Check or change your GP (personal doctor) in Bulgaria 2026
Check your personal doctor by ЕГН in the health fund lookup, no registration needed. When and how to change doctor, which form you need and the €1.48 fee.
Haven't seen a doctor in years and don't remember who your personal doctor is? Or are you unhappy with yours and want to change, but you are told to wait until June? Both questions have a quick answer. The rules are in the Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО), in the Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care (Наредба за осъществяване правото на достъп до медицинска помощ) and in the National Framework Contract between the health insurance fund and the doctors (НРД), not in the mouth of the receptionist.
❓How do I check who my personal doctor is by ЕГН (the Bulgarian personal identification number)?
Source: НЗОК, e-services for citizens
In Bulgaria everyone covered by public health insurance is registered with one general practitioner, the “personal doctor” (личен лекар). In this article you will find the three things people search for under that name: how to check who yours is, when and how you can change them, and how to find a new one when nobody is taking patients.
Checking your personal doctor by ЕГН: two official lookups
The Fund maintains two public forms for the same lookup. Both are at addresses of the Fund and work only with a personal number and the code from the picture.
A one-minute check
The “Check a personal doctor” (Проверка на личен лекар) link from the Fund's e-services page. The backup entry is the same form on services.nhif.bg.
Choose the type of number
ЕГН, ЛНЧ, SSN (a service number from the НАП) or EU number. For an EU number the form also asks for a date of birth.
Type in the code from the picture
There is no other protection: the lookup does not ask for registration, a password, a ПИК or an electronic signature.
Read the result
immediatelyThe lookup shows which general practitioner you are registered with. If there is no result, see the next section.
Which number you can check with
The lookup accepts ONE of the following identifiers
ЕГН
for Bulgarian citizens
ЛНЧ (personal number of a foreigner)
for foreigners with a long-term or permanent residence permit
SSN (ССН, service number from the НАП)
for persons insured in Bulgaria to whom the НАП has issued such a number
EU number and date of birth
for persons insured in another EU country
The backup entry is the form on services.nhif.bg, which asks for the same data. If one does not load, try the other. Enter your ЕГН only in a form at an address of the Fund (nhif.bg), reached from its website.
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 35(1), item 4
The Fund must give you information about the doctors it has contracts with.
Official Bulgarian text
„да получават информация от РЗОК за договорите, сключени от нея с изпълнителите на медицинска помощ;“
No result: what it means and what to do
First check that you chose the right type of number and entered it without error. If the result is still empty, there are usually two reasons. One: your previous doctor's contract with the Fund has been terminated, for example because they retired or closed their practice. In that case you effectively have no personal doctor, even if you remember their name. The other: you have never made a choice, for example if you are new to the system. In both cases you can choose a doctor immediately.
Without a personal doctor it is hard to reach a specialist
A referral to a specialist under the Fund is, as a rule, issued by the doctor you have chosen (Art. 10(1) of the Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care). Without a valid choice there is nobody to refer you. Check your status now, not when you are ill.
The good news: in these cases you do not wait for June or December. The Ordinance (Art. 6(4) and Art. 8(1)) and the National Framework Contract for Medical Activities for 2026–2028 (НРД) give you the right to a new choice immediately when your doctor's practice has no contract with the Fund, when the Fund has established that the doctor is permanently unable to work, and when you have no chosen doctor at all.
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 6(4)
If your doctor's practice is left without a contract with the Fund, you make a new choice immediately.
Official Bulgarian text
„Когато лечебното заведение, в което е избран лекар, няма сключен договор с РЗОК, здравноосигуреното лице прави нов избор по реда на ал. 1.“
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 8(1)
The same applies when the Fund has established that the doctor is permanently unable to provide care.
Official Bulgarian text
„При констатирана от НЗОК трайна невъзможност на избрания лекар да оказва първична извънболнична помощ здравноосигуреното лице има право на нов избор по реда на чл. 6.“
National Framework Contract for Medical Activities for 2026–2028 (НРД)
Art. 130
If you have never had a personal doctor, the first choice has no deadline.
Official Bulgarian text
„Първоначален избор на ОПЛ може да се осъществи по всяко време с регистрационна форма за избор.“
In an official answer of 24 July 2020 the Fund says exactly this to a person whose doctor retired and for whom the lookup shows nothing: a new choice is made outside the deadlines with the registration form for permanent choice. How this works you will see in the steps below.
