Medical University of Sofia (MU-Sofia): Admission for International Students

The Medical University – Sofia (MU-Sofia) traces its history to Sofia University's Faculty of Medicine, established by law in 1917, which gave its first lecture in April 1918. International students study in English or Bulgarian. For 2026/27, a year of Medicine costs $11,300 (€9,950) in either language, Dental Medicine $11,360 (€10,000) in English and $7,440 (€6,550) in Bulgarian, and Pharmacy $9,080 (€8,000). Non-EU applicants take one remote exam in three parts: English (or Bulgarian), biology and chemistry. In the 2026 cycle, documents were accepted from 27 July to 31 August in person or by proxy only, and the exam took place on 9 September. The university then extended admission to 25 September with a further exam on 2 October; English-taught classes begin on 19 October.

Who MU-Sofia suits

MU-Sofia fits applicants who value the capital and a large clinical base and whose English is strong enough to sit an English test alongside biology and chemistry. There is no separate IELTS requirement: the entrance exam itself tests your English.

It is less often the best choice if:

• you cannot travel to Sofia in summer or appoint someone there. Documents sent by post or email are not accepted;
• your medical budget is tight. Medicine at Sofia University costs $9,080 (€8,000) for 2026/27, against $11,300 (€9,950) at MU-Sofia;
• you want exams done in spring. Non-EU applicants sit MU-Sofia's exam in late summer or autumn; MU-Varna runs spring online sessions for them.

Programmes and structure

Medicine runs in three stages. The preclinical stage covers the biological and medical foundations; first-year subjects include anatomy and histology, cytology, biology, physics, chemistry and Latin. Clinical teaching starts in year three, becomes modular after that, and year six consists of rotations through university hospital departments. The final state examination has five parts: internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and hygiene and ecology.

Pharmacy also has three levels. After the sixth semester students choose a general, clinical or industrial profile, and the tenth semester is spent in a public or hospital pharmacy.

English or Bulgarian: where the money differs

Medicine and Pharmacy cost the same in both languages, so the choice comes down to the language you want to practise in and your plans, not price. Dental Medicine is different: Bulgarian saves $3,920 (€3,450) a year. A Bulgarian preparatory year costs $4,200 (€3,700), so at current fees it pays for itself in a little over one year of study, and every year after that the difference stays with you. What the arithmetic leaves out is an extra year of living costs in Sofia and a competitive exam taken in Bulgarian at the end of the course.

Fees for 2026/27

Administrative fees are paid at the rectorate cashier's office. Tuition goes by bank transfer to the university's account at the Bulgarian National Bank, with bank charges paid by the sender. At the current rate, six years of Medicine come to $67,790 (€59,700), although fees are reviewed every year. Our guide to the cost of studying in Bulgaria adds housing and visa costs, and our guide to paying for studies abroad from Russia covers legal payment routes.

Entrance exam and ranking

For citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, the exam for English-taught Medicine, Dental Medicine and Pharmacy has three parts: biology, chemistry and English. In 2026 it was held remotely on 9 September, with results and ranking published on 11 September. Applicants who filed during the extended period were given an additional date, 2 October.

The score is built like this:

• the biology exam mark is multiplied by three;
• the chemistry exam mark is multiplied by three;
• the English mark is added;
• the maximum is 42.

For third-country applicants, the university also states that school-certificate grades in biology and chemistry are taken into account in the ranking. Failing any one part means failing the whole exam, and written papers are not re-marked. The number of places is proposed by the dean and approved by the Academic Council according to faculty capacity.

The Bulgarian-taught route uses the same formula, with biology, chemistry and language all taken in Bulgarian.

Documents

MU-Sofia admits foreign citizens under the Higher Education Act and the Ordinance on State Requirements for Student Admission. The basic condition is completed secondary education that gives access to university in your own country.

