Because of the high number of immigrants from Bulgaria, many people are curious about the retirement conditions for Bulgarian immigrants. Bulgarian immigrants can gain the right to retire in Turkey by making social security premium buybacks for periods worked in Bulgaria.
How Can Bulgarian Immigrants Retire?
If you are a Turkish citizen who was forcibly migrated to Turkey from a country without a social security agreement between 1 January 1989 and 8 May 2008, reside in Turkey and do not receive any pension, disability or similar monthly payments from social security institutions under Law No. 2022 dated 1976, you may be eligible for a retirement pension by purchasing (borçlanma) your documented foreign work periods. In other words, those who were displaced from Bulgaria can include their service periods in Bulgaria in a buyback to secure pension rights in Turkey.
To benefit from this right you must;
- Have been subjected to forced migration by Bulgaria between 1989 and 2008,
- Have started residing in Turkey as a Turkish citizen after the forced migration,
- Not be receiving any retirement, disability or similar monthly payments under Law No. 2022,
- Be able to document the periods you worked in Bulgaria,
- Submit a written request to SGK (Social Security Institution) for the buyback,
- Pay the announced buyback amount within the specified periods.
Individuals who meet these conditions can apply to SGK and use their documented Bulgarian employment periods toward insurance coverage and retirement rights in Turkey.
How to Apply for Buyback?
Bulgarian immigrants who want to retire must provide the required documents. The institution will examine records via the identity sharing system; if the population registry entry already indicates that the person was naturalized as a Turkish citizen, additional proof of forced migration will not be required. If such a notation is missing from the registry, the applicant will be asked to submit a certified, annotated family registry record (vukuatlı nüfus kayıt örneği) so that the migration notation can be entered into the records.
In addition, applicants must present employment certificates obtained from Bulgaria with translations performed by sworn translation offices in Turkey. If there is any difference in name or surname between Bulgarian documents and Turkish population records, the applicant must also provide an official document from the population directorate showing the name change and submit it to the institution.
How Is the Buyback Calculated?
The buyback calculation for Bulgarian immigrants is based on 32% of a chosen amount between the minimum wage and 6.5 times the minimum wage valid at the date of application. The applicant selects the income level within that range that will serve as the basis for the buyback payment.
The type of insurance period that the Bulgarian service years will count toward depends on the applicant’s existing Turkish insurance status. If the person is already insured in Turkey, the buyback will be assessed under that insurance scheme. If they have no active insurance, the period is considered under the 4B (self-employed/BAĞ-KUR) status according to the relevant law.
In short, regardless of the work performed in Bulgaria, purchased contribution days from that country are normally counted as 4B periods in Turkey. However, if the person currently works under 4A (employee) in Turkey and meets the necessary conditions, it may be possible to credit those days under 4A after the appropriate procedures.
Note that foreign period buyback is not limited to Bulgarian immigrants. For countries without a social security agreement with Turkey, residents who have lived or worked abroad may be granted the right to retire in Turkey through a buyback. Foreign currency payment options may be available, but the applicant generally must not be actively employed abroad and must have returned to Turkey. Conditions and procedures can vary by country, so applicants should consult SGK to confirm whether specific foreign periods are accepted for buyback.