Bulgaria is one of the cheapest places to study in the EU. It has a high standard of education, especially in medicine, engineering, and computer science. Bulgaria has made its visa and scholarship processes easier for the 2026/2027 school year in order to bring in more international talent from outside the EU.
1. The Bulgarian Government Grant
The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) gives out a competitive scholarship just for international students who are not from the EU. This is the most important “Full-Ride” chance in the whole country.
- The Award: This scholarship pays for all of your tuition, gives you a monthly stipend for living expenses, and requires you to have health insurance.
- Eligibility: Students who are applying to full-time bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD programs can do so. Applicants must show that they have done well in school (usually with a GPA of 4.0/5.0 or higher).
- Language Preparatory Year: Like many programs in Eastern Europe, if you choose to take a course in Bulgarian, the scholarship will pay for a full, nine-month language preparation course.
- Deadline: 2026. Most of the time, applications are sent to the Bulgarian Embassy in your home country. The deadline for the October 2026 intake is usually between May and July 2026.
2. Scholarships for American University in Bulgaria (AUBG)
AUBG, a unique private school in Blagoevgrad, employs the American liberal arts model. It gives out a lot of money in financial aid, more than $5.3 million a year.
- The Awards:
- Merit-based scholarships can pay for up to 40% of tuition for students who do well in school.
- Full Scholarships: Given to outstanding students based on their leadership and academic performance.
- • Donor-Funded Scholarships: Private foundations and organisations give out a variety of need-based and merit-based awards.
- • Deadlines for 2026:
- Early Action: December 2025 (for students starting in 2026).
- The regular decision is due on March 1, 2026.
- Late Application: For some scholarships, the last day to apply is October 1, 2026, for the spring semester of the following year.
- • Requirement: Because English is the language of instruction, you must show that you can speak it well (TOEFL or IELTS) or take the university’s own English test.
3. Scholarships for medical students at specialised universities
Bulgaria is a popular place for medical students from all over the world to study. Thousands of international students study at universities in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna.
- University Merit Grants: Most medical schools, like Medical University – Varna, give students who are in the top 10% of their class after the first year a discount on their tuition (between €1,000 and €3,000).
- Erasmus+ in Bulgaria: If you are already a student at a partner university (many of which are in Africa and Asia), you can go to Bulgaria for 6–12 months and get a monthly stipend of about €450–€600 and free tuition.
4. Estimated costs of living and studying in 2026
Bulgaria is effortless for students who pay for their own education to get to, even without a scholarship.
- Costs of Tuition:
- €2,500 to €4,000 a year for business, economics, and humanities.
- €3,000 to €4,500 a year for engineering and IT.
- • €7,000 to €8,000 a year for medicine and dentistry (one of the lowest in the EU).
- Cost of Living: Bulgaria has a very high quality of life for a low cost. A student should plan to spend between €500 and €700 a month in 2026/2027.
- • Cost of housing: €150 to €250 (subsidised dorms can cost as little as €60).
- Food and utilities cost between €250 and €350.
- Transportation: Students receive a big discount; a monthly pass for all public transportation in Sofia costs about €10.
5. Tips for 2026 Applicants on How to Be Strategic
- Legalising documents: Bulgaria is very strict about making sure documents are real. You need to get your high school diploma and transcripts translated into Bulgarian and notarised or legalised. This usually means getting an Apostille. This process can take four to eight weeks, so start it as soon as you get your results.
- NIN and Identity: The Bulgarian Ministry of Interior now needs to check your National Identity Number (NIN) or something similar against your university acceptance letter for the 2026 visa process (Type D). Make sure that all of the names on your passport are spelt exactly the same way.
- Visa Proof of Funds: To get a student visa in 2026, you need to show that you have enough money in a bank account to cover at least one year of living expenses (about €6,000), unless you have a full government scholarship.
- Part-Time Work: In 2026, international students in Bulgaria will be able to work up to 20 hours a week during the semester and full-time during the holidays.