The file contains:

1. The registration form in English and Bulgarian (downloadable from the university website), including your personal email.
2. A legalised copy of your school-leaving certificate with a certified Bulgarian translation.
3. The NACID certificate recognising your secondary education, with grades converted to the Bulgarian scale. NACID is Bulgaria's National Centre for Information and Documentation.
4. A document from a competent authority, usually your school, confirming your right to enter all types of higher education in your country, legalised and translated.
5. A copy of your proof of citizenship, meaning your passport rather than a residence card.
6. Two passport photos.
7. A declaration of authenticity in Bulgarian and English, signed by you.

If the translation is made in Bulgaria after legalisation, it must be done by a translator on the Bulgarian foreign ministry's list and then certified by a Bulgarian notary.

Because of the type D visa system, third-country applicants bring every document both on paper and on a USB drive. Each document is scanned as a separate PDF named after its content, for example "Passport Ivan Petrov.pdf", and the photo is saved as a JPG. Scans must be legible.

Submission is in person or through a representative with a power of attorney at the Education Department in the rectorate building. Documents sent by fax, email or post are not considered. A power of attorney issued abroad must be legalised and translated; one issued in Bulgaria is certified by a notary.

Who submits your file: an important note

For the 2026/27 intake, MU-Sofia's rector announced that the university will not sign contracts with private companies or individuals to recruit students. It also states that it has never authorised anyone to represent it. For applicants this means there are no "official agents", and nobody can influence the outcome. Admission depends solely on the exam and ranking, and the documents are handed in by you or your authorised representative. An adviser can help you prepare the file, but cannot replace the competition.

2026 dates and what they imply

Between the ranking on 11 September and the first classes on 19 October there are five weeks. In that window you must enrol at the faculty, receive the ministry's visa document and obtain the type D visa. For full-time students (Article 24v of the Foreigners Act) the embassy in Moscow states a decision within 15 calendar days of submission; the general 35-working-day limit applies to other grounds, but the consulate may still ask for extra documents or an interview. The extra exam on 2 October leaves roughly two weeks before teaching starts, so it is realistic only if your visa or residence question is already settled.

Everything that can be done early, such as apostilles, translations, the NACID certificate and the consulate booking, should be finished by the end of July. Russian citizens apply at the consular section of the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow after booking by email, and the fee for a type D visa for a full degree is $110 (€100), paid in cash in euros on the day of application. The visa stage is covered in detail in our Bulgaria student visa guide.

The Faculty of Public Health runs its own calendar. For Nursing, Kinesitherapy and Clinical Trial Management, 2026 applications ran from 27 July to 11 September, online exams took place on 17–18 September and the ranking came out on 23 September. The admission schedule set enrolment until 9 October, while the Nursing ranking notice gives 16 October. Nursing applicants take an online test and a motivation interview, Kinesitherapy applicants a biology test, and the master's programme uses an oral interview.

Preparatory year

The Department of Language Training and Sports runs a 1,000-hour preparatory course in Bulgarian or English. The first semester covers general language; the second adds specialised language and lectures in biology and chemistry in the course language. The English programme also includes a compulsory Bulgarian course for everyday life.

Within ten days after the summer semester finishes, students sit an in-person combined competitive exam in language, biology and chemistry. Those who pass receive a certificate entitling them to continue at MU-Sofia in the specialty they named when applying. According to the admissions page, third-country applications for the preparatory course stay open until late September, longer than the main window; check the exact date for the current cycle there.

Dual citizenship and transfers

Since 2023/24, dual nationals holding Bulgarian and a non-EU citizenship who pay 50% of the international fee under Article 95(10) of the Higher Education Act are admitted only to Bulgarian-taught programmes. If such an applicant finished school in Bulgaria, they apply on the same terms as Bulgarian citizens.

Transfers from another medical school in Bulgaria or abroad are possible: add a legalised academic transcript showing hours, grades and credits to the standard file. In 2026 these were accepted until 20 August.

After enrolment

Students enter Bulgaria on the type D visa and obtain a residence permit from the Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior. According to the EU Immigration Portal, the permit is issued for up to a year at a time and renewed, your address must be declared within five days of arrival, and you may work up to 20 hours a week without a work permit. Apply for that permit after arrival and, as a rule, no later than 14 days before the visa expires. The university recommends buying insurance at home that covers all medical costs for the whole stay. A single public transport ticket in Sofia costs $1 (€0.80).

