Bulgaria is a European country, and an increasing number of Russian citizens are thinking about permanent residence in its territory. From year to year, the number of pensioners among the immigrants who have arrived here from the Russian Federation (RF) is increasing. It is important for them to know to whom, on what conditions and in what amounts the pension is paid in Bulgaria.
Features of the country's pension system
There is a consolidated pension system in Bulgaria, consisting of three levels:
- Mandatory pension provision. At its expense, the minimum assistance is paid to all citizens for whom retirement in Bulgaria is due to reaching the retirement age. At the same time, a working person cannot directly influence the amount of social payments due to him in the future.
- Additional mandatory pension provision. This level is funded by government-established deductions from wages and guarantees the employee in the future an additional increase to the minimum pension. According to the pension legislation of Bulgaria, persons born after December 31, 1959 are required to make regular fixed cash contributions to universal pension funds, and those working in hazardous and harmful working conditions - to professional pension funds.
- Additional voluntary pension provision. This level provides for each employee the opportunity to independently provide an increase in pension by voluntarily donating money to private pension funds of personal insurance (operating since 1994) and professional pension funds (operating since 2007).
The pension system in Bulgaria is characterized by a high degree of citizens' involvement in voluntary pension provision. According to statistics from the Bulgarian Institute for Social Research, the third tier covers about 30% of the country's working population.
Age limit for retirement
It is natural that the majority of people who are still working, but who are going to retire soon, are interested in the question of what time they retire in Bulgaria. As practice shows, this legislative norm undergoes changes almost every year.
It is noteworthy that the country's government still does not follow the example of most European Union (EU) states and does not establish the same age limit for retirement for men and women. So, answering the question of when people retire in Bulgaria in 2021, it is necessary to indicate that women can count on a well-deserved rest from 61 years and 2 months, and men from 64 years 1 month.
But upon reaching the above age, only those persons who have the length of service established at the legislative level can exercise this right. So, men need to work officially at least 38 years 6 months, women - at least 35 years 5 months.
The articles of the legislation also state that the retirement age for women and men in Bulgaria with 15 years of work experience is 65 years 8 months. But it is not at all necessary to stop working in such a situation. Those wishing to increase future retirement benefits can continue to work.
From the above, it is obvious that for the realization of the right to a well-deserved rest and social security in connection with the disability, not only the retirement age in Bulgaria is important, but also the length of service.
How much do Bulgarian pensioners get
The size of pension payments is one of the most striking indicators of the level of well-being of the country's population. And it is quite logical that every potential pensioner is interested in exactly how much he will receive after disability and whether he can afford not to work.
Let's try to figure out what kind of pension the Bulgarian pensioners have as of 2021, how much it exceeds the subsistence minimum in the country and whether an increase in pension payments is envisaged in the future.
Minimum pension
The amount of minimum pension payments is set by the government. From the beginning of 2021, it was 200 leva (in accordance with the exchange rate that was valid at the time of the increase in the pension, 102 euros). From 1 July 2021, the minimum pension has been increased to 207.6 leva.
According to the findings of the Institute for Social Research of the country and the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, the minimum pension in Bulgaria is below the subsistence level, which is 250 leva. As a result, approximately one third of the population of the state found itself below the poverty line.
To avoid criticism, the Bulgarian government has established a supplement of up to 50 leva for those citizens whose pension does not reach the subsistence level. Additional payments are also provided for war veterans and pensioners with the status of disabled people.
It is planned that the minimum pension in Bulgaria in 2021, namely from July 1, will be 219 leva. But even this amount is below the current cost of living.
Average pension payments
Since mid-2021, the average Bulgarian pension is 360 leva. And the average cost of living is about 585 leva: this amount includes all the benefits that provide citizens with a more or less comfortable level of everyday life (utilities, health care, education, food, household goods, leisure).
It is planned that the average pension in Bulgaria will be subject to an annual indexation of 1.169%.
Maximum pension amount
The country's government has also set an upper limit for the calculation of pension payments. This year it is 910 leva. Since citizens were informed about the upcoming increase in the minimum pension in 2021 and the annual indexation of average pension payments, a natural question arises about how much pension in Bulgaria will be in a year for those who received the maximum allowable amount. From July 1, 2021, it is planned to increase it to 1,200 leva.
Is it possible to apply for a Russian pension in Bulgaria
On February 27, 2009, a bilateral Social Security Treaty was signed between Bulgaria and the Russian Federation. Thanks to this document, there is a real opportunity to receive a Russian pension in Bulgaria and vice versa.
