Admission Calendar for Bulgaria: Deadlines, Exams and Visa Steps
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Bulgaria has no national application portal and no single deadline, so there is no one calendar to follow. Each university publishes its own dates. What exists nationally is a rhythm: terms in spring, exams between spring and autumn, and a chain of documents that takes weeks. This guide puts those pieces in order and lists the 2026 dates that universities have published. Dates for the 2027/28 intake were not on the pages we read in October 2026, so use the 2026 dates as a guide to timing and confirm each date with the university.
National milestones
According to Eurydice, higher schools announce their admission terms and conditions before 31 March each year. The Council of Ministers approves the number of state-funded places, by field and by institution, on the proposal of the Minister of Education and Science, and Eurydice gives 30 April as the date for this. Universities may hold their own entrance exam, recognise another school's exam, or admit applicants on their state matriculation results if the academic board decides so. For the basics, see how to get into a university in Bulgaria.
Start with the paperwork
If your secondary school is outside Bulgaria, you need a certificate from NACID that recognises the diploma and converts your grades. NACID decides within one month of receiving complete documents, and universities ask for the certificate together with a legalised original and a Bulgarian translation. Begin before the exam season. See document recognition for Bulgaria.
Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy in English: 2026 dates
These programmes publish the most detailed calendars.
| University | Applications or documents | Exam | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical University of Varna | online registration, fee paid at least a week before the test | online tests on 4 April, 16 May and 13 June 2026; 16 July and 3 September for EU applicants only | not stated |
| Medical University of Sofia | documents 27 July to 31 August 2026 | EU and EEA applicants 3 September, others 9 September; results 11 September | 19 October 2026 |
| Sofia University, Medicine in English | 10 August to 4 September 2026 | 10 or 16 September; ranking 23 September; enrolment 24 to 28 September | 1 October 2026 |
| Medical University of Pleven | 1 June to 1 October 2026 for the February 2027 intake (non-EU) | biology and chemistry, dates not listed | February |
Further details:
- Varna assesses biology and chemistry in separate tests of 1 hour 30 minutes each, held on the same date, plus English. The application fee is €340 and non-refundable. Only applicants who submit the complete set of paper documents and receive NACID verification enter the final ranking.
- Medical University of Sofia examines English, biology and chemistry remotely. The ranking score is the tripled biology mark plus the tripled chemistry mark plus the English mark, with a maximum of 42. The fee for submitting documents is €55 and the exam fee is €210.
- Sofia University sets a combined written test in biology and chemistry, in English, lasting three hours. You may sit it once or twice and the higher grade counts. The application fee is €50, and documents are submitted in person or through a representative with a notarised power of attorney.
- Pleven is the only one of these with a February intake. Hard copies of documents from non-EU applicants were due by 30 October 2026.
Annual tuition is on each page; see how much it costs to study in Bulgaria.
After you are accepted
- The Ministry certificate. Sofia University says it has two weeks to send your documents to the Ministry of Education and Science, which issues the document for visa D. Non-EU applicants receive it online.
- Visa D. You apply at the embassy or consulate responsible for your country. See student visa for Bulgaria.
- The residence permit. The Ministry of the Interior says you should apply 14 days before the permit or the visa D expires, and it decides within 14 days, a period that can be extended by a month in complicated cases.
Insurance is needed for the visa and the permit; see health insurance for students in Bulgaria.
A working plan for a September start
- Autumn, a year before: shortlist universities and ask NACID about recognition.
- Winter: collect and legalise documents and have them translated into Bulgarian.
- By 31 March: read the published terms of each university.
- Spring and summer: book the entrance exam in the first available window, as medical universities hold several.
- August and September: submit documents and sit the exam where the university holds it late.
- After admission: the ministry certificate, then the visa, then the residence permit.
Allow time for each step: documents legalised in your home country, a certified translation into Bulgarian, the NACID decision and the embassy appointment can each take weeks.
Official sources
- Eurydice: Bulgaria, bachelor admission
- Medical University of Varna: entry tests
- Medical University of Sofia: admissions
- Sofia University: Medicine in English and international students
- Medical University of Pleven: requirements for Medicine in English
- NACID: recognition of secondary education
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.