Contributions by the 25th: what exactly you pay and for which month

2 November 2026 · 6 min read · The Danak team

By when you pay contributions as self-insured

Social security contributions for a given month are paid by the 25th of the following month. Together with them, you file Declaration form 1 "Data on the insured person" (Декларация образец 1 „Данни за осигуреното лице") (Art. 7(4) of the Social Insurance Code (КСО) and Art. 4(1)(2)(a) of Ordinance № Н-13).

So for example:

• contributions for January 2026 are paid by 25 February 2026;
• contributions for February — by 25 March;
• contributions for March — by 25 April.

The deadline is the same every month: the 25th of the following month, for the previous month.

When the 25th falls on a weekend or public holiday

When the 25th is a Saturday, Sunday or official public holiday, the deadline moves to the first working day after that. The general rules for procedural deadlines under the Administrative Procedure Code apply.

In 2026 this happens four times:

• 25 April is a Saturday — the deadline for March falls on 27 April;
• 25 July is a Saturday — the deadline for June falls on 27 July;
• 25 October is a Sunday — the deadline for September falls on 26 October;
• 25 December is an official public holiday, followed by more non-working days — the deadline for November falls on 29 December.

The free app:calendarcalendar in Danak</app:calendar> shows all deadlines for the year, already adjusted for weekends and public holidays.

What exactly you pay by the 25th

Self-insured persons pay their monthly advance contributions for three or four funds, depending on their choice:

1. Pension fund (invalidity due to general illness, old age and death) — mandatory for everyone;
2. Universal Pension Fund (ДЗПО) — mandatory for everyone;
3. Health insurance — mandatory for everyone;
4. General illness and maternity — optional (Art. 4(3) and (4) КСО).

Contributions are calculated on the insurance income (осигурителен доход) you have declared in Declaration form 1. The amount depends on the chosen insurance income and on whether you have chosen insurance for general illness and maternity.

Example: monthly contributions at minimum insurance income

A person born after 1959, insured on the minimum insurance income, without insurance for general illness and maternity, pays:

The increase from August onwards comes from the rise in the minimum insurance income, which takes effect in the summer.

A detailed breakdown of how contributions are calculated by fund can be found in the article How social security contributions for self-insured persons are calculated: step by step.

Payment codes to the NRA

Each fund has its own payment code. When transferring to the National Revenue Agency (НАП), you must state the correct code for the amount to be applied to the corresponding fund:

• 551111 — Pension fund;
• 561111 — Health insurance;
• 581111 — Universal Pension Fund.

The codes are mandatory for bank transfers and are entered in the "Payment type" or "Payment basis" field, depending on your bank's form.

It is important to make three separate payments — one for each fund. You cannot pay a total amount with one code.

Why the wrong code leaves the obligation unpaid

A wrongly completed payment type code or wrongly stated month means that the contribution is not applied to the correct period. The NRA and the National Social Security Institute (НОИ) have no way of knowing for which month and which fund the transferred amount is, if the code does not match.

The result is that:

• The amount remains "hanging" in the system without settling the specific obligation;
• You remain with unpaid contributions for the month for which the contribution is actually due;
• No insurance service record (осигурителен стаж) is recognised for that month — Art. 9(1)(4) КСО says that service is credited only for months for which the contributions due under Art. 6(8) have been paid;
• There may even be a problem with payment of death benefit if the last month has remained unpaid.

If you discover a mistake, contact the NRA or НОИ to correct the record. Do not wait — after time the correction becomes more difficult.

How to pay contributions

By bank transfer

Social security contributions are paid to the NRA by bank account (Art. 7(4) КСО). Bank accounts for payment, separated by type of obligation, are published on the NRA's page for bank accounts.

When making a bank transfer, you complete:

• IBAN of the corresponding fund;
• Payment type code (551111, 561111 or 581111);
• Personal identification number (ЕГН);
• Period (month and year to which the contributions relate).

The bank may also require a reference number or document type — check the instructions for completing the payment order on your bank's website.

Through the NRA's electronic services portal

After submitting Declaration form 1 through the NRA portal, the system generates an incoming number and date, which you receive by electronic message. Through the portal you can also make the payment itself to the NRA, by selecting the type of obligation and the period.

The advantage is that the link between declaration and payment is automatic, without risk of the wrong code or period.

Declaration form 1 — the same deadline

Together with the contributions by the 25th, you file Declaration form 1. It contains the data for the insured month: the insurance income, the chosen funds, the contributions due for each fund.

The declaration is filed electronically through the NRA portal or on paper at the NRA office. More about completing it can be found in the article Declaration form 1 for self-insured persons: when and how to file.

What follows

• Before the 25th of each month pay the contributions for the previous month by bank transfer or through the NRA portal, with the correct payment type codes.
• File Declaration form 1 for the same month, also by the 25th.
• Check that the payments are reflected in your profile at the NRA — this usually takes a few days.

The free app:calendarcalendar in Danak</app:calendar> tracks all monthly deadlines for the year and shows when exactly each one falls, with dates already moved for weekends and public holidays. Paid plans add email reminders before each deadline — see app:pricingprices and features here</app:pricing>.

Frequently asked questions

For which month are contributions paid by the 25th?

Contributions paid by the 25th of a given month are for the previous month. For example, by 25 February you pay contributions for January, by 25 March — for February, and so on.

What happens if the 25th is a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday?

The deadline moves automatically to the first working day after that. In 2026 such cases occur in April, July, October and December — the specific dates are 27 April, 27 July, 26 October and 29 December.

What are the payment type codes to the NRA for contributions?

Code 551111 for the Pension fund, code 561111 for health insurance and code 581111 for the Universal Pension Fund. Each code is used for a separate payment; you cannot pay a total amount with one code.

Why is the wrong payment type code a problem?

The wrong code means that the contribution is not applied to the correct fund or month. The obligation remains unpaid, no insurance service record is recognised for that month and problems may arise with benefits or compensation.

How can I pay contributions — is only bank transfer possible?

You can pay by bank transfer to the NRA's accounts or through the NRA's electronic services portal, where payment is linked automatically to the filed declaration. Both methods are equally valid.

Sources

• Кодекс за социално осигуряване
• НАП — самоосигуряващи се лица
• НАП — банкови сметки за плащане