Why Indian students look at Bulgaria
- Price. Medicine in English costs ₹8.5 lakh (€8,000) to ₹11 lakh (€10,000) a year, less than in Poland or Hungary.
- An EU degree. Bulgaria is an EU member, fully in Schengen since 1 January 2025, and uses the euro since 1 January 2026.
- Admission by exam, not by marks alone. A student with a modest Class 12 score but good biology and chemistry can get in.
- Several dates. Universities hold exam sittings across the year, and Pleven starts its English Medicine in February.
Which Bulgarian medical university fits your NEET score and budget?
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The six universities
| University | City | Duration | Tuition, first year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sofia University | Sofia | 6 years | ₹8.5 lakh €8,000 | 2026/27 |
| MU Pleven | Pleven | 6 years | ₹9.6 lakh €9,000 | Same fee every year; February intake |
| Trakia University | Stara Zagora | 6 years | ₹9.6 lakh €9,000 | €9,000 in year 1, €7,500 in 2–5, €7,000 in 6 (2025/26 entrants) |
| MU Sofia | Sofia | 6 years | ₹11 lakh €9,950 | 2026/27; exam in English, biology and chemistry |
| MU Plovdiv | Plovdiv | 6 years | ₹11 lakh €10,000 | €10,000 in year 1, €9,200 in 2–3, €8,200 in 4–6 (2025/26 list) |
| MU Varna | Varna | 6 years | ₹11 lakh €10,000 | 2026/27; later-year fees not published |
Fees are first-year tuition at €1 = ₹106.27 (European Central Bank reference rate (EUR/INR 106.272); Bulgaria uses the euro since 1 January 2026, 23 October 2026). Some universities charge less in later years. Full year-by-year figures are on MBBS fees in Bulgaria.
What to know before you choose
FMGE results are mixed. Of 73 Bulgarian graduates who took the FMGE in 2025, 21 passed (29%), a little above the 22% average for all foreign graduates that year. Between 2015 and 2018 the results were much worse: Plovdiv 2 passes out of 32, Pleven 3 out of 55. Recent numbers are better but small. Read FMGE results by university.
Bulgarian matters. From the third year you work with patients who speak Bulgarian. Students who ignore the language struggle in clinical years. See Bulgarian language.
Middlemen are common. Pay tuition only to the university's own bank account, and confirm your admission directly with the university's international office. See how to pay the university.
Which Bulgarian medical university fits your NEET score and budget?
We reply by phone or WhatsApp on the next working day. Counselling is free.
How admission works
Entrance exam
Register with the university and sit its online test in biology and chemistry (and English, if you have no certificate). Several universities hold sittings from spring to autumn.
University admission
Send your documents: Class 12 certificate and transcript with apostille and Bulgarian translation, passport, medical certificate. The university ranks candidates and confirms your place.
MES certificate
The university sends your file to the Ministry of Education and Science, which issues the certificate that admits you. Usually four to six weeks.
D visa
Apply at a VFS Global centre in India with the MES certificate, then attend an interview at the Embassy of Bulgaria in New Delhi. Plan about two months.
Travel and residence permit
Arrive before classes, enrol, and apply for a one-year residence permit for study at the migration office in your city. Renew it each year.
Details on MBBS admission, entrance exams and the D visa.
Dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine
Dental medicine is taught in English at Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna; pharmacy at four universities; veterinary medicine at Trakia University and the University of Forestry in Sofia. See dentistry and veterinary medicine.