Foreign citizens can apply and study at the South-West University "Neofit Rilski":
1. in implementation of intergovernmental agreements on educational, scientific and cultural exchange;
2. according to acts of the Council of Ministers;
3. under the conditions of art. 95, para. 8 and 9 of the Higher Education Act (HE).
Foreign citizens can apply for tuition under the conditions and according to the procedure for admission of Bulgarian citizens to the higher education institutions of the Republic of Bulgaria, if they:
- have the status of permanent residents on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria;
- have refugee status;
- are of Bulgarian nationality, certified in accordance with Decree No. 103 of the Council of Ministers of 1993 on educational activities among Bulgarians abroad and Decree No. 228 of the Council of Ministers of 1997.
Foreign citizens who apply under the terms of intergovernmental agreements and according to acts of the Council of Ministers submit their documents to the Ministry of Education and Science and are accepted under the terms and conditions defined in the relevant agreement and act of the Council of Ministers.
For more detailed information see: www.minedu.government.bg
Candidates who are citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area are accepted as students in their desired specialties under the conditions set for Bulgarian citizens with a competitive exam and participation in ranking.
Admission of persons with dual citizenship (one of which is Bulgarian), can be carried out according to the regulations and conditions for Bulgarian candidate students, or according to the regulations for foreign citizens.
Persons with dual citizenship, one of which is Bulgarian, pay half of the fees set for foreigners when they are admitted under the conditions and order set for foreign citizens.
Foreign citizens who do not speak Bulgarian are trained in a preparatory course in language and specialized training in the Bulgarian language during their first year. The training in the preparatory language course and specialized training in Bulgarian for the foreign students approved to study at the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" is conducted by the university. The training in the Bulgarian language ends with an exam /written and oral/, which is sat in front of a committee. Those who have successfully completed the language and specialized training course are issued a Certificate /according to a model registered in the Ministry of Education and Culture/ necessary for the enrollment of foreign students in the first year of studies.
The fee for a language course and specialized course in Bulgarian is €3,000.
Foreign citizens admitted at the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" can continue their studies in the first year in the Bachelor educational qualification degree after successfully passing their exams in the preparatory course in language and specialized training in the Bulgarian language and the specialized disciplines.
Tuition fees for foreign students are determined annually by a decree of the Council of Ministers.
Admission of Bulgarian nationals and citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia (https://higher-edu.mon.bg/ap/home)
Application requirements for citizens of countries outside the European Union and the European Economic Area
Foreign citizens, who apply under the conditions of Art. 95, para. 8 and 10 from the Higher Education Act (HE), submit their documents to the South-West University "Neofit Rilski", Rectorate, floor 1, room 102, Department of Foreign Students by September 10 of the year of application.
Applicants for Master's degree education shall submit documents as follows:
- Start of studies – winter semester of the relevant academic year – September 10 in the year of application.
- Start of studies – summer semester of the relevant academic year – February 1 in the year of application.
Necessary documents:
1. Application Form;
2. A copy of the secondary education diploma (or document replacing the diploma) and diploma supplement.
2.1. The minimum average grade of the academic subjects of the document of completed secondary education used to determine the grade for the specialty the person is applying for cannot be lower than 62 % of the maximum value according to the assessment system in the country where secondary education was obtained.
3. A document issued by a competent authority certifying the applicant's right to continue their studies in the higher education institutions of the country in which the secondary education was obtained.
4. Academic reference – for students applying for part-time studies.
4.1. Copy of the document for completed higher education with educational qualification degree “Bachelor” or “Master” – for candidates in Master's degree studies.
4.2. Document of recognized higher education acquired at a foreign university.
5. Five portrait pictures of the candidate.
6. Copy of foreign passport or other official identity document.
7. Candidates with dual citizenship, one of which is Bulgarian, certify that with a copy of a Bulgarian ID card.
8. Document proving the level of fluency of the Bulgarian language at level B2 according to the Common European Language Framework, issued by a higher school in the Republic of Bulgaria – for candidates who will study using the Bulgarian language and will not undergo language and specialized training.
9. Documents under items 2, 3 and 4 must be legalized, translated into Bulgarian and attested in accordance with the provisions of the international treaties of the Republic of Bulgaria with the country in which they were issued, and in the absence of such – according to the general procedure for the legalizations, translations and certifications of documents and other papers.
10. Foreign citizens who do not speak Bulgarian are trained in a preparatory language course in the first year of studies, and they also undergo specialized training in the Bulgarian language at the South-West University "Neofit Rilski". The fee for a language course and specialized course in Bulgarian is €3,000.
11. Foreign citizens admitted to the University can continue their studies in the first year of the specialty in which they are accepted, after successfully completing a preparatory course for language and specialized training in Bulgarian language/English at level B2 according to the Common European Language Framework and the specialized disciplines of the curriculum.
12. Tuition fees for foreign students are determined annually by a decision of the Council of Ministers.