Second-year maternity pay in Bulgaria: 2026 amounts, rights

Your child is already one year old and an important choice is coming: stay at home, go back to work or transfer the leave? Here is everything about the second year of maternity leave in Bulgaria in 2026: the amount of the benefit, your rights when you return to work and the changes since July 2025.

❓How much is the maternity benefit in the second year?

✅In 2026 the benefit for raising a child up to the age of 2 is BGN 780 a month (Art. 53 of the Social Security Code, КСО). If you go back to work, you receive 50%: BGN 390 a month (Art. 54 КСО). The amount is set every year by the State Social Security Budget Act.

Source: КСО, Art. 53

Calculate your maternity benefit

Enter your average gross salary to see how much you will receive in the first year (90% of the insurable income) and the fixed BGN 780 in the second year. The calculator also shows the amount if you return to work (50%: BGN 390).

Work out your maternity pay

Average gross salary for the last 24 months

BGN

BGN 1213BGN 5,000

Average monthly insurable income for the last 24 calendar months

* The calculation is approximate. The benefit cannot exceed the average daily net pay for the same 24-month period. A minimum of 12 months of insurance record is required. Data: the 2026 extension act (the 2026 Social Insurance Budget Act has not been passed), Social Insurance Code (КСО), Art. 48a-54.

Ask Pravko and get an answer with citations from the law.

How much is second-year maternity pay in 2026

The benefit for the second year is a fixed amount that does not depend on your salary. Unlike the first year (90% of the insurable income), the amount here is the same for everyone.

BGN 780/month

Benefit for raising a child up to age 2 (2026)

Source: 2026 State Social Security Budget Act

For comparison, the minimum wage for 2026 is BGN 1,213. That means the benefit is about 64% of the minimum wage. The time on leave under Art. 164 of the Labour Code (КТ) counts as insurance record (the period for which social security contributions are credited to you).

Three options: staying at home, going to work or transferring the leave

When the child turns one, you have three main options. Each has its pros and cons:

Option	Benefit	Pros	Cons
Staying on leave	BGN 780/month	More time with the child, peace of mind	Lower income than a salary
Returning to work	BGN 390/month (50%)	Salary + BGN 390, career development	Childcare is needed
Transferring to the father or grandmother/grandfather	BGN 780/month	You work, the child is with a close relative	The person must work under an employment contract

Comparison of the three options for the second year of maternity leave

What the law changed in July 2025

In July 2025 an important change to Art. 53(4) of the КСО came into force. It affects all mothers and other persons receiving the benefit for raising a child up to 2 years.

Change from July 2025

If you are carrying on work, the benefit under Art. 53 КСО (BGN 780) is not paid. Instead you can receive 50% (BGN 390) under Art. 54 КСО. The change also applies to benefits that began before July 2025. It affects self-insured persons too.

Expected changes in the 2026 State Social Security budget

When the full 2026 State Social Security Budget Act is adopted, the benefit under Art. 53 КСО becomes BGN 900 (from BGN 780), and when she returns to work the mother receives 75% (BGN 675) instead of the current 50% (BGN 390). Until the budget is adopted, the amounts from the extension law remain in force: BGN 780 and BGN 390.

In practice this means: if you go back to work (even part-time), you automatically move from BGN 780 to BGN 390. This also applies when you have transferred the leave and the person who took it over starts work.

50% benefit when you return to work

If you decide to return to work before the child turns two, you are entitled to a benefit under Art. 54 КСО of 50% of the full amount. For 2026 that is BGN 390 a month.

Example: income when returning to work

Net salary (at BGN 1,500 gross)

~BGN 1,170

Benefit under Art. 54 КСО (50%)

BGN 390

Total monthly income

Twice as much as the benefit under Art. 53

~BGN 1,560

The benefit is paid by the National Social Security Institute (НОИ), not by the employer. Condition: the child must not be enrolled in a nursery or kindergarten.

Nursery = the 50% stops

If you enrol the child in a nursery or kindergarten, the benefit under Art. 54 (BGN 390) also ends. You cannot receive the 50% while the child attends a nursery.

How to transfer maternity leave

You can transfer the leave for raising a child to the father, or to a grandmother or grandfather. But there are important conditions you need to know.

