Bulgaria Allows Purchase of Missing Pension Insurance Periods

Bulgarian law permits individuals to buy missing pension insurance periods, a practice that has become more common as the statutory retirement age and required contribution years rise each year. The typical cost covers about 22 to 23 months of contributions paid through bank transfers to the state social insurance budget.

Three legal avenues exist: (1) for periods of education, including studies abroad, provided the person had no other contributions during that time; (2) for applicants who have reached the retirement age but lack the five years of contributions needed for a basic pension; and (3) for persons classified as politically repressed, allowing a maximum of three years of purchased contributions.