Bulgarians who live abroad and miss the deadline for their "proof of life" declaration do not lose their right to a Bulgarian pension, the National Social Security Institute (NOI) has said. Their payments only stop for a time.
If they file the document late, NOI pays the pension again, starting from the date it stopped. It does so only for the period still covered by the three-year limit. The institute did the same last year.
Earlier on this topic: Pensions of Bulgarians abroad will stop next year if they do not file a "proof of life" declaration
Earlier reports said the pensions of Bulgarians abroad would stop next year without the declaration, and that their right to the pension would end. NOI says this is not the case.
The full name of the document is a declaration for continuing to receive a pension from the Republic of Bulgaria. Everyone who gets a Bulgarian pension and lives abroad must file it.
Pensioners in non-EU countries that have no social security agreement with Bulgaria have until the end of 2026. NOI announced this in early October. They must have the declaration certified in person at a consulate or another official body where they live. The form is on the NOI website, under "Forms", in the section "Forms of declarations for payment of Bulgarian pension – for countries to which regulations and international agreements do not apply".
Nothing changes for people in countries where the EU rules on coordinating social security apply, or which have an agreement with Bulgaria. These are the EU states except Germany, as well as Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the UK. Canada, Israel, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Albania, South Korea, Azerbaijan and Tunisia are also in this group.
Deadlines for them depend on how and where they get their money.
Anyone paid into a bank account, or by another payment provider licensed by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), or at their branch in Bulgaria, files the declaration once a year. It can be certified between 1 November and 31 December.
If the pension goes to an account abroad every month, the declaration is due every three months. For payments covering periods other than one month, a declaration is filed for each requested period. NOI pays the pension for a past period up to the end of the month in which the declaration is certified.
The bilingual forms for this group are on the NOI website, under "Forms", in the section with forms and templates under the regulations.