The minimum wage in Bulgaria has been regularly increasing in recent years. It is planned that by 2021 it will be 650 leva. The process is gradual, usually the amount of wages increases from January or July. So it happened this time.
From January 1, 2019, the minimum wage in the country is 560 leva (287 euros), which is 50 leva more than in 2018. Employees must receive at least 3 leva and 37 stotinki per hour.
For those who work in Bulgaria for hire, an increase in the minimum wage is always a pleasant event. Foreigners living in Bulgaria have a slightly different attitude to such changes. There are several reasons for this.
According to Bulgarian law, applicants for
D visa or
Residence permit must provide a certificate from the bank about the presence of six or twelve minimum wages on the account. If in 2018 this meant that you need to put 3060 leva for each family member in the bank for six months or 6210 leva for a year, then in 2019 the amounts have grown significantly. Now the account should be 3360 leva for six months or 6720 leva for a year.
Owners
Permanent Residence are not happy about the salary increase for another reason. Those who do not work, but are obliged to pay "zdravni osigurovka", from January 1, 2019, have to pay about 10% more for the opportunity to use medical care – 22.4 leva instead of 20.4 leva, i.e. 24 leva more per year.
Finally, foreign business owners who hire employees will have to pay employees higher salaries than before. There is a possibility that this will lead to higher prices, as entrepreneurs will want to recoup their costs.
And what about pensioners?
Those who receive a pension, the changes did not affect. They must have 6 or 12 minimum pensions on their account, i.e. 1200 or 2400 leva.
However, already in July, minimum pensions will also grow, although not as significantly as salaries. The minimum payment from 01.07.2019 will be BGN 220. Those who plan to deposit money in advance to the account for obtaining a D visa should take this into account.
Pensioners with a residence permit or permanent residence, who are obliged to pay health benefits, pay them, like those who work, according to the new rules – 22.4 leva per month.
