Study in Bulgaria
More students are branching forth to new frontiers and moving to study in countries that were previously ignored. These countries have increasingly grown in terms of their education standards and their international student ratio. They also offer internationally accepted programs in English with credible recognition from the international community. One such country is Bulgaria.
Every year more than 1,500 students from all around the world come to Bulgaria to study and this is without counting Erasmus or exchange students.
Students from all over the world choose Bulgaria because the degrees acquired are recognized anywhere in the world. Bulgarian universities are subsequently aiming to stay ahead of the new times.
More and more programs are now being offered completely in English, while some universities have French programs and programs in German. The country is a convenient study destination for foreign students, in that the country is in Europe and the degree will be recognized in Europe and internationally. The cost of living in Bulgaria is also significantly lower than in many other European countries.
Foreign students also benefit from the international acclaim that comes with studying in a different country with standards that can be upheld anywhere in the world.
The Bulgarian system of education follows the widespread European Bologna Process, where bachelor programs are done within 3 years, masters program are completed within 1 to 2 years and doctorate programs have a 4-year duration.
Furthermore, tuition fees in Bulgaria are proportionally lower when compared with any other university in Europe. Once a student is accepted into any Bulgarian university, they are required to apply for a visa; this is dependent on their country of origin as some countries do not require a visa to come to Bulgaria (Please visit the Student Visa Requirement page on RocApply). A one-year student permit is issued when the student is already present in the country.
Choose to study in Bulgaria and unravel the many exciting possibilities that the country offers. RocApply is an excellent platform to connect you with all the right resources and information, we will also help with the admission and visa guidance as the process ensues. We advise our prospective students to please begin the process as early as possible as many universities have deadlines and acceptance periods.
About Bulgaria
Located in the eastern part of the Balkan peninsula, Bulgaria is bordered by Turkey, Serbia, Greece, and Romania. The country also shares the black sea with neighbors like Turkey, Russia, Romania, and Ukraine. From a rich cultural background, beautiful landscapes to modern cities and contemporary destinations, Bulgaria has it all.
Bulgaria is Europe’s closest country to Turkey and is considered a cross-path between Europe and Asia. The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia, which is located in the west and was founded approximately 7,000 years ago.
Sofia is considered one of the oldest cities in Europe. Bulgaria is also divided into 28 provinces. In addition to having a very broad mountainous cover to the east of its geography, Bulgaria also has the black sea which has played a heavily influential role in the development of the nation.
The Bulgarian coast is a very humid sub-tropical with an abundance of pristine golden beaches. Bulgaria has been dependent on the Black Sea over centuries for trade and business. Equally the country has capitalized on it for tourism purposes. Bulgarians may be Slacciv but they certainly do things in their own way.
The country also has a population of about 7 million people most of whom identify as ethnically Bulgarian at nearly 85%, 9% of them being Turkish, 5% of them with Roma or Romani descent and the remainder coming from other nationalities.
Bulgaria in recent times became a member of the Council of Europe, NATO and the European Union. They have also sat at the UN Security Council for three consecutive times.
Bulgaria’s perspectives are looking favorable now than they have ever been. The country is looking forward to becoming a part of the Eurozone and the Schengen Area as soon as possible.
The official language in Bulgaria is Bulgarian and it is spoken by the majority of the populace, other languages spoken in the region are Turkish, Macedonian, and Romani.
The Bulgarian system of government follows a unified parliament system of democracy in which there are a prime minister and three arms of the government. Although the country is an economic member of the European Union, they adopt their own currency, the Bulgarian Lev (BGN) for monetary exchange as opposed to the widespread European Euro.
About Bulgaria Economy
Bulgaria’s economic situation against their population has made the country one of the perfect places for an inexpensive standard of living, real estate and business, tourism, and adventure.
resently Bulgaria has an economic GDP of $170,655 billion and a per capita income of $24,485 as of a 2019 estimate. Since joining the EU, Bulgaria has experienced an economic boom that has witnessed the opening of more private establishments and businesses in the country. About 70% of Bulgaria’s GDP is from the private sector.
Bulgaria’s economy is divided into agriculture at 5.1%, industry at 27.5% and the service sector at 67.4%. Industry, Bulgaria’s largest economic sector has greatly modernized from its outdated communist-era infrastructure and is now a lot more productive and effective.
