Information updated on 15/01/2024
Minimum wage in Bulgaria
Currently, in Bulgaria, if you work 40 hours a week:
- The minimum gross wage is 933 BGN a month, which amounts to €477
- The minimum net wage is 704 BGN a month, which amounts to €370
The minimum net salary is the salary you will actually receive after taxes and social security contributions are deducted from your salary.
If you work on a full-time job, your wage cannot be lower than the minimum threshold. In principle, тhe minimum gross wage raises every year.
People under 18
If you are under 18, you can work in Bulgaria only under certain conditions. Your employer has to:
- Request permission from the Labor Inspection Service
- Do a risk assessment before hiring you. Before you are hired, you must also undergo a thorough pre-employment medical examination by a doctor. A medical report must be issued and it should establish whether you can do the job.
- Ensure all necessary measures regarding your personal health and safety in the workplace
- Notify you and your parent/legal guardian of the work-related risks and the health and safety measures implemented at work (usually a declaration is signed when the notification is done)
The minimum age of employment in Bulgaria is 16. In exceptional circumstances, a person who is 15 years old can also work.
Working hours
The standard working time is 8 hours per day, 40 hours per 5-day work week. This doesn’t include the usual 1-hour lunch break. Children under the age of 18 have reduced working hours.
There are variations of this working time. It can be slightly different than the standard one depending on your type of work/contract. Children under the age of 18 have reduced working hours.
Tax rate and social security contributions
The amount of the social security contributions you that will be deducted from your salary depends on:
- Your monthly pay at your job
- The year you were born in
- Labour category
- Other factors
You can calculate your net monthly income on the Platform for Taxation and Accounting (available only in Bulgarian).
Your employer will automatically deduct your tax and social security contributions from your pay, when you work under an employment contract.
Time off
If you work full-time in Bulgaria, the minimum annual paid leave is 20 working days. However, to have the right to annual paid leave, you must have a minimum of 4 months of work experience in Bulgaria.
You also have the right to unpaid holiday leave which usually depends on the employer’s consent.
Public holidays are not included in the calculation of your annual paid leave. There are about 14 public holidays a year. You can find the list of national public holidays here.
The daily wage for work performed during a public holiday is at least twice the amount of your ordinary daily wage.
Sick pay
When you use sick leave, you are entitled to social security compensation if you have at least 6 months of social security payments in Bulgaria for this risk. The only exceptions from this time requirement concern sick leave due to a labour accident or sick leave for employees under 18.
For the first 2 days of your sick leave, your employer must pay you 70% of your average daily gross wage. The National Social Security Institute pays for the remaining time.
You must submit a sickness certificate to your employer. Your General Practitioner or another medical specialist must sign and stamp this certificate immediately after returning to work.
Health and social insurance
Your employer pays both your health insurance and your social insurance through monthly instalments to the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency.
HEALTH INSURANCE STATUS OF REFUGEES
Bonus pay
You may receive bonus pay if you work in the public or municipality administration, and if you achieve the targets that your employer specified.
Receiving bonuses is also common in the private sector. However, this depends entirely on the company’s internal salary regulations and on your individual employment contract.
Unemployment benefits
You can get unemployment benefits only if you have worked and have been insured for at least 12 months during the past 18 months and have registered as unemployed with your local Labour Bureau.
Exploitation at work
If you don’t receive your salary or the employer doesn’t meet the requirements for your health and safety at work, you are a victim of exploitation. In this case, you can file a complaint with the Labor Inspection Service or hire a lawyer who will file a lawsuit with the local trial court on your behalf. Learn more:
Contracts in Bulgaria
There are 2 types of contracts in Bulgaria used as a basis for payment of work.
The employment contract:
- The Bulgarian Labor Law regulates it
- It offers lower flexibility in the working hours, breaks, duration, but ensures greater security
- It can be for a fixed-term or permanent
The civil contract:
- It is a more flexible type of contract used for performance of services
- It is temporary and easier to terminate
- It’s not the Bulgarian Labor Law, but the Obligations and Contracts Act that regulates the relationship between you and the employer under such a contract
Do not agree to work without an employment or a civil contract! You may find it tempting but it can potentially expose you to a great risk of exploitation after which you will be deprived of the rights that are normally guaranteed to a person working under a contract.
Pension system
The pension system in Bulgaria is based on a combination of a public system of mandatory pension insurance, supplementary mandatory pension schemes and supplementary voluntary pension schemes.
In principle, people are entitled to a pension when they reach a certain age and have a certain amount of work experience. For 2024, the retirement age for men is 64 years and 7 months (along with 39 years and 6 months of work experience) whereas for women it is 62 years and 2 months (along with 36 years and 6 months of work experience). This age will probably continue rising in the following years. You can check the retirement age for the year you will retire here.
Early retirement is only possible for people working under hazardous and unhealthy working conditions or for special groups such as teachers, military and police officers.
Dismissal
Your rights in case of dismissal will be different depending on the type of contract you have with the employer. It is important that you read your contract thoroughly and carefully before signing it so that you are aware of all aspects concerning your employment.
Other essential information
- You have the right to be treated equally at the workplace by both your employer and coworkers.
- Direct or indirect discrimination at the workplace is strictly forbidden.
- Your employer has to pay you the agreed upon wage on the date or in the timeframe specified in your contract.
- You have the right to protection against wrongful dismissal.
- You have the right to request a fair and objective recommendation from your employer in case you decide to apply for another job.
- You have a right to a break. Your employer has to provide 1 meal break during the working day which should not be less than 30 minutes.
- If you are an asylum-seeker, the expiration of the validity of your registration card does not equal an end to your legal right to work. You have to collect your extended registration card which can be renewed for a period of 3 months.