If your personal doctor closes the practice or is absent
When the practice's contract with the Fund is terminated, everyone registered with it makes a new choice with the permanent choice form, without waiting for June or December. If the practice merely changes its legal form and concludes a new contract with the Fund, you do not need to choose the same doctor again. If the doctor is temporarily absent (illness, leave), the practice is not closed: every personal doctor names a substitute in their contract with the Regional Health Insurance Fund (РЗОК), and the surgery must display a notice with the period of absence and the substitute's details.
National Framework Contract for Medical Activities for 2026–2028 (НРД)
Art. 131(2)
ПИМП is primary outpatient care, ЗОЛ are health-insured persons, ОПЛ is the personal doctor.
Official Bulgarian text
„При прекратяване на договор с изпълнител на ПИМП ЗОЛ осъществяват нов избор на ОПЛ с регистрационна форма за постоянен избор извън срока по ал. 1.“
National Framework Contract for Medical Activities for 2026–2028 (НРД)
Art. 146(1)
The substitute's name, place and ways of contact are announced in the surgery (Art. 145 of the НРД).
Official Bulgarian text
„Всеки ОПЛ посочва в договора си с РЗОК свой заместник или заместници за случаите, когато не може да изпълнява лично задълженията си.“
Ask Pravko and get an answer with citations from the law.
When you can change your personal doctor
The right to choose a doctor is set out in Art. 4 of the Health Insurance Act and applies across the whole country. You are not tied to a doctor from your neighbourhood, your municipality or the region where you live.
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 4(1)
Health insurance guarantees free choice of a doctor who has a contract with the regional health insurance fund.
Official Bulgarian text
„Задължителното здравно осигуряване гарантира свободен достъп на осигурените лица до медицинска помощ чрез определен по вид, обхват и обем пакет от здравни дейности, както и свободен избор на изпълнител, сключил договор с районна здравноосигурителна каса.“
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 4(2)
The choice cannot be limited on geographical or administrative grounds.
Official Bulgarian text
„Правото на избор е валидно за цялата територия на страната и не може да бъде ограничавано по географски и/или административни основания.“
Freedom has a timetable. Without any particular reason you can change your doctor twice a year, in two exact windows. Outside them you need one of the grounds listed in the Ordinance and in the НРД. The new НРД, in force from 25 September 2026, keeps the same two windows.
1 to 30 June and 1 to 31 December
the two windows for changing without giving a reason, every calendar year
If you miss June, the next free change is in December. The exceptions are only those below.
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 7
The two periods for a free change of personal doctor.
Official Bulgarian text
„Всяка календарна година в периода от 1 до 30 юни и от 1 до 31 декември здравноосигуреното лице може да избере друг лекар по реда на чл. 6.“
| Situation | When | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| You simply want a different doctor | 1 to 30 June or 1 to 31 December | Art. 7 of the Ordinance |
| You have never had a personal doctor | At any time | Art. 130 of the НРД |
| Your doctor's practice has no contract with the Fund | At any time | Art. 6(4) of the Ordinance |
| The Fund has established that the doctor is permanently unable to work | At any time | Art. 8(1) of the Ordinance |
| You have changed your current address | At any time | Art. 8(2) of the Ordinance |
| You are temporarily living in another town or village (from 1 to 5 months) | At any time, temporary choice | Art. 8(3) of the Ordinance |
When you can change or choose a personal doctor
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 8(2)
A change of current address gives you the right to a new choice at any time.
Official Bulgarian text
„При промяна на настоящия адрес здравноосигуреното лице има право на нов избор на лекар.“
Current address, not permanent
The Ordinance speaks of the current address. According to Art. 94 of the Civil Registration Act (ЗГР) this is “the address where the person lives”, and it is registered with the municipality. A student who moves to another city, or a person who changes their rented flat, falls under this. The Ordinance does not say what document proves the change, so the safest course is first to declare the new current address with the municipality and ask the new doctor what they require. On its “Useful to know” page the Fund gives moving to another town or village as an example, and in its answers it speaks of a change of current address.
If your reason is not among those listed, for example the doctor is rude or hard to get an appointment with, the Fund in an official answer of 29 January 2024 describes one more route: a written application to the director of the РЗОК with which the doctor has a contract, describing the reasons. After permission you make a new choice with the permanent choice form. This procedure is not written in the Ordinance or in the НРД; it is the Fund's practice, so ask your РЗОК before relying on it.
How the change works in person: step by step
The change does not go through the РЗОК counter and does not need permission from the old doctor. Everything happens in the new doctor's surgery with one form and your health insurance book.
