Childbirth in Bulgaria

Registration with an antenatal clinic

In Bulgaria, the term “Женска консултация” refers not only to specialised medical facilities, but also to the service of managing a pregnancy as such. It can be provided by doctors in clinics, maternity hospitals or by gynaecologists in private practices.

It is recommended to make the first visit to a gynaecologist 1 – 4 weeks after a missed period. Bulgarian citizens, as well as foreign women holding a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status who pay health insurance contributions, must first obtain a referral from their personal doctor and choose a gynaecologist who works with NZOK. In private medical centres that do not work with NZOK, antenatal services are provided for a fee.

Holders of a long-term residence permit always visit gynaecologists at their own expense: pregnancy and all related visits to a doctor are not an insured event, so they are paid for out of one’s own pocket.

The cost of paid pregnancy management varies depending on the examinations required and the number of children. As a rule, two payment options are available: for individual examinations prescribed by the doctor, or for managing the pregnancy as a whole (on average, the package costs 500 – 1500 leva). A single examination with an ultrasound scan usually costs from 30 leva.

For Bulgarian citizens, as well as for foreign women with a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status, part of the antenatal services is paid for by NZOK. These are:

• 3 examinations by a gynaecologist;
• 3 blood and urine tests;
• a blood test to determine the blood group, and for syphilis, HIV and hepatitis;
• 2 gynaecological smears;
• 1 PAP test;
• 2 – 3 ultrasound scans (depending on the patient’s age);
• a monthly examination including measurement of blood pressure, weight, position of the uterus and abdominal circumference.

Additional examinations are not covered by NZOK and are paid for separately. Pregnant women do not pay the patient fee (2,9 leva) when visiting a doctor.

At the beginning of pregnancy, the antenatal clinic must be visited at least once a month; in the third trimester the frequency of visits usually increases.

Regardless of when a pregnant woman visits a gynaecologist, she will be registered with the antenatal clinic no earlier than 8 – 12 weeks of pregnancy, after the foetal heartbeat has been recorded. Until then, doctors may carry out examinations and prescribe tests, but the pregnancy is not registered.

After registration, a pregnant woman can obtain the corresponding certificate to present to her employer if required.

The most popular antenatal clinics in Burgas:

The antenatal clinic in the maternity department of the Deva Maria clinic.
The First Polyclinic.
Doctors Adelina Gavazova, Vladimir Nedelkovski, Pavel Dobrev.

In Sofia:

DKC Vita.
The antenatal clinic at Tokuda hospital.
DKC Ascendent.
MBAL Nadezhda.

In Plovdiv:

Torax clinic.
The gynaecology department at MBAL Medline Clinic.
The Doctor Amalievi obstetrics and gynaecology centre.

In Varna:

Maychin Dom clinic.
Клиника Нова.
МЦ доктор Уалид.
СБАГАЛ „Проф. д-р Д. Стаматов

Working during pregnancy

Working pregnant women are entitled to a number of benefits. In particular, they may refuse hazardous types of work (work with ionising radiation, heavy lifting, toxic substances, etc.). Pregnant women must not work night shifts or overtime, and they cannot be sent on a business trip without their written consent. The employer is obliged to release the woman for scheduled medical examinations.
An employer cannot dismiss a pregnant employee. There are, however, several exceptions to this rule (for example, dismissal is possible if the business closes down).

If an employee has informed her employer of her pregnancy and provided the relevant certificate, this information must be kept confidential from the other employees. At the same time, the woman is obliged to notify the employer within 7 days if the pregnancy has been terminated.
These rules are the same for all pregnant women in employment, regardless of their status.

Sick leave and maternity leave

Maternity leave in Bulgaria lasts 410 days for each child. 45 days of this period must be used before the birth of the child. The pregnant woman’s official spouse, living together with her, is entitled to 15 days of leave after the birth of the child. In addition, with the mother’s consent, the child’s father may use the remaining days of the woman’s maternity leave once the child is 6 months old.

The leave counts towards the woman’s length of service. During the child’s first year, the leave is paid at 90% of the average daily gross salary, but only if, before the pregnancy, the woman has at least 12 months of paying the relevant social security contributions. Maternity leave is paid by the National Social Security Institute (NOI).

After this initial leave, if the child is not placed in a nursery, the mother may take additional childcare leave until the child turns 2. With her consent, this leave may also be used by the child’s father or by one of their parents who works under an employment contract. This leave is also paid, at the rate of 380 leva per month.
Special calculators are convenient for working out the payments, for example, https://kik-info.com/trz/maichinstvo.php.

Important! Only women who meet the following conditions are entitled to paid leave:
have paid contributions «за общо заболяване и майчинство» for at least 12 months (not necessarily immediately before the pregnancy);
by the time of the child’s birth are in employment and pay social security contributions through their employer.

As for unemployed women, if they are considered low-income, they are entitled to what is known as «социално майчинство» — payments of 150 leva per month before the birth and 100 leva per month after it.
In addition, all female citizens of Bulgaria receive financial assistance of 250 leva on the birth of their first child.

Social benefits and allowances are due only to citizens of Bulgaria. Foreign women with a residence permit who are in employment and pay social security contributions are entitled to paid leave if they meet the requirements listed above. Foreign citizens are not entitled to «социално майчинство».

Obtaining a birth certificate

Immediately after the birth of the child, while the mother is still in hospital, the baby’s details are entered in the hospital register. Within the following seven days the data from the hospital is sent to the civil registration office at the municipality where the mother lives. There a birth record is drawn up and the child is assigned a unified civil number (EGN). If the parents are married, they must provide their ID cards to the hospital before this point. If the marriage is not registered, the father must provide a notarised declaration acknowledging the child. However, if the mother was previously married and divorced less than 300 days before the child’s birth, her previous husband will be recorded as the father, and paternity will have to be proven in court. All of this applies to situations where at least one of the parents holds Bulgarian citizenship. In that case the child is automatically recognised as a citizen of Bulgaria.

If both parents are foreigners in an official marriage, they must provide their passports and a translated and legalised marriage certificate. If the marriage is not official, a notarised declaration acknowledging paternity is required instead of the marriage certificate.

A child of foreign parents cannot obtain Bulgarian citizenship by virtue of being born on Bulgarian territory. Nor is an EGN assigned to the child (at least until a permanent residence permit is obtained). Within 10 days the newborn’s details are sent to the diplomatic mission of the country whose citizen the child will become. The parents need to obtain the birth record from the municipality at their place of residence and then arrange an international passport for the child at their country’s consulate.

With the passport, the birth record and the parents’ documents you need to apply to the migration service at your place of residence. There the child receives a residence permit — depending on the parents’ status. If the parents hold a long-term residence permit or EU long-term resident status, the child is given a long-term residence permit in Bulgaria. If they hold a permanent residence permit, the child can also obtain a permanent residence permit. There is no need to take the child out of the country and apply for a type D visa — a foreign citizen born in Bulgaria can immediately apply for a residence permit as a family member of a foreign citizen.

Spouses of Bulgarian citizens and of foreigners with a Bulgarian permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status: privileges, citizenship, work

Permanent residence permit in Bulgaria for a child

«Здравни осигуровки» after obtaining EU long-term resident status or a permanent residence permit