Payroll in Bulgaria runs in BGN on a monthly payroll, typically paid by the last working day of the month or per employment contract terms. cycle, with statutory employer contributions and no statutory 13th-month bonus is mandated; bonuses are discretionary or set by collective agreements.. Gracemark operates it end-to-end, humans, not tickets.
Currency
BGN, Bulgarian lev
Payroll cycle
Monthly payroll, typically paid by the last working day of the month or per employment contract terms.
Working week
Standard workweek is 40 hours (8 hours/day, 5 days), with overtime capped and generally paid at a minimum 50% premium on weekdays and 75%-100% on holidays/rest days under the Labour Code.
Minimum wage
Statutory monthly minimum wage is BGN 1,077 (approx. EUR 550) as of 2025, set annually by government decree.
13th-month
No statutory 13th-month bonus is mandated; bonuses are discretionary or set by collective agreements.
Employer cost
Employer social security and health insurance contributions range roughly 18.92%-19.62% of gross salary depending on labour risk category, funding pensions, health insurance, unemployment and work accident/sickness funds [1](https://eurofast.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PayrollGuide2025_Bulgaria.pdf).
Probation
Probationary periods may be agreed up to 6 months, usable by employer, employee, or both.
Notice period
Notice periods generally range 30 days to 3 months depending on contract terms; severance is not universally mandated but applies in specific statutory scenarios (e.g., redundancy, closure) with compensation typically equal to 1 month's gross salary.
Two ways to run payroll in Bulgaria
Own-entity payroll
For long-term presence in Bulgaria. Gracemark manages statutory filings, pay runs, and year-end reporting under your entity, with a named operator on Southeast Europe time.
EOR-run payroll
No entity in Bulgaria? Employ and pay talent under Gracemark's local infrastructure via EOR, onboard in typically 1–3 weeks via eor, no local incorporation.
Compliance essentials in Bulgaria
Employment model: EOR vs. contractor vs. local entity for Bulgaria
Mandatory benefits, social contributions and any 13th-month obligation
Termination rules, statutory notice and severance exposure
Contractor misclassification risk and how local law defines employment
Currency (BGN), payroll cycle and Bulgarian-language contract requirements
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