Transfer procedure

Written consent from the mother

The mother submits an application-declaration agreeing that the leave will be used by another person

Order from the person's employer

The employer of the father/grandmother/grandfather issues an order for leave under Art. 164 КТ

Submitting the documents to НОИ

Appendix 7 + Appendix 10 (from the employer) are submitted electronically via osigureni.nssi.bg

Payment of the benefit

НОИ starts paying BGN 780 a month to the person who has taken over the care of the child

Who can take over the leave?

The person must work under an employment relationship and be insured for general illness and maternity (ОЗМ). A retired grandmother or grandfather cannot take over the leave, because they have no employment contract.

Ask Pravko and get an answer with citations from the law.

When the benefit ends

The benefit for raising a child up to 2 years ends when any of the following occurs:

Grounds for termination

The child turns 2 years old

Enrolling the child in a nursery or kindergarten

From the date of enrolment

Starting work without an application under Art. 54

The benefit under Art. 53 stops, so apply under Art. 54

Deprivation of parental rights

Placing the child outside the family

In an institution or with a foster family

3 years

Limitation period for claims against State Social Security (ДОО)

Source: КСО, Art. 115

If you are entitled to a benefit but did not claim it in time, you can receive it for up to three years back. Do not lose this right.

Documents required by НОИ

To receive the benefit for raising a child up to 2 years, you must submit the following documents:

Documents for the benefit under Art. 53 КСО

0/4

Application-declaration, Appendix 7*

For the benefit under Art. 53 КСО

Certificate, Appendix 10 (from the employer)*

Or Appendix 11 for self-insured persons

Copy of the child's birth certificate*

Declaration from the father (if he is not using the leave)*

* Mandatory documents

The documents are submitted electronically with a qualified electronic signature (КЕП) via osigureni.nssi.bg. The deadline for submission is the 10th of the month following the month in which the circumstance arose.

Ordinance on Cash Benefits and Allowances from State Social Security (Наредба за паричните обезщетения и помощи от ДОО)

Art. 4, item 6 and Art. 9

Procedure and documents for granting the benefit for raising a child up to 2 years.

Maternity leave and self-insured persons

If you are a self-insured person (a freelancer, sole trader (ЕТ) or partner in a company), you are entitled to the benefit for the second year, but under specific conditions.

Conditions for self-insured persons

You have chosen insurance for ОЗМ

General illness and maternity, not only for pension

You have at least 12 months of insurance record

For the ОЗМ insurance risk

You are not carrying on activity (from July 2025)

If you work, the benefit under Art. 53 stops

You submit Appendix 11 yourself to НОИ

Instead of Appendix 10 (for employees on an employment contract)

12 months

Minimum insurance record for entitlement to the benefit

Source: КСО, Art. 48а

The key difference since July 2025: if you continue to carry on activity as a self-insured person, the benefit under Art. 53 ends. You can switch to 50% under Art. 54, but only if you have not enrolled the child in a nursery.

Frequently asked questions

How much is second-year maternity pay for 2026?

BGN 780 a month, set by the 2026 State Social Security Budget Act. The amount is fixed and does not depend on your salary.

Can I work and receive maternity pay in the second year?

Since July 2025 you cannot receive the full benefit (BGN 780) if you work. You can, however, receive 50% (BGN 390) under Art. 54 КСО, as long as the child is not enrolled in a nursery.

Can a retired grandmother take over the maternity leave?

No. The leave can only be transferred to a person who works under an employment relationship and is insured for ОЗМ. Pensioners have no employment contract, so they cannot take over the leave.

Does maternity pay stop if I enrol the child in a nursery?

Yes. From the date the child is enrolled in a nursery or kindergarten the benefit ends, both under Art. 53 (BGN 780) and under Art. 54 (BGN 390).

Does the second year count towards work experience?

Yes. The time of paid leave for raising a child under Art. 164 of the Labour Code counts in full as insurance record.

After the child turns 2, check whether you are entitled to monthly child allowances. If your employment contract is terminated, see our guide to unemployment benefit. Benefits are paid by НОИ, and the sick leave benefit is calculated in a similar way.

Social Security Code (КСО)

Art. 53, Art. 54

Official Bulgarian text

„Майката (осиновителката), която е осигурена за общо заболяване и майчинство и има 12 месеца осигурителен стаж като осигурена за този риск, при неползване на отпуска за отглеждане на дете, получава парично обезщетение в размер 50 на сто от обезщетението по чл. 53.“