Health insurance for the unemployed in Bulgaria (2026)

You have lost your job and you do not know whether you have to pay health insurance contributions? The answer depends on one key detail: are you receiving unemployment benefit or not. If you are, the state takes care of your health contributions. If you are not, you have to pay them yourself so that you do not lose your rights with the National Health Insurance Fund (НЗОК).

❓How much is the health insurance contribution for unemployed people in 2026?

✅If you do not receive unemployment benefit, you pay BGN 43.08 a month (8% of BGN 538.50). If you do receive benefit, the state pays instead of you and you owe nothing.

Source: ЗЗО, Art. 40(5)

Who has to pay and who does not

Not every unemployed person pays health insurance out of their own pocket. In many cases the state covers the contributions. Here is the full picture:

Situation	Who pays	Monthly amount
Receiving unemployment benefit	The state (National Social Security Institute, НОИ)	BGN 0 for you
No benefit, no income	You personally	BGN 43.08
Student (full-time study)	The state	BGN 0
Pensioner	The state	BGN 0
Child under 18	The state	BGN 0
Receiving social assistance	The state	BGN 0
Unpaid leave (over 30 days)	You personally	BGN 43.08

How much the health insurance contribution for the unemployed is in 2026

If you fall into the group that pays for itself, this is how the amount is calculated. The basis is half of the minimum insurable income for self-insured persons.

Calculating the monthly contribution

Minimum insurable income (self-insured persons)

For 2026

BGN 1,077

Insurable income for unemployed persons (50%)

BGN 538.50

Health insurance contribution (8%)

BGN 43.08/month

Total per year

12 x BGN 43.08

BGN 516.96

You may choose a higher insurable income (up to BGN 4,130), but not a lower one than BGN 538.50.

BGN 43.08

Monthly health contribution for the unemployed

Source: ЗЗО, Art. 40(5)

Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)

Art. 40(5)

Official Bulgarian text

„Лицата, които не подлежат на осигуряване на друго основание, са длъжни да внасят осигурителни вноски върху осигурителен доход не по-малък от половината от минималния размер на осигурителния доход за самоосигуряващите се лица.“

When and how to pay

The process is simple, but there are two mandatory steps. First you file a declaration (only once), then you pay every month.

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

Steps to pay

File Declaration, Form 7 (Декларация образец 7)

Once

Once only, at a National Revenue Agency (НАП) office or online with a personal identification code (ПИК) or a qualified electronic signature (КЕП). You state from which month you start insuring yourself.

Pay the monthly contribution

Every month

By personal identification number (ЕГН), by bank transfer or at a НАП office. Reason for payment: contribution for НЗОК.

Check your health insurance status

Online in the НАП portal or by phone, to make sure the contributions have been recorded.

The 25th

of the month following the month for which the contribution is due

Example: the contribution for March must be paid by 25 April

What happens if you do not pay on time

Not paying health insurance has serious consequences. It is not only a matter of fines, but of losing access to free healthcare.

Health insurance rights are interrupted

If you have three or more unpaid months in the last 36 months, your health insurance rights are interrupted. This means that НЗОК will not cover your treatment, even if you were insured before.

3 of 36

Unpaid months before the rights are interrupted

Source: ЗЗО, Art. 109(1)

Consequences of not paying

Interrupted health insurance rights

Within the last 36 months

3+ unpaid months

Restoring the rights

The last 5 years

All contributions for 60 months

Fine for not filing Declaration, Form 7

For a repeat offence: BGN 1,000 - 3,000

BGN 500 - 1,000

What you pay out of your own pocket for treatment while your rights are interrupted is NOT refunded.

Health Insurance Act (ЗЗО)

Art. 109(1)

Official Bulgarian text

„Здравноосигурителните права на лицата, които са длъжни да осигуряват себе си, се прекъсват, в случай че лицата не са внесли повече от три дължими месечни осигурителни вноски за период от 36 месеца.“

How to check your health insurance status

Not sure whether your health insurance rights are continuous? Checking takes less than a minute.

Ways to check

Choose the way that suits you best

Online in the НАП portal

With a ПИК or КЕП, instant result

By phone: 0700 18 700

Automated system, 24/7, by ЕГН

At a НАП office

With an identity card

Online check step by step

Open the НАП portal

Go to portal.nra.bg

Choose the report

Electronic services → Health insurance status report

You will see for which months you have paid contributions

Review the result

It shows whether your rights are continuous and which months are missing

Frequently asked questions

❓Do I have to file Declaration, Form 7?

✅Yes, if you pay your health insurance yourself, you must file Declaration, Form 7 (Декларация образец 7) with НАП once. It is mandatory, and failing to file carries a fine of BGN 500 to 1,000.

Source: Ordinance Н-13, Art. 3

❓Can I pay retroactively?

✅Yes, you can pay contributions that were due for past months. Interest may be charged on late payments. To restore interrupted health insurance rights, you must pay all contributions for the last 60 months.

Source: ЗЗО, Art. 109(2)

❓What about unpaid leave?

✅If your unpaid leave is over 30 working days a year, your employer stops paying your health insurance. For the days over 30 you owe BGN 43.08/month yourself and you must file Declaration, Form 7 with НАП.

Source: ЗЗО, Art. 40(1), item 1, letter б

❓When can I use НЗОК again after the rights were interrupted?

✅Your rights are restored from the date you pay the contributions due for the last 60 months, but you can receive medical care only from the month following the month of payment.