How long is parental leave in Bulgaria?

In Bulgaria, parental leave follows the same rules as maternity and paternity leave. In cases of adoption, pregnancy and childbirth benefits are available under the same conditions, with additional requirements:

• The adoption must not have been terminated by a court.
• The employee must not be involved in a maternity support program while caring for the child.
• The child must be younger than 5 years of age.

Fathers, including adoptive fathers, are eligible for childbirth leave of 15 days. After the child reaches 6 months, fathers may care for the child for the remaining duration of the 410 calendar days. Adoptive fathers can take leave from the 6th month after adoption until the end of the 365-day period.

Furthermore, fathers are entitled to a cash benefit for raising a child up to 8 years old for up to 2 months, subject to the following conditions:

• They must be insured for sickness and maternity.
• They need at least 12 months of insurance for sickness and maternity, either continuous or interrupted, not necessarily immediately prior to taking leave.
• They must be granted the relevant type of leave.
• They should not have used specific other leaves related to child-caring.
• The cash benefit is not paid if the child is deceased, the father loses parental rights, the child is given up for adoption, the adoption is terminated, or the child is placed in full state care.

Self-insured persons with insurance for general illness and maternity who meet these conditions are also entitled to this cash benefit.

What are the eligibility rules for parental leave in Bulgaria?

The eligibility rules for parental leave in Bulgaria are as follows:

• The same rules that apply to maternity and paternity leave also apply to parental leave.

In the case of adoption, benefits for pregnancy and childbirth are payable under the same conditions as biological parents but with the following additional conditions:

• The adoption has not been terminated by a court.
• The employee has not been included in a maternity support program while caring for the child.
• The child is younger than 5 years of age.

Fathers (including adoptive fathers) are entitled to:

• 15 days of leave for the childbirth.
• After the child reaches 6 months of age, fathers may assume care for the child for the remainder of the 410 calendar days. Adoptive fathers can take care from the 6th month post-adoption until the end of the leave (365 days). Conditions include:

- The employee must be married to the mother of the child or live with her in a single household.

- In the latter case, the father must have recognized the child and the social insurance of the mother or adoptive mother must not have been terminated.

Fathers (including adoptive fathers) are entitled to a cash benefit for up to 2 months for raising a child up to 8 years old under the following conditions:

• They are insured for sickness and maternity.
• They have at least 12 months of insurance for sickness and maternity, which can be interrupted or continuous and does not need to be completed immediately before taking the leave.
• They are allowed the relevant type of leave.
• They have not already used leave for raising a child from 6 months to 1 year; due to the death or serious illness of the mother (adoptive mother); for raising a child between 1 and 2 years of age; or for the adoption of a child up to 5 years old. If they have used any of these leaves for less than 2 months, they can use this leave for the remaining duration to make up 2 months.
• Cash benefit is not paid in cases of the child's death, deprivation of the father's parental rights, giving the child up for adoption, termination of the adoption, or placement of the child in full state maintenance.

Self-insured persons who are insured for general illness and maternity also qualify for a cash benefit for raising a child up to the age of 8, provided they meet the stipulated conditions.

How is parental leave payment calculated in Bulgaria?

Parental leave payments in Bulgaria follow the same calculation rules as maternity and paternity leave. In cases of adoption, benefits for pregnancy and childbirth are payable under specific conditions:

• The adoption has not been terminated by a court.
• The employee has not participated in a maternity support program while caring for the child.
• The child is under 5 years of age.

For fathers, including adoptive fathers, the entitlement is as follows:

• 15 days of childbirth leave.
• After the child reaches 6 months, fathers can take parental leave for the remainder of the 410 calendar days. For adoptive fathers, this leave can be taken from the 6th month after the adoption until the end of the leave period (365 days).

To qualify, the conditions for benefit payment include that the father must be married to the mother or living with her in the same household. If unmarried, the father must have recognized the child, and the social insurance of the mother or adoptive mother must remain active.

What is the process for applying for paternity leave in Bulgaria?

To apply for paternity leave in Bulgaria, the following steps must be taken:

1. The father needs to inform Velocity Global Bulgaria in advance of the child's arrival.

2. Paternity leave starts from the day the child is released from the hospital.

3. The father must fill in certain internal documents provided by Velocity Global Bulgaria.

4. The father also needs to present the hospital note of release of the child to Velocity Global Bulgaria.

How long is maternity leave in Bulgaria?

