Bulgaria does not offer tuition-free degrees to a typical international applicant: a citizen of Russia, Belarus or any other non-EU country pays foreign-student rates at a public university, from $3,750 (€3,300) a year in 2026/27. Most Bulgarians on state-funded places also pay an annual fee, although a small one: at Sofia University in 2026/27 it ranges from $310 (€270) to $550 (€480), and mathematics, physics, chemistry and some philologies charge nothing. Four groups can realistically study on better terms: people of Bulgarian ethnic origin under Council of Ministers Decree No. 103, Bulgarian and other EU citizens, dual citizens whose second nationality is Bulgarian, and citizens of North Macedonia under Decree No. 228.
Below: who gets what, which documents prove Bulgarian ethnicity, how the Ministry of Education's separate campaign runs, and why applicants from Kazakhstan and Russia face different terms under the same quota. If none of this applies to you, the actual prices are laid out in our Bulgaria cost breakdown.
What Bulgarians pay: "free" really means a low fee
Bulgarian and EU citizens compete for state-funded places, and in most programmes they still pay an annual fee. At Sofia University in 2026/27:
| Field | State-funded: Bulgarian and EU citizens | Fee-paying non-EU students |
|---|---|---|
| Economics, management, history, psychology, most social sciences | $350 (€310) | $3,750 (€3,300) |
| Education (pedagogy) | $310 (€270) | $3,750 (€3,300) |
| Law | $470 (€410) | $3,750 (€3,300) |
| Mathematics, physics, chemistry, some philologies | no fee | $3,750–5,960 (€3,300–5,250) |
| Medicine | $550 (€480) | $9,080 (€8,000) |
| Pharmacy | $550 (€480) | $6,810 (€6,000) |
The law exempts some categories on state-funded places from fees altogether, such as full orphans, people with a disability rated at 70% or more, and young people who were under state protection when they came of age. The gap with foreign-student fees is 10 to 17 times, so the real question is not "free or not" but whether you can study at the Bulgarian rate.
Who can study on better terms
| Group | What it gives | Who decides | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| People of Bulgarian ethnic origin living abroad (Decree No. 103) | state-funded places; right to a scholarship and subsidised hostels; waiver of application and tuition fees only for residents of seven countries | a commission and the Ministry of Education, through a separate campaign | you need a document proving Bulgarian ethnicity; places per programme are set every year |
| Bulgarian citizens, including dual nationals, who finished school in Bulgaria | compete for state-funded places like any Bulgarian | the university | you need a Bulgarian passport and a Bulgarian or recognised school certificate |
| Dual nationals with Bulgarian citizenship admitted under Council of Ministers conditions | half the foreign-student fee, but no less than the Bulgarian rate | the university | rules vary: since 2023/24 MU-Sofia admits them only to Bulgarian-taught study |
| Citizens of other EU countries | same terms as Bulgarians | the university | you need an EU passport |
| Citizens of North Macedonia (Decree No. 228) | a separate quota of state-funded places | the Ministry of Education | only for North Macedonian citizens |
Financial aid at private universities is a separate matter. The American University in Bulgaria lists $15,670 (€13,800) for 2026/27 "before financial aid" and decides aid individually. That is a discount on expensive tuition, not a free place.
Decree No. 103: what it is and who it suits
Decree No. 103 of 31 May 1993 governs Bulgaria's educational work among Bulgarians abroad. Each year the education minister proposes to the government up to 2,000 places on full-time degree programmes at public universities, on top of normal admission and within each university's capacity. The places are split by university, field and programme, and interested parties can send proposals to the ministry by 10 February.
What a student admitted under Decree No. 103 receives:
- state-funded study: the state, not the student, funds the place;
- no application or tuition fees, but only for citizens permanently or habitually resident in Albania, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia or Ukraine;
- the right to a scholarship and to state-subsidised hostels and canteens;
- Bulgarian language training in the first year, run by the university alongside the programme;
- progression: a bachelor's or master's graduate under this quota may continue to the next degree level.
For citizens of Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan and other countries outside that list, the decree provides no fee waiver. Their place is still state-funded, so what applies is the state-funded rate rather than the foreign-student fee; check the exact amount for your programme in the university's fee order.
Up to 30 places a year are reserved separately for winners of national Bulgarian language and literature olympiads, top graduates of certain schools in Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia, Romania and Kazakhstan, and the best graduates of Taraclia State University. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, sport and the arts are not offered on these places.
How to prove Bulgarian ethnicity
The decree accepts at least one of the following:
- a birth or baptism certificate or another civil status record;
- a passport or other official identity document;
- a document issued by an organisation of the Bulgarian community abroad.
Without such papers, the decree allows an exception for someone who speaks Bulgarian, identifies as Bulgarian and meets at least one condition: coming from a place that was once part of the Bulgarian state or the Bulgarian Exarchate, having ancestors who used the traditional Bulgarian naming system, or belonging to a Bulgarian community or minority in another country.
Do not confuse two different documents. Admission under Decree No. 103 depends on Bulgarian ethnicity as shown above. A certificate of Bulgarian origin is issued by the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad for immigration procedures, for example to obtain a student residence permit without a D visa. The agency decides within 14 days and requires proof that at least one ancestor was Bulgarian.
How the Decree No. 103 campaign works
The Ministry of Education approves the rules and schedule every year and publishes them in its section for Bulgarians abroad. According to ministry materials from previous campaigns, the process is:
- Registration on the ministry platform. You upload your identity document, birth certificate, proof of Bulgarian ethnicity, school certificate with transcript and translation, and the document confirming your right to higher education.
