At what age can I retire?
It depends on your sex, your service record and your labour category — and the threshold rises every year. For third-category work (the ordinary kind) in 2026 the requirements are: women — 62 years and 6 months of age with 36 years and 10 months of insurance service; men — 64 years and 9 months with 39 years and 10 months. If you lack the required service but have at least 15 years of actual insurance service, you can retire at 67 — for both men and women, but at a reduced amount. For first and second category work (hazardous and heavy conditions) the age is considerably lower. The reform provides for equalisation at 65 for both sexes by 2037, so the threshold climbs a little every year.
📋 The rules
- 2026, women: 62y 6m + 36y 10m of service
- 2026, men: 64y 9m + 39y 10m of service
- Without full service: 67, with at least 15 years actual service
- First and second category work: significantly earlier
- Equalisation at 65 for both sexes by 2037
🔓 Exceptions
- First-category work (2026): women 51y 4m, men 54y 6m
- Second-category work (2026): women 56y 4m, men 59y 6m
- Teachers and certain professions have their own, earlier conditions
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no penalty here — what is at stake is the size of your pension. Retiring without full service, at 67, brings a reduced amount: it is a compromise, not an equivalent route. Missing or unproven service is the commonest problem: if an employer never paid contributions, or closed without lodging its archive, the service may not be recognised and is hard to prove. So it is wise to check your insurance record in the NSSI personal register long before you retire, not in your final year. Work off the books earns no service and counts for nothing, however many years you did it.
📎 Official sources
- NSSI · Pensions for insurance service and age →
- Ministry of Labour · Pensions for service and age →
- lex.bg · Social Insurance Code (art. 68) →
❓ Frequently asked
At what age do women retire in 2026?
At 62 years and 6 months, with 36 years and 10 months of insurance service, for third-category work. The age rises gradually each year until it equals that for men.
And men?
At 64 years and 9 months, with 39 years and 10 months of insurance service, for third-category work. The requirements rise annually for men too, though in smaller steps than for women.
Can I retire without the full service record?
Yes — at 67, if you have at least 15 years of actual insurance service. The pension is reduced, however, so this is a fallback rather than an equivalent route.
When will the ages be equalised?
The reform provides for gradual equalisation at 65 for men and women by 2037. Until then the threshold rises every year, so the 2027 requirements will already differ from those for 2026.
How do I check my service record?
In the NSSI personal register, online. Check it well before retiring: unproven service from a closed employer, or work without contributions, is hard to establish and is often simply lost.
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