Pregnant employees who have completed 12 consecutive months of service are entitled to 410 days of paid maternity leave. The employee must utilize 45 days before the expected delivery date and 45 days following childbirth. Remaining days may be taken at the employee's discretion until the child reaches two years of age.

Compensation varies depending on when leave is taken. The National Insurance Institute administers payment and compensates employees directly.

Employees who have completed 12 months of service are entitled to 15 days of paid paternity leave. Employees receive 90% of their salary during this period, paid directly by the National Insurance Institute.

Employees may extend leave for an additional six months, which remains unpaid.

Bulgaria does not have specific statutory parental leave provisions. However, employees may extend their maternity and paternity leave entitlements through the following options:

• Transferring maternity leave benefits, including cash payments, to the partner after six months of utilization
• Requesting Raising Child Benefits coverage from the National Insurance Institute

Sick leave compensation in Bulgaria is determined through two distinct phases:

Phase 1: Employer Payment

The employer compensates approximately 70% of salary for the initial three days of sick leave.

Phase 2: Government Coverage

From the fourth consecutive sick day onward, the government (NSSI National Social Security Institute) provides sick leave compensation at 80% of average daily income calculated from the last 18 months.

Employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to 180 days. Sick leave may be extended beyond 180 days if the employee receives evaluation from a Special Medical Commission (TELK).

Employment terminations must adhere to comprehensive regulations and consider applicable laws from the employee's home country. The employer coordinates all separation processes with key stakeholders, potentially involving administrative fees and specific procedural requirements.

Bulgarian employment terminations present complexity. At-will termination does not exist, and employers cannot terminate contracts without valid justification.

Compliant termination methods include:

• Voluntary resignation by employee
• Mutual agreement between parties
• Unilateral employer termination based on:
  • — Probation period conclusion
  • — Disciplinary dismissal for misconduct
  • — Business closure or operational reduction
  • — Reduction of workforce requirements
• Contract expiration (fixed-term agreements)

Untaken vacation days must be compensated upon termination, along with any unpaid commission or bonus amounts.

Minimum notice period for both parties is 30 days, with potential extension up to 90 days depending on employment circumstances and contractual agreements.

Bulgarian employees are entitled to severance compensation in specific circumstances. Severance calculation varies according to termination grounds:

Severance entitlement scenarios:

• Employer closes entity or reduces staff: one-month severance payment required
• Employer terminates employment due to health issues or health risks (minimum five years employment): two months of severance required
• Employee reaches retirement age:
  • — Employment under 10 years: three months of severance
  • — Employment 10+ years: six months of severance
• Contract termination by mutual agreement with employer initiative: minimum four months of severance required
• Employer terminates without proper notice: three months of severance payment

Both full-time and part-time employees are entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave per year. Leave accrues monthly at 1.67 days per month.

For part-time employees, vacation day calculations are proportional to contracted working hours.

Bulgaria celebrates 13 official public holidays annually.

National public holidays include:

• New Year's Day (January 1)
• Bulgaria Liberation Day (March 3)
• Good Friday
• Labour Day (May 1)
• Orthodox Easter
• Orthodox Easter Monday
• Durdevdan (May 6)
• Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment, and Culture (May 24)
• Unification Day (September 6)
• Independence Day (September 22)
• Eastern Orthodox Christmas Eve (December 24)
• Orthodox Christmas Day (December 25)
• 2nd Day of Christmas (December 26)

Employees cannot execute their employment contracts on the scheduled start date. The onboarding process requires seven business days following Statement of Work signature.

Wet ink copies of the signed employment agreement and NRA (National Revenue Agency) registration documentation are required. The employee must complete social security registration within three days of signing the employment agreement.

Employment contracts in Bulgaria must be in Bulgarian language, though bilingual versions are permitted. Written agreements signed by both parties are mandatory.

Essential contract elements include:

• Employee name and Personal Identification Number (PIN)
• Basic monthly salary amount
• Contract signing date
• Employment commencement date
• Probation period duration (if applicable)
• Notice period requirements
• Job position title and national job position code
• Working time schedule
• Workplace location

Probationary periods are not mandatory in Bulgaria. When implemented, minimum probation duration is 30 days with maximum duration of 180 days (six months).

Bulgaria officially adopted the euro on January 1, 2026, becoming the 21st member of the eurozone. The conversion rate was fixed at 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN.

All salaries, contracts, and financial obligations are now denominated in euros. The minimum wage was simultaneously increased to €620.20 per month, representing a 12.6% rise to align with EU standards for adequate minimum incomes.

Bank accounts were automatically converted at the official rate, and a dual currency period extends through January 31, 2026, after which the euro becomes the sole legal tender.