Maternity in Bulgaria — Pregnancy and Childbirth Leave and Benefits (2026)

Pregnancy and childbirth leave — 410 days

Pregnancy and childbirth leave in Bulgaria is 410 calendar days for each child. It is governed by the Labour Code, the Social Insurance Code (SIC) and the implementing ordinances. It begins, as a mandatory rule, 45 days before the expected date of childbirth.

Structure of the leave

The first 135 days of the leave are documented with sick-leave certificates, and the remainder — on application:

• 45 days before the birth — on the basis of a sick-leave certificate from the doctor monitoring the pregnancy. If the birth does not occur within this period, the leave is extended with a new certificate until the day of the birth.
• 42 days immediately after the birth — with a certificate from the doctor who attended the birth.
• 48 days after discharge from the medical establishment — with a certificate from the personal doctor of the mother or the child.
• The remainder up to 410 days (275 days) — taken on the basis of a written application by the mother to the employer, with the child’s birth certificate attached. The employer must allow the leave from the day stated in the application.

Cash benefit for pregnancy and childbirth

During the leave the mother receives a cash benefit, which is paid by the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) instead of her employment remuneration.

Requirement: 12 months of insurance service

A woman is entitled to the benefit if she is insured for general illness and maternity and has at least 12 months of insurance service as a person insured for this risk. The service:

• may be interrupted or continuous — all insured periods are added together;
• need not have been completed immediately before the leave;
• need not have been with the same employer.

Amount of the benefit

The daily cash benefit is 90% of the average daily gross employment remuneration or the average daily insurable income on which insurance contributions have been paid or are due. The base is calculated over the 24 calendar months preceding the month in which the temporary incapacity for work due to pregnancy and childbirth arises. The benefit is paid for the full term of 410 days.

The insurable income on which the benefit is calculated may not exceed the maximum insurable income — EUR 2,300 per month for 2026.

Without 12 months of service — what applies

The lack of sufficient insurance service does not deprive the mother of the leave, only of the benefit under the insurance system. More specifically:

• Right to leave — the 410 days of leave apply regardless of insurance service.
• No benefit from the NSSI — with less than 12 months of service, the 90% cash benefit is not due.
• Social assistance — the mother may apply for assistance from the Social Assistance Directorate under the Family Benefits for Children Act, if she meets the conditions for it.

For this reason, when planning a pregnancy it is advisable to check the insurance service in advance — including periods with previous employers.

The second year — raising a child up to the age of 2

After the 410 days expire, the mother is entitled to leave for raising a child until the child reaches the age of 2. A fixed monthly cash benefit is paid for this period.

For 2026, the benefit for raising a child up to the age of 2 is EUR 460.17 per month (increased from EUR 398.81 in 2025). The amount is frozen at this level for the following two years as well.

Returning to work before the two years

If the mother does not take the child-rearing leave and returns to work, she receives a benefit at a reduced amount. From 1 January 2026 this amount is increased from 50% to 75% of the benefit she would receive during the leave. This makes returning to work financially more advantageous than before.

The father’s rights

Bulgarian law also provides independent rights for the father, which do not depend on those of the mother:

• Leave on the birth — 15 days. On the birth of a child, the father is entitled to 15 days of leave, taken from the date the child is discharged from the medical establishment.
• Taking over the mother’s leave. After the child reaches the age of 6 months, and with the mother’s consent, the father may take, in her place, the remainder of the leave up to 410 days.
• Leave for raising a child up to the age of 8. The father is entitled to two months of leave for raising a child until the child reaches the age of 8; a benefit is paid for it and it counts as length of service. The leave may be taken at once or in parts.

These rights also reflect the European requirements for work-life balance for parents.

Documents and steps

To obtain the leave and the benefit, the mother goes through the following main steps:

1. Sick-leave certificate for the 45 days before the birth — issued by the doctor monitoring the pregnancy and presented to the employer.
2. Sick-leave certificates after the birth — for the periods of 42 and 48 days, issued by the relevant doctors.
3. Application for the remainder up to 410 days — a written application to the employer with the child’s birth certificate attached.
4. Documents to the NSSI — the employer submits the data for payment of the benefit; the benefit is transferred by the NSSI to the mother’s bank account.
5. Application for the second year — before the 410 days expire, an application is filed for the leave for raising a child up to the age of 2.

Frequently asked questions