Changing your personal doctor in person
Find a doctor with a contract with the Fund
In the Fund's search for contracted partners choose the “Общопрактикуващи лекари” (General practitioners) section, region and municipality. Call and ask whether they are taking new patients.
Download the permanent choice registration form
The form is free on the Fund's website. Instructions for completing it are on the back. Write legibly, in block letters.
Fill in your part
Three names, ЕГН, current address, telephone, health insurance book number and the previous doctor's details. For a child, the parent's or guardian's details are also entered.
Go to the new doctor with your health insurance book
The doctor fills in their part and stamps the form with their personal stamp. They enter their details and the form number in the book and return it to you. You both sign.
The doctor submits the choice to the РЗОК
Coupon “A” goes to the regional fund, coupon “B” stays with the doctor. You do not bring anything to the РЗОК and you do not notify the old doctor. The new doctor serves you from the date of the choice.
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 6(1)
The choice is made with a registration form submitted at the practice, not at the РЗОК.
Official Bulgarian text
„Здравноосигуреното лице упражнява правото си на избор на лекар, като попълва регистрационната форма за осъществяване правото му на избор и я представя на съответното лечебно заведение.“
National Framework Contract for Medical Activities for 2026–2028 (НРД)
Art. 131(4)
If you do not have a health insurance book, the third copy of the registration form is presented instead.
Official Bulgarian text
„Здравноосигурено лице, желаещо да направи постоянен избор, представя на новоизбрания ОПЛ: 1. здравноосигурителна книжка, в която новоизбраният ОПЛ вписва трите си имена и датата на избора; 2. третия екземпляр от регистрационната форма за избор на ОПЛ, в случай че няма здравноосигурителна книжка; 3. попълнена регистрационна форма за постоянен избор.“
What to bring to the new doctor
Registration form for permanent choice, filled in with your part*
Health insurance (blue) book*
The doctor enters their names and the date of the choice in it. Without a book: the third copy of the form
Identity card
The НРД does not list it, but the names on the form are written from the identity document
Previous doctor's details
Name and practice, copied from the health insurance book
Extract from the medical records
Including for vaccinations; the previous doctor gives it to you if you ask
Proof of the new current address
Only if you change doctor outside June and December because of a change of address
* Mandatory documents
The new doctor is obliged to serve you from the date of the choice, not from the following month. What changes is the path of the documents to the Fund. Until 31 January 2027 the practice submits to the РЗОК once a month the list of newly registered patients and the first copies of the forms (coupon “A”), on paper or scanned through the Fund's portal. From 1 February 2027 the new НРД requires the list to be submitted through the Fund's portal on the day of the choice, and the РЗОК to process it by the next working day.
National Framework Contract for Medical Activities for 2026–2028 (НРД)
Art. 135(4)
The new doctor serves you from the day you signed the form with them.
Official Bulgarian text
„Общопрактикуващият лекар е длъжен да оказва медицинска помощ на ЗОЛ от датата, на която е осъществен изборът, като ЗОЛ се включва в пациентската му листа от тази дата.“
The Ordinance says the registration forms are paid for by the insured person, while submitting them electronically is free. In practice the Fund publishes all three forms for free download on its website, and the НРД expressly allows the forms to be printed from there. The printout is your only cost.
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 6(5)
The rule exists, but the forms are downloaded free from the Fund's website.
Official Bulgarian text
„Регистрационните форми по ал. 1 се заплащат от здравноосигуреното лице.“
Changing your personal doctor online
Online change goes through the Fund's Personalised Information System (ПИС). There you can log in in three ways, but only one of them lets you change your doctor.
| Login | Where you get it | View of your file | Change of doctor |
|---|---|---|---|
| КЕП (qualified electronic signature) | From a licensed provider of trust services, issued to you as an individual | Yes | Yes |
| УКД (unique access code) | Free, in person at the РЗОК against an identity document | Yes | No |
| ПИК of the НАП | From the НАП | Yes | No |
The three logins to the ПИС of the НЗОК and what they allow
Changing your personal doctor through the ПИС with a КЕП
The “Онлайн избор на личен лекар” (Online choice of a personal doctor) link on the Fund's e-services page leads to the entrance to the ПИС. Choose “Вход с цифров сертификат” (Log in with a digital certificate).
Open the “Избор на личен лекар” (Choice of a personal doctor) menu
In your personal electronic health file you fill in the registration form with the new doctor's details.