- Choice of programmes. You list several preferences; each preference is one programme at one university.
- Online tests. A general test in Bulgarian language, literature and history; applicants to medicine, dentistry and pharmacy also take a biology and chemistry test.
- Ranking. Only applicants scoring at least 3.00 on the Bulgarian scale are ranked. You confirm your place on the platform, and a withdrawal must be declared within three calendar days; places given up go into the next ranking round.
- Enrolment at the university, with original documents and a medical certificate. At MU-Sofia, students admitted under Decrees 103 and 228 for 2026/27 enrolled from 2 to 11 September 2026, and classes began on 14 September.
Free preparation exists. In 2026, for example, candidates from Serbia could join online courses in Bulgarian language, literature and history from 2 March, taught by the Institute for Bulgarian Language of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, with sign-up through Bulgarian cultural centres and societies.
Master's admission under the decree works differently: according to ministry materials, candidates are ranked by their bachelor's grade average, and graduates of the same or a related field are preferred.
Medicine on the subsidised quota
Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy are included in the Decree No. 103 allocation, but the number of places is set each year and candidates take the extra biology and chemistry test. They are not offered on the 30 places for olympiad winners and top graduates. Without Bulgarian ethnicity, the realistic route into medicine is fee-paying, at $9,080–11,360 (€8,000–10,000) a year in 2026/27; see our guide to medicine in Bulgaria.
Scholarships and grants: what an international student can expect
- Scholarships for Decree No. 103 students are provided for in the decree itself; conditions and amounts follow ministry and university rules.
- AUBG financial aid is an individual discount from a private university, not free tuition.
- Erasmus+ exchange gives a semester or year in Bulgaria to students enrolled at a partner university, not a full free degree.
Other scholarships and their eligibility by nationality are collected in our overview of scholarships abroad.
Common mistakes
- Believing adverts for "free education in Bulgaria for everyone". For a typical international student in 2026/27, a public university costs from $3,750 (€3,300) a year.
- Confusing Bulgarian ethnicity with Bulgarian origin. Admission and the residence permit need different documents from different authorities.
- Assuming Decree No. 103 waives fees for everyone. Only residents of the seven listed countries pay nothing.
- Collecting ethnicity documents at the last minute. Archive records, apostilles and translations take months.
- Missing the confirmation deadline. After each ranking you confirm on the platform, and withdrawals must be declared within three calendar days.
FAQ
Only a person of Bulgarian ethnic origin admitted under Decree No. 103, and even then the decree gives Russian citizens no fee waiver: the state funds the place, but the student pays the annual fee. Everyone else pays foreign-student rates from $3,750 (€3,300) a year.
Decree No. 103 students who are citizens permanently resident in Albania, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia or Ukraine, plus certain categories on state-funded places, such as full orphans and people with a disability rated at 70% or more. Some state-funded programmes also carry no fee at all: at Sofia University in 2026/27 these include mathematics, physics and chemistry.
Yes. The general online test covers Bulgarian language, literature and history, and universities provide language training in the first year. Bulgarian cultural centres abroad sometimes run free online preparation courses for candidates.
A birth or baptism certificate, a passport or other official document recording ethnicity, or a document from a Bulgarian community organisation abroad. Without these, the decree allows exceptions for Bulgarian speakers with ties to a Bulgarian community.
A Bulgarian citizen who finished school in Bulgaria competes like any Bulgarian for state-funded places with their low fees. Dual nationals admitted under Council of Ministers conditions pay half the foreign-student fee, but no less than the Bulgarian rate.
State benefits are tied to Bulgarian ethnicity or citizenship. Private AUBG awards financial aid individually, and exchange programmes such as Erasmus+ cover a semester or a year rather than a full degree.
Sources
- Decree No. 103 of 31 May 1993 on educational work among Bulgarians abroad, consolidated text on the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad website (PDF) and 2025 draft amendment on the Taraclia branch; checked 29 Sept 2026
- Ministry of Education and Science: study in Bulgaria for Bulgarians abroad and ministry presentation on the Decree No. 103 campaign (PDF); checked 29 Sept 2026
- Sofia University: annual fees 2026/27, orders RD-19-276 (state-funded places, exemptions) and RD-19-297 (non-EU students, dual citizenship); checked 29 Sept 2026
- MU-Sofia: enrolment under Decrees 103 and 228 for 2026/27 and dual-citizenship rules; checked 29 Sept 2026
- Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad: certificate of Bulgarian origin; checked 29 Sept 2026
- Bulgarian embassy in Serbia: free online courses for Decree No. 103 candidates, 2026; checked 29 Sept 2026
- AUBG: cost of attendance 2026/27 (PDF); checked 29 Sept 2026
- ECB rate of 29.09.2026: €1 = $1.1355. Rounding step: $1 below $100, otherwise $10.
Checking whether a lower-fee route fits you, shortlisting universities and preparing documents are provided under an agreement with StudyU. The Ministry of Education and Science decides on Decree No. 103 admission, and Bulgaria's competent authorities decide on ethnicity or origin documents.
Next steps
- Medicine in Bulgaria: Medical Universities, English-Taught Programmes, Fees and Exams
- Cost of Studying in Bulgaria: Tuition, Living Costs and a First-Year Budget
- Scholarships abroad 2026: where international students study for free
- Applying to Bulgarian Universities: Documents, Recognition, Exams and Deadlines
- Bulgaria Student Visa: D Visa, Documents, Timing and Residence Permit
- Universities in Bulgaria for International Students: Which to Choose, Language and Fees