Each side has undertaken to pay from its own budget to the citizens of the other side who have come to permanently reside in its territory, a pension equivalent to that which they have earned in their state.
But this does not apply to all types of pension payments. The exception is social pensions, as well as allowances that were due to pensioners at the place of their previous residence.
In order for the pension for Russians living in Bulgaria to be transferred according to the Social Security Agreement, first of all, you need to deregister at home and apply for a residence permit (residence permit) - a permit for a long-term stay in Bulgarian territory.
Migrants with a residence permit have the right to stay in the country for up to 12 months, as well as to cross its border an unlimited number of times without a visa. A person who has had a residence permit in Bulgaria for 5 years has a chance to obtain a long-term residence permit with an initial period of 5 years (permanent residence permit) or permanent residence (permanent residence), and in the future - and citizenship of the country.
A prerequisite for obtaining a residence permit in the Bulgarian territory for a citizen of the Russian Federation is the presence of a category D visa issued under the "Secured pensioner" program.
To get it, you need to have:
- on an account in a Bulgarian bank an amount equal to 12 minimum Bulgarian pensions;
- housing in Bulgaria (own real estate or rented premises).
These are the main conditions that the "Secured pensioner" program provides in Bulgaria.
To apply for a D visa, you need to submit the following documents to the embassy:
- a questionnaire completed by the applicant with a personal photo;
- original and copy of the foreign passport;
- a certificate of providing housing in Bulgaria (this can be a document of ownership or a lease agreement);
- a certificate from a Bulgarian bank about the presence of your own account in it and the funds necessary for living for 12 months;
- translated into Bulgarian and notarized copy of the pension certificate;
- a certificate of the presence / absence of a criminal record;
- certificate of pension payments received within the last 3 months at home;
- health insurance policy.
Some citizens, having reached the retirement age in Russia, go abroad to work without being deregistered at their place of residence, planning to return to their homeland in the future. At the same time, the transfer of pension payments under the Social Security Agreement is not possible.
The question arises: "How to get a pension from the Russian Federation in Bulgaria in this case?" The only option is to issue an international Sberbank card on which pension payments will be charged. It will be possible to cash out funds abroad, but you will have to pay a commission for their withdrawal.
The life of Russian pensioners in Bulgaria
A simplified mechanism for obtaining a residence permit, unique climatic conditions, hospitable and friendly Bulgarian people towards immigrants - this is what, in the first place, is attractive to Bulgaria for pensioners from Russia.
As evidenced by the reviews of Russian citizens who have visited Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, food prices here are approximately the same as in Moscow. For 1 kg of potatoes, on average, you have to pay from 37 to 40 rubles, for 1 kg of beef - from 350 to 400 rubles. Bread costs 35 to 45 rubles.
But, considering how Russian pensioners live in Bulgaria, it should be noted that real estate is more affordable for the average citizen in this country. Russian immigrants claim that comfortable apartments on the seaside can be purchased for as little as 20,000 euros.
A pensioner who has received a residence permit in Bulgaria can use the services of a personal / family doctor. In this case, it will be necessary to make monthly contributions to the National Health Committee, but the amount of the contribution is low (no more than 10 leva).
Life in Bulgaria on a Russian pension is somewhat easier thanks to the government's active and highly successful fight against bribery in medical institutions.
If a pensioner believes that the pension provided by the state is not enough for a more or less comfortable living, he can do something: make and sell souvenirs, clothing, furniture, grow and sell vegetables and fruits. The state does not prevent this.
Russian-speaking entrepreneurs in this country issue a "White Card", which provides benefits for pensioners in Bulgaria in the form of discounts on goods and services. It is noteworthy that citizens of the Russian Federation of retirement age can become holders of this card for free.
In which regions of the country do Russian pensioners settle?
Elderly people with health problems, in the hope of replenishing the vital resources of the body, choose cities located by the sea for permanent residence. Those who strive for quieter and more measured everyday life move to small towns and remote from the center of the village, getting the opportunity to engage in farming.
Pensioners who plan to invite their grandchildren to their homes in the future and provide them with the opportunity to receive higher education at the European level, prefer such cities as Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna. Therefore, it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of where it is better to live for Russian pensioners in Bulgaria. It all depends on the life goals and plans of each person.
Outcome
For many citizens of the Russian Federation, moving to Bulgaria is an opportunity to get closer to modern European values. Favorable climate, low crime rate, affordable housing, good conditions for starting a business attract not only Russian youth, but also elderly people.
Thanks to the Social Security Agreement signed between the Russian Federation and Bulgaria, Russian pensioners have the opportunity to go to permanent residence in Bulgarian cities and villages and receive their earned pension payments.