Sign the form with your КЕП
The form is sent electronically to the doctor you have chosen. Call them beforehand to be sure they are taking new patients.
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 6(6)
Electronic submission of the registration form is free, and the Fund provides the conditions for it.
Official Bulgarian text
„Здравноосигуреното лице може да попълни и да представи регистрационната форма по ал. 1 по електронен път безплатно при условията и по реда на Закона за електронния документ и електронните удостоверителни услуги, техническите и организационните условия за което се осигуряват от НЗОК.“
A ПИК from the НАП and a УКД are not enough to change
With a НАП ПИК or the unique access code from the РЗОК you see your patient file, but you cannot sign the choice form. The Fund repeats this in answers from December 2023 and March 2025: you need a КЕП issued to an individual and linked to your ЕГН, not to the ЕИК or БУЛСТАТ (company identification numbers) of a business. If you do not have such a signature, the faster route is changing in person.
The three registration forms and which one you need
On the Fund's page with registration forms there are three forms. Take the right one so they do not send you back.
| Form | When it is used | Special feature |
|---|---|---|
| Initial choice | You have never had a personal doctor: newborn, newly insured, foreigner with new residence | No field for a previous doctor |
| Permanent choice | Changing your current doctor, within the deadline or by exception | Has a field for the previous doctor and their practice |
| Temporary choice | You live in another town or village for 1 to 5 months | A period is stated; after it you automatically return to your permanent doctor |
Registration forms for choosing a general practitioner
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 8(3)
The temporary choice is valid for at least one and at most five months. After that the last permanent choice is restored automatically (Art. 131(6) of the НРД).
Official Bulgarian text
„При временно пребиваване в друго населено място извън случаите по ал. 2 здравноосигуреното лице има право да получи първична извънболнична помощ от друг лекар, като представи форма за временен избор с валидност не по-малко от един и не повече от 5 месеца.“
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 6(2)
A newborn is registered with a doctor even before getting an ЕГН, using the number of the birth notification.
Official Bulgarian text
„За новородените до даване на единен граждански номер и получаване на здравноосигурителна книжка в регистрационната форма по ал. 1 се вписват номерът на съобщението за раждане на детето и регистрационният номер на лечебното заведение, подало съобщението.“
How to find a personal doctor who is taking patients
The hardest part is not the form but the doctor. In big cities many practices say they are full, and in small places there may be only one doctor. Here is where to look.
Where to look for a doctor with a contract with the Fund
Only a doctor with a valid contract with the НЗОК can add you to their list
The НЗОК search of contracted partners by region and municipality
“Общопрактикуващи лекари” (General practitioners) section, with the practices' contact details
The Regional Health Insurance Fund (РЗОК) for where you live
If nobody takes you, submit a written request for assistance (see below)
The Regional Health Inspectorate (РЗИ)
Keeps information on its website about the registered primary care practices in the region
The НЗОК green line 0800 14 800
Free, every working day from 9:00 to 17:30
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 5(2)
The list of practices with a contract is a duty of the Fund, not an optional service.
Official Bulgarian text
„Националната здравноосигурителна каса поддържа на своята официална интернет страница информация за лечебните заведения по ал. 1, сключили договор с нея, като посочва и срока за изпълнението му.“
The НРД expressly says there is no upper limit on the number of patients a personal doctor can have (Art. 108(2)). In practice, however, many doctors refuse new patients on the grounds that their list is full. Call before you go and ask whether they are taking new patients and how long the wait for an appointment is. If everyone refuses you, the НРД gives a concrete way out: a written request to the director of the РЗОК.
National Framework Contract for Medical Activities for 2026–2028 (НРД)
Art. 134(1), item 3 and (2)
If you do not have a personal doctor and cannot find one, the РЗОК and the regional college of the doctors' union (БЛС) must assist.
Official Bulgarian text
„Директорът на съответната РЗОК и председателят на съответната РК на БЛС оказват необходимото съдействие с цел своевременно осъществяване на избор на ОПЛ на следните категории, … 3. здравноосигурени лица, които нямат избран лекар в лечебно заведение за ПИМП. (2) Съдействието по ал. 1 се осъществява по писмено искане до директора до съответната РЗОК от категориите лица по ал. 1.“
A personal doctor for a child
For a child up to 14 years, the choice is made by the parents or guardians. From 14 to 18 years the child chooses alone, but with the consent of the parents or curators. The Fund's form also records the parent's details. There is no rule that the child must be with the same doctor as the parent, but it is convenient for check-ups and vaccinations.
