The Bulgarian health-insurance booklet: a patient guide

The booklet, insurance entitlement and electronic records

Bulgaria's regional health-insurance fund (RZOK) issues the health-insurance booklet. It records patient and GP details and the dental procedures provided through NHIF. Keep it yourself and bring it when required for the visit.

Possessing a booklet does not establish that your insurance entitlement is currently uninterrupted. Losing it and losing entitlement are separate issues. It is also different from the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), used during temporary stays abroad.

The electronic health record shows medical information entered into the system. Access to eZdrave does not remove the booklet requirement for NHIF dental care. NHIF's electronic services offer separate checks for entitlement, registered GP and invalid booklets.

A first booklet for an adult or child

The first booklet is free. Contact the regional fund serving the area where your chosen GP works. Check its office and opening hours; some funds also have local service points.

An adult presents an identity document. For a child, the parent brings their own ID and the child's birth certificate. NHIF's 2026 replies describe issue during the visit. Check the office's arrangements before travelling, especially if personal details or the GP registration need clarification.

Take the new booklet to your GP to complete and certify their details. Its number is perforated on the left of the first page; use that number for booklet checks.

If someone collects it for you, confirm the representation documents with RZOK. NHIF's reply about an authorised representative accepts an ordinary power of attorney without notarisation. This does not remove the need to document authority for other administrative actions.

Loss, theft or damage

Submit an application and declaration to the fund serving your GP. The old booklet is invalidated and a replacement issued. The replacement price stated by NHIF in 2026 is 4.21 €; this differs from free first issue.

Bring ID and any representation documents. Retain a damaged booklet and present it to the fund. Take the replacement to your GP for certification.

A replacement does not reset your dental allowance. Under the framework contract, RZOK transfers dental entries for the current and previous year, with the longer history needed to establish complete-denture entitlement. Ask how missing entries will be restored before planned treatment.

In late September and early October 2026, NHIF stated that booklets could not be issued electronically. Checking an invalid number online is not an application for a new booklet. Consult the current booklet service and your fund's contacts.

When the GP needs the booklet

After first issue or replacement, the GP completes and certifies their details. For a missing certification, an unrecorded GP choice or an invalid number, approach the practice or regional fund according to the problem.

Some visits do not require the booklet. In its reply of 29 May 2026, NHIF explains that patients receiving incidental GP care for an acute condition away from their usual residence, during a stay of less than one month, need not bring the booklet or know its number.

This clarification concerns that particular GP visit. It does not abolish booklet requirements across medical and dental services. Confirm the documents needed when booking.

Dental entries and extra pages

Bring the valid booklet and any supplement for NHIF dental care. The dentist enters and certifies the date, procedure code and tooth. These entries help the next provider check your remaining allowance. Changing to another appropriately contracted dentist does not create a new annual package.

When dental pages are full, RZOK issues a free supplement. Bring the booklet, ID and the latest supplement if you already have one. Full pages do not require a paid replacement of the whole booklet.

If only the supplement is lost, tell RZOK that you still have the booklet. Ask for the required entries to be restored and for instructions for your case. Lost paper does not erase reported care.

Collect your booklet after the visit. In an August 2026 clarification, NHIF says it must be returned to the patient. Ask the practice to return it; if refusal continues, submit a written complaint to the regional fund.

See NHIF dental coverage for 2026 for procedure limits and contributions.

An invalid number or missing details

First compare the number entered with the perforation on the first page. After replacement, use the new booklet: finding the old one does not automatically restore its validity.

If the number is correct, contact the fund serving your GP, explaining the result and the issue date. An invalid booklet is not the same as having no insurance entitlement. Check entitlement separately through the official service.

For missing GP details, establish whether the problem concerns the paper certification or the electronic record of GP choice. This helps the fund investigate the right entry without issuing an unnecessary replacement.

What to keep alongside the booklet

Keep treatment plans, investigations, instructions and payment documents too. The booklet is not your complete medical history. The electronic record contains entered data and may not include all older visits.

The dental module in eZdrave was introduced in October 2026. Our guide to dental documents and eZdrave explains access and discrepancies. Before travelling, check the separate EHIC rules for dental care in the EU.