Industries such as textiles and tobacco processing are still important industrial sectors. Heavy industries that dominate the industrial sector include machinery, chemicals, electronics, medical equipment, steel, and transport equipment. These products make some of the main industrial products manufactured by local companies.
Other industries such as oil refining and armaments are dominated by foreign companies, particularly Russian-owned ones. Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Blagoevgrad are the main industrial cities in the country.
Bulgaria’s agricultural sector is now most privatized and benefits from fertile lands and a good climate. Major economic agricultural products are food crops like corn, wheat, barley, fruits such as apple, grapes and raspberry and vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers which are the main export crops.
Bulgaria also grows tobacco, wine grapes and is the world’s largest producer of roses and lavender. Roses are not only cultural flowers but they also have economic significance as the highest amount of roses are exported worldwide from Bulgaria.
Rose oil derived from the roses are very useful in perfumery. Dairy farming is another agricultural staple in Bulgaria with sheep and cows raised solely for dairy products. Fish farming is also an increasing sector thanks to the presence of the Black Sea along the country’s coastline.
The tourism sector in Bulgaria has rapidly expanded since the fall of the communist government. The country now attracts many tourists from all over the world, due to its cheap prices, natural sites, and golden beaches.
About 10 million visitors come into Bulgaria annually and over $4 billion in revenue. Other economic sectors include banking, mining, and forestry.
Bulgaria’s exports are estimated at about $26.1 billion, the main export goods are clothing, machinery, steel, armaments, tobacco, wine, transport equipment, chemicals, and flowers. The main export partner countries are Italy, Romania, Germany, Greece, and Turkey.
Likewise, Bulgaria’s imports are estimated at about $28.5 billion, the main import goods are metals, machinery, chemicals, fuels, and minerals. The country’s main import partners are Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, and Turkey.
Why Study in Bulgaria
High Education Standard
Bulgaria is an excellent study abroad choice in Europe, the country has all the markings and quality that the continent offers. To study in Bulgaria is to have access to a developed society and top-notch education that studying in Europe readily provides.
The high standard in the academics and quality of life that comes with any European education is easily attained in Bulgaria as well. Also, the chance to connect to other countries in Europe and even further presents the student with limitless possibilities.
Excellent Universities
Excellent Universities with many opportunities: Universities in Bulgaria continue to rank high on the world university index. Many of the universities in the country have branch-focus in scientific fields like engineering, mathematics, computer sciences, chemistry, physics, language, etc.
Additionally, many of the higher institutions in Bulgaria offer programs in English, French, German or Russian and they even offer double majors in different languages and degrees from their international partner-universities. It is also highly common to also have other international degrees from universities in Bulgaria.
International Exposure
Tuition in Bulgaria is one of the lowest in Europe and even more so for the very good standard that is offered. The cost of living in Bulgaria is also very favorable for many international students, Bulgaria is one of the cheapest countries to live on the continent.
Many things like accommodation and transportation are extremely favorable to students. Feeding costs and other amenities are also very fairly priced.
The country has excellent levels of education at bachelors to doctorate spheres, but interestingly the entry process and preconditions are less difficult.
Foreign students do not pass through tedious processes to secure admission into Bulgarian institutions, as long as they meet the basic conditions they will be accepted to study in whichever filed they so desire
Safety and Friendliness
Bulgaria is a very safe country with welcoming citizens. The country is very inclusive and non-discriminatory towards foreigners. Students benefit from the interesting culture and the rich traditional atmosphere of the country.
Bulgaria is one of the safest places to be in the world with an extremely low crime rate and a society that is generally open-handed and helpful to visitors.
Students come from all over Europe, Asia, North America, The Middle East, and Africa to study in many Bulgarian higher institutions. These students all come with their own diversity and backgrounds and have the opportunity to interact with other cultures and people.
Many campuses in Bulgaria have a very international mix of students and have a very international perspective.
Scholarships in Bulgaria
After being accepted into a recognized Bulgarian university, the students must plan for their trip to Bulgaria and one of such very crucial steps is to acquire the necessary visa if at all the need one.
A visa permits an individual entrance into a foreign country. This visa type is called a ‘D Visa’ and it allows students to stay in Bulgaria for up to six months.
Students from countries in the EU/EEA and Switzerland do not need a visa to come into Bulgaria for up to 90 days. If they plan to stay for longer (study periods longer than 90 days) then they must go to the immigration office after they arrive and get a temporary residence card that is valid for a five-year period.
Bulgaria Student Visa