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 4(3)
The choice is personal: up to 14 years it is made by the parents or guardians, from 14 to 18 years the child chooses with their consent.
Official Bulgarian text
„Изборът по ал. 1 и 2 е личен. За малолетните и непълнолетните лица и за поставените под пълно или ограничено запрещение лица изборът се извършва от техните родители или настойници, съответно със съгласието на техните родители или попечители.“
What a visit costs: the user fee in 2026
Your personal doctor does not charge a price for the examination under the Fund, but a user fee (потребителска такса), the amount of which is set by a decree of the Council of Ministers (Art. 37 of the Health Insurance Act). With Decree No. 50 of 23 April 2026 the amounts are now written in euro, effective from 1 January 2026. The amount has not been increased: €1.48 and €0.51 are the euro equivalent of the previous BGN 2.90 and BGN 1.00.
€1.48
for each visit to the personal doctor
€0.51
for pensioners for length of service and age
€0
for children under 18 and the other exempt groups
Decree No. 50 of the Council of Ministers of 23 April 2026 (State Gazette No. 39 of 28 April 2026)
§ 14, item 1
Amends Decree No. 193 of 2012, which sets the fee. In force from 1 January 2026.
Official Bulgarian text
„а) в ал. 1 думите „2,90 лв.“ се заменят с „1,48 евро“; б) в ал. 2 думите „1,00 лв.“ се заменят с „0,51 евро“.“
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 37(1)
The fee is due for each visit, and its amount is set in a decree of the Council of Ministers.
Official Bulgarian text
„За всяко посещение при лекаря или при лекаря по дентална медицина, както и за всеки ден болнично лечение, но не повече от 10 дни годишно, лицата по чл. 33 заплащат на лекаря, на лекаря по дентална медицина или на лечебното заведение суми, определени с постановление на Министерския съвет.“
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 37(2)
For pensioners for length of service and age the amount is lower.
Official Bulgarian text
„С постановлението по ал. 1 се определят по-ниски суми за всяко посещение при лекаря или при лекаря по дентална медицина на лицата, които са упражнили право на пенсия за осигурителен стаж и възраст.“
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 37(4)
Detainees and prisoners are also exempt. The list of diseases is annex No. 11 to the НРД.
Official Bulgarian text
„От заплащане на сумите по ал. 1 се освобождават лица със заболявания, определени по списък към НРД, както и малолетни, непълнолетни и неработещи членове на семейството; ветерани от войните, военноинвалиди, военнопострадали; … социално слаби, получаващи помощи по Правилника за прилагане на Закона за социално подпомагане; лица, настанени в домове по чл. 36, ал. 3, т. 1 от същия правилник; медицински специалисти.“
On its “User fee” (Потребителска такса) page the Fund lists, besides these groups, pregnant women and women up to 45 days after giving birth. If you are not sure whether you are exempt, look in the surgery: the personal doctor must keep a list of the exempt categories in a visible place (Art. 142(1), item 8 of the НРД).
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 37(5)
You are entitled to a document for each fee paid. If you are asked for more, file a complaint with the РЗОК with which the doctor has a contract.
Official Bulgarian text
„Лекарят, лекарят по дентална медицина или лечебното заведение издават на лицата по ал. 1 и 2 документ за заплатените суми.“
If you are in another city and fall ill
Your personal doctor is not the only one who can see you under the Fund. For an acute condition in another town or village you can go to any general practitioner with a contract with the Fund, without changing and without a temporary choice.
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 8(4)
A one-off visit for an acute condition in another town or village, without changing your doctor.
Official Bulgarian text
„Здравноосигуреното лице, осъществило правото си на избор на лекар по реда на чл. 6, може да се обърне инцидентно по повод на остро възникнало състояние към друг лекар от лечебно заведение за първична извънболнична помощ на територията на друго населено място, различно от това, в което осъществява дейността си постоянно избраният лекар.“
The Fund adds in its information of 17 January 2025 that since 2024 you do not need to show your blue book for such a one-off visit. If your stay is longer, from one to five months, use the temporary choice form.
Interrupted health insurance rights and your personal doctor
Choosing a doctor and health insurance rights are two different things. You may be registered with a doctor and still pay for the visit if your rights have been interrupted. This happens to people who pay their own contributions and have left more than three monthly contributions unpaid over the last 36 months.
