Application of Ukrainian citizens to Bulgarian higher education institutions

Ukrainian student candidates who meet the conditions for applying under PMS No. 103/1993 – they apply according to the general order of the decree.

• Up to 1,000 of those proposed under Art. 4, para. 1 of PMS No. 103/1993 places are designated for admission of candidates of Bulgarian nationality from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
• Candidates of Bulgarian nationality from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova apply in a simplified manner – only by documents (without taking a general education or specialized test) in all possible ways – by registering on the platform, by sending the documents by electronic means, mail, courier or presentation them in the MES.
• Candidates of Bulgarian nationality from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have the right to apply according to PMS No. 103/1993 without interruption throughout the entire time from the beginning of the campaign until September 2022.

Ukrainian student candidates who do not meet the conditions for application under PMS No. 103/1993.

According to the current regulations, this category of persons apply for study in Bulgarian higher education institutions as foreign citizens and pay higher tuition fees compared to Bulgarian citizens. No relief is provided for them.

The order and conditions for the admission of foreigners as students in Bulgarian higher education institutions are regulated in the Ordinance on the State Requirements for Admission of Students to the Higher Education Institutions of the Republic of Bulgaria (adopted by PMS No. 79 of 2000, amended and supplemented, No. 47/ 06/05/2018). Candidate-students for training to acquire a bachelor’s or master’s degree after completing secondary education and a master’s degree after completing a bachelor’s degree must submit their documents to the higher education institution of their choice within the time limit specified in the regulations of the higher school. Foreigners submit the following documents:

1. Form or application with brief biographical data, as well as the desired higher schools and majors;
2. A copy of the document for completed secondary education and the appendix with grades (when it is a Bulgarian diploma) or a corresponding certificate for the recognition of secondary education acquired in a school in a foreign country – for applicants for a full term of study;
3. A copy of the document for completed higher education with a degree corresponding to the “bachelor’s” or “master’s” educational-qualification degree – for candidates for master’s degree studies;
4. A document issued by a competent state authority certifying the applicant’s right to continue his studies in the higher education institutions of the country in which the secondary education was obtained;
5. Academic reference – for students applying for part-time studies;
6. Document for proficiency in the Bulgarian language, issued by a higher school in the Republic of Bulgaria – for candidates who will not undergo language and specialized training;
7. Two photos.

The documents under items 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 must be certified, translated and legalized in accordance with the provisions of international agreements between the Republic of Bulgaria and the country in which they were issued, and in the absence of such – according to the general procedure for certification , translations and legalizations.

Recognition of the conformity of completed periods or stages and degrees of school education in schools of a foreign country with those in school education in the Republic of Bulgaria, for the purpose of access to education in the higher education system, is carried out in accordance with the provisions of Art. 165, para 1 and para. 3, item 3 of the Preschool and School Education Act and of Art. 106 para. 1 and Art. 107, para. 1 of Ordinance No. 11 of 01.09.2016 for evaluating the results of students’ training.

The decision to approve the candidates is taken by the higher education institution, which sends their documents to the Ministry of Education and Science, with a view to implementing the procedure for issuing long-term residence visas – visa type “D”, in accordance with the requirements of the Ordinance on the conditions and the procedure for issuing visas and determining the visa regime. Admission is based on documents and is in accordance with the normative provision of Art. 15, para. 2 of the cited regulation, regulating the minimum average success in subjects from the person’s completed secondary education document, which are profiling for the specialty for which he is applying.

The deadline for the submission of documents to the Ministry of Education and Science for candidates to study in the educational qualification degrees “Bachelor”, “Master” and “Professional Bachelor” after completing secondary education is October 1 for the first semester and no later than February 1 for the second semester in the year of application.

When the documents meet the requirements, the Ministry of Education and Science issues a Certificate of Acceptance of the candidate students for study in the Republic of Bulgaria and notifies in writing the “Consular Relations” Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the “Migration” Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of this.

Ukrainian students who are studying in Ukrainian higher education institutions and want to transfer to Bulgarian higher education institutions

A draft act of the Council of Ministers has been prepared, which will regulate the transfer of Ukrainian students studying in Ukrainian higher education institutions to Bulgarian higher education institutions, and it will be possible to cover the persons who cannot present documents certifying the training carried out so far in Ukraine (except for regulated specialties). 2 options for solving the problem will be foreseen – the Bulgarian higher education institution should contact the Ukrainian one in order to obtain information about the results of the candidate’s studies, and when it fails to proceed to the formation of a committee within the higher education institution, which will carry out interview with the candidates and, upon consideration, accept them for training, but on the condition that at the time of graduation, the persons should present all the required documents, according to the Ordinance on the state requirements for the recognition of acquired higher education and of completed periods of study in foreign higher schools . If the persons are unable to provide the documents required by the Ordinance, it is possible to issue an academic certificate for their studies at the Bulgarian higher education institution, which they can provide to the higher education institution in Ukraine in order to continue their studies at the Ukrainian higher education institution and graduate there.