APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM NON-EU COUNTRIES

Application conditions

1. Foreign citizens can apply and study at the University as follows:
   - In accordance with intergovernmental agreements for educational, scientific and cultural exchange;
   - In conformity with legal acts by the Council of Ministers;
   - Under article 95 (8) and (10) of the Higher Education Act.
2. Foreign citizens can apply under the conditions and observing the procedure for admission of Bulgarian citizens if:
   - They have a permanent residence status on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria;
   - They are refugees;
   - They are persons from the Bulgarian ethnic group certified according to Decree of the Council of Ministers №103/1993 for the implementation of educational activities among Bulgarians abroad;
   - According to Decree of the Council of Ministers №228/1997 for the admission of citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia as students in public higher education schools of the Republic of Bulgaria.
3. Foreign citizens who apply following intergovernmental agreements and according to acts of the Council of Ministers submit their documents at the Ministry of Education and Science, and they are admitted as per the terms and conditions determined in the respective agreement and act of the Council of Ministers.
4. Foreign citizens who apply under the terms of article 95 (8) and (10) of the Higher Education Act submit their documents at Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Student Affairs Department, to the officer responsible for the admission of international students (room 207, Rectorate). The deadline is September 13 of the year of application.

Required documents

Bachelor’s degree programs

Master’s degree programs

Application procedure

1.  All necessary documents must be submitted at Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Student Affairs Department, to the officer responsible for the admission of international students (room 207, Rectorate) no later than September 13. The application documents may be submitted in person or by an authorized representative. It is recommended to submit the documents earlier taking into account the time that is needed for documents processing.
2. The documents are sent to the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) – Directorate “Higher Education” for the purpose of issuing of certificate (of eligibility) for study. There is a one-month deadline for the issuance of certificate by MES.
3. After receiving the certificate from MES the administrator of international students informs the applicants that they may receive the certificate in person or via an authorized representative which enables them to apply for a type “D” visa.
4. Application documents for a “D” visa must be submitted in an embassy or a consulate (consular office) of the Republic of Bulgaria in the (relevant) applicant’s country of origin. The visa is received in the same place. The deadline for issuing a visa is one month, but please bear in mind that sometimes it may take longer.
        4.1. An application for the issuance of type “D” visa may be submitted only in the diplomatic and consular offices in the country of permanent residence of the candidate or those which have been accredited for the country of residence of the candidate.
5. After receiving the type “D” visa and their arrival to Bulgaria, applicants enroll in the desired program or in the preparatory course for language and specialized training.