Female employees in Bulgaria are entitled to 410 days of paid maternity leave for each child. Out of these 410 days, 45 days must be taken before the expected delivery date. If the child is born before the 45 days are completed, the remaining days are added to the postnatal leave period.

Additionally, after the paid maternity leave, female employees are entitled to an extra 2 years of leave, provided that the child is not placed in a child-care establishment.

What are the eligibility rules for maternity leave in Bulgaria?

To be eligible for maternity leave in Bulgaria, the supported employee must meet the following criteria:

• The employee needs to have been insured for sickness and maternity for at least 12 months prior to the start of the leave. These 12 months can be continuous or non-continuous, and the employee does not need to have been employed by the same employer during this period.
• Cash benefits for pregnancy and childbirth are calculated per day and amount to 90% of the average gross daily income for which the employee has been insured over the last 24 months before the beginning of the leave for pregnancy and childbirth or adoption.
• For self-insured individuals, their contributions for sickness and maternity are taken into account.
• The daily cash benefits cannot exceed the employee's average net daily remuneration. In other words, the maternity benefits cannot be higher than the employee's net daily salary.
• These benefits cannot be less than the minimum monthly wage, which is BGN 780 for 2023. If the employee is employed with more than one employer, the sum of the different benefits cannot be lower than this minimum wage.
• The same calculation method applies to benefits for fathers or one of the grandparents.

How is maternity leave payment calculated in Bulgaria?

During maternity leave in Bulgaria, the mother receives compensation from public social security funds. The amount is equal to 90% of her average daily gross salary or the average daily income on which social security contributions have been calculated.

What is the process for applying for maternity leave in Bulgaria?

In Bulgaria, the process for applying for maternity leave involves several steps:

• The pregnant supported employee must take maternity leave 45 days before the expected term date. She needs to obtain a document for temporary incapacity for work from the doctor who conducted the examination.

• If the supported employee does not give birth within those 45 days, the maternity leave period is extended with a new document for temporary incapacity for work until the day of birth, but not exceeding 93 days in total.

• If the supported employee gives birth before the expiry of the 45-day pregnancy leave (including in cases of premature birth where there was no opportunity to take the leave), she is entitled to the remainder of the unused leave. This is included in a third document for temporary incapacity for work, lasting 48 days. For example, if the child is born 5 days before the expected term, these 5 days off will be added to the 48 days of post-birth leave, totaling 53 days.

• The second document for temporary incapacity for work must be issued by the doctor who assisted with the birth, covering a period of 42 days immediately after childbirth, as per Article 26(1), item 2 of the Ordinance on medical expertise. The mother is entitled to this leave regardless of whether the child was stillborn or given up for adoption.

• The third period of 48 days starts after the mother is released from the hospital, as per Article 26(1), item 3 of the Ordinance on medical expertise. The general practitioner (GP) of the child or the mother must issue a document for temporary incapacity for work for this period.

• After the initial 135 days of leave, the supported employee can apply for the remainder of 275 days of maternity leave. This requires a written application to the company where the mother works and the birth certificate of the child. The company must grant the leave starting from the day specified in the application.

How long is the paternity leave in Bulgaria?

In Bulgaria, fathers are entitled to the following leave periods:

• 15 days' leave after the newborn child is discharged from the hospital.
• After the child turns 6 months old, the father can use maternity leave until the expiration of the 410-day period.
• The mother's statutory leave entitlement covering the first 2 years of a child's life can be transferred to the father with the mother's consent.
• Fathers are also entitled to 2 months of leave to raise a child under age 8 if none of the types of leave that the mother can transfer to the father was transferred. If less than 2 months of leave was transferred, then the amount transferred is subtracted from the two-month entitlement, and the father is entitled to the remaining part.

These provisions permit flexibility in child-rearing responsibilities between parents based on mutual consent and statutory entitlements.

What are the eligibility rules for paternity leave in Bulgaria?

In Bulgaria, fathers must have acquired 12 months of working experience to be eligible for paternity leave.

How is paternity leave payment calculated in Bulgaria?

During the paternity leave period in Bulgaria, the father receives compensation from public social security funds. This compensation is calculated as 90% of his average daily gross salary or the average daily income on which social security contributions have been calculated.

What is the process for applying for parental leave in Bulgaria?

The process for applying for parental leave in Bulgaria involves the supported employee informing Velocity Global in advance. Depending on the specific case, the supported employee will be advised on the type of documents that need to be filled in. Through our Global Work Platform™, Velocity Global provides the necessary guidance to ensure the required paperwork is completed correctly.