Bulgaria's NOI expands payments to EEA accounts

From 1 August 2026 the National Social Insurance Institute (NOI) will be able to transfer benefits and guaranteed claims to personal payment accounts held with any payment‑service provider located in the European Economic Area (EEA). The change allows payments to accounts such as Revolut, provided the provider meets SEPA requirements.

The amendment is part of the 2026 State Budget Law for public social insurance and removes the previous rule that required the account to be with a provider licensed by the Bulgarian National Bank or a branch operating in Bulgaria. Beneficiaries who already receive payments through Bulgarian bank accounts do not need to take any action. Accounts with providers outside the EEA – for example in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Serbia, North Macedonia or Albania – remain ineligible.

The reform broadens options for hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians who live, work or maintain accounts in other EEA states, while keeping the existing process for those who prefer to keep their current Bulgarian accounts.