The retirement age in Bulgaria will go up from 31 December 2011 onwards. The age will increase by 4 months each year until it reaches 63 for women and 65 for men. This amendment in the Public Social Security Code was passed by the parliament at the second reading of the State (public) Social Security Budget for 2012. Those who have reached the age of 65 towards 31 December 2011 but lack the required number of years of service may retire if they have worked for at least 15 years. Starting on January 1, 2012 the age increase for this category of workers goes up by 4 months each year until it reaches 67 for both men and women.

The right to retire for the military personnel and civil servants working at the Interior Ministry, the State Agency for National Security and for the personnel in penitentiary institutions, and for the examining magistrates is not dependent on age but is conditioned on not less than 27 years of service, of which at least two thirds with military or civil servant status of work at the same institution. The current number of years of service is 25. In favor of the amendments voted 82 MPs, 51 voted against and 2 abstained. The political party GERB Members of Parliament and four Independents voted “for”. The members of the parliamentary Coalition for Bulgaria, Movement for Rights and Freedoms and the Blue Coalition groups voted against the proposed amendments. So did the members of the Ataka parliamentary group, except for one who abstained.