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 109(1)
More than three unpaid contributions in 36 months interrupt the rights; exactly three do not.
Official Bulgarian text
„Здравноосигурителните права на лицата, които са длъжни да внасят осигурителни вноски за своя сметка, се прекъсват, в случай че лицата не са внесли повече от три дължими месечни осигурителни вноски за период от 36 месеца до началото на месеца, предхождащ месеца на оказаната медицинска помощ. Лицата с прекъснати здравноосигурителни права заплащат оказаната им медицинска помощ.“
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 109(4)
If your employer has not paid contributions, you do not lose your rights.
Official Bulgarian text
„Когато задължението за внасяне на осигурителните вноски е на работодателя или на друго лице, невнасянето на осигурителни вноски не лишава осигуреното лице от здравноосигурителни права.“
Check your status by ЕГН in the НАП lookup before you go to the new doctor. How to read the result and how rights are restored we have described in the article on checking your health insurance status. If you are unemployed, also see who pays your health insurance contributions.
If the doctor refuses to see you or asks for money above the fee
A complaint against a personal doctor is submitted to the director of the РЗОК with which the doctor has a contract. The law gives two options. You can complain about any breach of the law and of the contracts with the Fund (Art. 35(1), item 6 ЗЗО). If you are not satisfied with the medical care itself, in the complaint you state at least one of four grounds: activity reported but not performed, poor quality, refused access to records, or sums taken without grounds.
Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)
Art. 35(2)
The complaint is submitted to the director of the РЗОК and must state at least one of the four grounds in the law.
Official Bulgarian text
„Задължително осигурените лица имат право да подават жалби пред директора на съответната РЗОК, когато не са удовлетворени от медицинските дейности, свързани с оказаната медицинска помощ.“
The addresses and telephones of all the РЗОК are on the Fund's contacts page. For a quick question before a complaint, use the green line 0800 14 800.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check someone else's personal doctor by ЕГН?
Technically the lookup accepts any ЕГН, because there is no password login. An ЕГН is, however, personal data, so use the lookup for yourself and your children.
Do I need to notify my old doctor that I am changing?
No. The Fund expressly says the old doctor is not notified. Removal from their list happens automatically when the РЗОК processes the choice submitted by the new doctor.
Can I have two personal doctors?
No. Each insured person is on the patient list of only one general practitioner. A temporary choice does not create a second doctor but replaces the first for the period of the form. After that the permanent choice is restored automatically.
What happens to my medical records when I change?
Examinations, prescriptions and referrals are recorded in your electronic health file and are not lost when you change. You see them in the eZdrave (еЗдраве) mobile app, which the Fund recommends from July 2026, and in the Fund's ПИС. There is more about this in the article on checking your health record. The НРД adds something else: the new doctor receives from you an extract from the medical records, including for vaccinations, and the previous doctor must give it to you if you ask. Refused access to medical records is also one of the grounds for a complaint to the РЗОК.
National Framework Contract for Medical Activities for 2026–2028 (НРД)
Art. 135(2)
Ask the old doctor for the extract and take it to the new one.
Official Bulgarian text
„Извлечение с копия от необходимата медицинска документация се предоставя на ЗОЛ при поискване от него от предишния ОПЛ.“
Can I change my child's doctor outside June and December?
Only on the same grounds as for an adult: a practice without a contract, the doctor's permanent inability, a change of current address or a temporary choice for a stay elsewhere. If the child is a newborn, this is an initial choice and has no deadline.
What do I do if no doctor will take me?
Submit a written request to the director of the РЗОК for where you live. The НРД obliges them, together with the regional college of the doctors' union, to help you choose a doctor (Art. 134). Do not stay without a personal doctor, because without one it is hard to get a referral.
Ordinance on the Exercise of the Right of Access to Medical Care
Art. 4(1)
The right to free choice of a doctor from a practice with a contract with the Fund, across the whole country.
Official Bulgarian text
„Здравноосигурените лица имат право свободно да избират лекар в лечебно заведение за първична медицинска извънболнична помощ на територията на цялата страна, сключило договор с НЗОК.“
The personal doctor is the entry point to everything else in the health insurance fund. Check today who yours is, and if the lookup is silent, do not wait for June. If you are not sure whether you are paying health insurance contributions, also see how to check your health insurance contributions.
Ask Pravko and get an answer with citations from the law.
⚠️ Important
Pravko provides legal information, but it does not replace advice from a lawyer. For important legal matters, consult a licensed lawyer.
