Health Insurance for Students in Bulgaria: EHIC, Visa D and Residence Permit

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Bulgaria has a public system run by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). What a student needs depends on citizenship and on whether the health insurance system already covers them. This guide uses the pages of the NHIF, the Ministry of the Interior and several Bulgarian universities as read in October 2026. Insurance rules for visas change, so confirm them with the consulate and the migration office. For a Europe-wide view, see health insurance for students in Europe.

EU, EEA and Swiss students

For a temporary stay, the NHIF asks you to present your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or the certificate that provisionally replaces it. It covers care that cannot wait until you return home. Keep these points in mind:

use only doctors, hospitals and laboratories that have a contract with the NHIF;
without the card you can still get care, and you can obtain the document from your health insurer;
the card does not replace separate cover for private clinics or transport home;
for emergencies call 112.

Get the card in your home country before you travel, and ask your insurer how long it is valid. If you stay in Bulgaria for longer than three months, you also apply for a long-term residence document as a student; see student visa for Bulgaria. The NHIF page does not list students among the categories that register with the fund for a long stay, so ask your university's international office whether it expects anything beyond the EHIC.

What patients pay

Under the NHIF system, the patient pays a small consumer fee:

1% of the minimum wage per visit to a GP, a specialist or a dentist;
2% of the minimum wage per day in hospital, with no fee from the tenth day of hospital treatment in a year;
for laboratory tests, either up to BGN 2 per visit for taking the sample, or 1% of the minimum wage.

The minimum monthly wage has been €620.20 since 1 January 2026, so the fee for an outpatient visit is about €6. Always ask for a receipt. Private clinics charge full price whether or not you are insured, according to Sofia University.

Non-EU students: visa D

Sofia University lists health insurance as a required document for visa D, valid for the entire stay in Bulgaria. The University of Economics, Varna gives details for its students: the policy must have a minimum cover of €30,000 (BGN 60,000), be valid in Bulgaria or the EU, and last for the whole period of the visa. Consulates can differ, so check the list of the embassy where you apply. Students are also advised to ask their national authorities whether a reciprocal health agreement between their country and Bulgaria gives free or subsidised treatment.

Non-Bulgarian patients must sign a declaration confirming that they are not in Bulgaria only to be treated. See how to get into a university in Bulgaria for the visa process.

Non-EU students: residence permit

The Ministry of the Interior's list of documents for a student residence permit under Article 24v of the Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act includes compulsory medical insurance valid in Bulgaria, when you are not insured under the Health Insurance Act. The list adds that students who use health insurance when they enrol in a university do not need the compulsory medical insurance. In practice, that means two questions to put to your university and the migration office:

Are you covered by the Bulgarian health insurance system through your enrolment?
If not, which private policy will the migration office accept?

The University of Economics, Varna adds that if your studies continue after the visa expires, you can buy a new or extended policy in Bulgaria for the residence permit, and that cover must be valid at all times during your studies. The permit is issued for up to one year, so expect to show the insurance again at each renewal.

We found no official amount for the contribution a student pays into the NHIF, and the Ministry's list does not give one. Do not rely on figures from forums or brokers; ask the migration office.

Checklist

Decide which group you belong to: EHIC, visa D policy or insurance through enrolment.
Check the amount of cover, the validity period and the territory against the consulate's list.
Keep the policy and the receipts for the residence permit application and each renewal.
Save 112 and the name of a doctor who speaks your language.

Where to look next

Official sources

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