School enrolment papers for a child coming from abroad
When you enrol a child who attended school in another country, the first step is often recognition of the foreign school documents. For grades 7 to 12 this is done by the regional education department (Регионално управление на образованието, РУО). Admission to grade 1 follows a separate procedure.
Education · Last reviewed: 2026-10-08
This is not legal or financial advice
What the service covers
According to the eGov.bg page, the service recognises documents issued by schools in foreign countries. Any individual can apply for recognition of a completed period or grade for grades 7 to 12, of basic or secondary education, or of a vocational qualification. Recognition serves access to pre-school and school education, vocational training, higher education, or easier access to the labour market. The page describes no recognition procedure for grades 1 to 6; ask the school and the РУО.
Who applies
- Adults: in person with an identity document.
- Minors: the parents, showing the original birth certificate.
- Other persons (including parents of adults): with a notarised power of attorney expressly authorising them to apply to the РУО for this purpose.
- A lawyer: with an explicit lawyer's power of attorney and a copy of the bar card certified for the relevant year.
Documents needed
Application
A form in the standard template.School document
The school education and/or vocational qualification document: original, or a copy certified by a notary or the issuing school.Rights document
A document stating what rights the school document gives for continuing education, if not stated in the document itself.Subjects and grades
A statement of subjects studied with hours and grades, if not in the document.Translation
A translation into Bulgarian by a sworn translator, notarised, original.Last Bulgarian school
A document for the last completed grade in a Bulgarian school, if any.Fee receipt
Proof of payment of the state fee; the amount is not given on the page, so it is not given here.
Apostille, translation and timing
Per the page, documents from Hague Convention countries need an apostille; others must be certified by the foreign ministry of the issuing country and legalised by a Bulgarian diplomatic or consular mission. The translation is made by a person appointed by a Bulgarian mission or a translator on the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry's list, and the translator's signature is notarised by a Bulgarian notary. The service period is up to 1 month; the result is a certificate or a reasoned refusal.
Grade 1 admission
For grade 1 the РУО page publishes yearly notices; for example in Sofia, applications to municipal schools for 2026/2027 ran through Sofia Municipality's ISODZ system, and applying to more than one school was allowed. The page does not give a fixed document list, so none is given here; check your region's РУО notice and the school.
This page is not legal advice
Frequently asked questions
Do foreign school documents need translating?
Yes. Per the page they need a translation into Bulgarian, and the translator's signature is notarised by a Bulgarian notary.
How long does recognition take?
The service page gives a period of up to 1 month.
Sources
The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.
- eGov.bg — Регионално управление на образованието, унифицирана услуга 916: Признаване на документи, издадени от училища на чужди държави — https://egov.bg/wps/portal/egov/dostavchitsi+na+uslugi/spetsializirani+teritorialni+administratsii/regionalno+upravlenie+na+obrazovanieto/unificirani+uslugi/916 · 2026-10-08
- Регионално управление на образованието София-град — Прием в I клас — https://ruo.mon.bg/sofia-grad/ucheniczi/priem-na-ucheniczi/priem-v-1-klas/ · 2026-10-08
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