Pensioners who receive a Bulgarian pension and live in certain countries outside the European Union must submit a declaration for the continuation of its payment until December 31, 2026. The document is known as a “life declaration“ and is necessary for the continuation of payments in 2027.
The obligation applies to people residing in a non-EU country with which Bulgaria does not have an applicable international social security treaty or agreement. The National Social Security Institute (NSSI) states that this year's deadline began on November 2.
“The Life Declaration is submitted once a year between November 1 and December 31 of each calendar year“, the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) states.How to submit the document
The pensioner must appear in person before a Bulgarian consular office or other official competent authority in the country in which he or she lives. There, the declaration is certified, then sent to the territorial division of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) that pays the pension.
The document can be submitted in person, through an authorized representative or by mail. When using a postal operator, the original of the certified declaration must be sent. The National Social Security Institute also accepts electronic submission via a qualified electronic signature or personal identification code issued by the institute.
Declaration forms are available in Bulgarian and in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Turkish.
Which pensioners are not covered
The requirement does not apply to all Bulgarian pensioners living abroad. It is aimed at persons in non-EU countries for whom European regulations or international social security agreements with Bulgaria are not in force.
A separate procedure applies to pensioners in Turkey whose Bulgarian pensions are paid through the Turkish Social Security Institute. They submit a life declaration twice a year - in January and July.
If the document is not submitted within the specified period, the National Social Security Institute may suspend the payment of the pension. In order to resume it, the declaration must be submitted in accordance with the established procedure.