takes about six months and starts with a visit to the NOI office at the place of residence. There you must complete an application, to which the following are attached:

• pension certificate (copy);
• personal card (copy);
• a certificate from a Bulgarian bank stating the account number and confirming that a pension may be transferred to this account (original).

After that, NOI staff will tell you when to expect the first pension transfer to the Bulgarian account. As a rule, processing and forwarding the documents takes about six months. After that the pension starts arriving in the account at the Bulgarian bank, no additional fees are charged for this, and the pension is converted at the official rate. Each transfer takes 15 days.

Oddly enough, arranging the transfer of a pension to Bulgaria while still in your home country takes more effort. In that case you must first apply to the pension fund in your home country. In Russia, besides the application, you need to provide:

• internal and foreign passport (copies);
• personal card (copy);
• pension certificate (copy);
• a statement of the pension accrued over the past six months (copy);
• a certificate from a Bulgarian bank with the account number and a note that a pension may be credited to it (original);
• insurance certificate (copy).

After that the documents are sent to the NOI in Bulgaria and then returned to the Russian Pension Fund. The procedure takes 5 months, after which the pensioner receives notification of the pension transfer. The money is remitted once a quarter or once every six months.

Thereafter the pensioner must appear each year at the NOI office at the place of residence or at the Russian consulate to prove that they are still alive and entitled to receive the pension.

Minimum wage and pension in Bulgaria in 2021

Residence permit for pensioners in Bulgaria (long-term residence permit)

Residence permit in Bulgaria (long-term residence permit)