Document Recognition for Bulgaria: The NACID Certificate for Your School Diploma

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

To apply to a Bulgarian university with a school diploma from another country, you usually need a certificate of recognition from NACID, the National Centre for Information and Documentation. It confirms that your diploma is equivalent to Bulgarian secondary education and converts your grades to the Bulgarian scale, which universities use to rank applicants. This guide explains how to get it.

Who decides

NACID recognises secondary education completed in a school abroad, or in a school of the European Schools system. The decision is taken by its executive director on the opinion of an expert commission.
The university decides admission. It checks that you hold the NACID certificate and the other documents it asks for.

Sofia University, for example, says that applicants who finished a non-Bulgarian secondary school submit a NACID certificate with their grades recalculated to the Bulgarian system. The Medical University of Sofia asks for the same certificate. This applies whatever your citizenship, so EU applicants need it too.

Certificate or verification letter

NACID issues two kinds of document, depending on the purpose:

a certificate (udostoverenie), which is the one you need to continue your education at a university;
a verification letter (uverenie), for a driving licence or the labour market only.

Ask for the certificate. It is valid only in Bulgaria.

How grades are converted

If your diploma lists subjects with grades, the certificate converts them to the Bulgarian grading system, including the average grade if the diploma shows one. Subjects that are not on the diploma are not included.

If a programme ranks applicants on subjects that appear only on a transcript or another school document, NACID can issue a separate official note converting those grades. It costs €25 under NACID's price list. Check the university's admission rules to see which subjects count.

Legalisation or apostille

NACID needs to be sure your documents are authentic, so the original diploma must be certified in the country that issued it. The rules depend on the country:

Countries in the Hague Apostille Convention: the competent authority adds an apostille to the original.
Other countries: a chain of certifications, ending with the Bulgarian embassy in that country.

A certified true copy is not a substitute: NACID warns that a certification of the accuracy of a copy cannot be accepted in its place. NACID publishes detailed instructions for each country, and some countries need extra steps. Read yours before you start. See apostille and legalisation of documents.

Translation

Documents must be translated into Bulgarian.

A translation made in Bulgaria needs the translator's signature certified by a notary. The Medical University of Sofia adds that the translator must be on the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A translation made at a Bulgarian embassy abroad is certified there.

See sworn translations.

How to apply and how long it takes

You can apply in person at NACID's Centre for Administrative Services, 50 Dr G. M. Dimitrov Blvd, Sofia, open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:30, or electronically through NACID's e-services portal.

Staff check the application and tell you what is missing. If documents are incomplete, the procedure is suspended until you supply them.
The expert commission decides within one month of receiving all documents.
The certificate can be issued electronically. Your originals and translations are returned when the procedure ends.

What the university asks for as well

The NACID certificate is not the only document. For English-taught medicine, the Medical University of Sofia asked 2026 applicants for:

the legalised secondary-school diploma with a certified Bulgarian translation;
the NACID certificate with converted grades;
a document from your country confirming your right to continue to higher education there, also legalised and translated;
a copy of your passport and two photos.

Sofia University asks for the original diploma and supplement with the original translations and legalisations at enrolment.

Step by step

Check the admission rules of each university and programme, published by 31 March.
Get the apostille or legalisation on your diploma and transcript in the country that issued them.
Have them translated into Bulgarian.
Apply to NACID for the certificate, and for an official note on extra grades if you need one.
Submit the certificate with your university application. Non-EU students then need the visa D; see student visa for Bulgaria.

Where to look next

Official sources

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.