MU-Sofia has its own student dormitories; its page for incoming exchange students, for example, links to an application form for a dormitory place. Rates and allocation rules for degree students are not published in English, so ask the university about price and availability before you arrive and keep private rent in your budget as the fallback.

If you are still comparing options, see our guide to medicine in Bulgaria and overview of universities in Bulgaria. For countries with a similar budget, compare medicine in Czechia, Slovakia, Serbia and Hungary.

Common mistakes

• Posting your documents. MU-Sofia will not consider them; you need to be in Sofia or have a representative there.
• Starting paperwork in August. The NACID certificate and apostilles take time; the main 2026 window closed on 31 August, and the extension was only announced on 8 September, so it cannot be part of a plan.
• Underestimating the English part. It counts towards your score, and failing it fails the entire exam.
• Confusing MU-Sofia with Sofia University's medical faculty. They have different fees, exams and dates.
• Trusting intermediaries who claim a special arrangement with the university. MU-Sofia states that it signs no recruitment contracts and has never authorised any representative; the ranking alone allocates places.

How StudyU helps

We compare MU-Sofia's September exam with other universities and intake years against your goal, profile and budget. Checking requirements against your school certificate, planning apostilles, translations, NACID recognition and the visa, preparing the paper file and visa-system scans, and exam preparation support are provided under an agreement with StudyU. You or your representative hand the documents to the university. MU-Sofia decides on admission, the Ministry of Education and Science on the visa document, the Bulgarian consulate on the visa and the Migration Directorate on residence.

More institutions are listed in our Bulgaria catalogue, and the general admission process is explained in our guide to applying to Bulgarian universities.

FAQ

Do I need IELTS for MU-Sofia?

No separate certificate is required. English is the third part of the entrance exam, and that mark counts towards your ranking score.

Can I take the exam from abroad?

In 2026 the non-EU exam was remote. Your documents, however, must reach Sofia before it, handed in by you or a representative.

How many exam attempts do I get?

The main 2026 date for non-EU applicants was 9 September; after the extension, applicants who filed by 25 September could sit an exam on 2 October. The notice does not say whether that date can be used to retake a failed 9 September exam, and written papers are not re-marked.

Can international students study for free at MU-Sofia?

Third-country nationals applying under general rules pay tuition. State-funded places exist for specific categories, such as people of Bulgarian origin, and follow state rules. Our guide to free education in Bulgaria explains who may qualify.

When do English-taught classes start?

On 19 October in 2026/27, later than Sofia University, whose academic year starts on 1 October.

Do preparatory-year students take the same exam as everyone else?

No. They sit a separate in-person exam in language, biology and chemistry within ten days of the end of the course's summer semester.

Is an MU-Sofia degree recognised outside Bulgaria?

Within the EU, Bulgarian qualifications in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy fall under Directive 2005/36/EC, but you still register with the regulator of the country where you want to practise, which may check your language. In Russia and other CIS countries the diploma first goes through national recognition, and permission to practise follows local accreditation rules decided by that country's authority.

How do I pay from Russia?

By euro bank transfer to the university's account at the Bulgarian National Bank, through a bank able to process the payment, with the transfer charges paid by you. Our guide to paying for studies abroad from Russia lists the legal routes.

Sources

• MU-Sofia: admission of international students — documents, 2026/27 dates, score formula, fees, preparatory year
• MU-Sofia: type D visa document requirements (PDF)
• MU-Sofia: Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy
• MU-Sofia: history, useful information for international students, incoming students and dormitory form
• MU-Sofia: admission extended to 25.09.2026, exam on 02.10.2026, non-EU ranking and enrolment dates, Nursing ranking and enrolment
• Bulgarian Embassy in Russia: type D visa
• Bulgarian foreign ministry: type D visa validity and Article 15 grounds (PDF)
• EU Immigration Portal: student in Bulgaria

ECB rate of 29.09.2026: €1 = $1.1355. Rounding step: $1 below $100, otherwise $10. Deadlines and prices come from the 2026/27 admission notices.

If you want to plan your documents around MU-Sofia's September exam, send us a request.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.