Foreign diplomas in Bulgaria: Doctor's Degrees • NACID

Recognition of higher education acquired at foreign higher educational institutions:
“Doctor”, “Doctor of Sciences”

Section 3. WHAT LEGALIZATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS ARE NECESSARY?

Countries

Search the country and define the category (3.1, 3.2 or 3.3)
If the country is missing below - see category 3.4

Filter by name of the country: please, write in latinic

3.1. Albania
3.2. Algeria
3.1. Andorra
3.3. Antigua and Barbuda
3.3. Argentina
3.1. Armenia
3.1. Australia
3.1. Austria
3.1. Azerbaijan
3.3. Bahamas
3.3. Bahrain
3.3. Barbados
3.1. Belarus
3.1. Belgium
3.3. Belize
3.1. Bosnia and Herzegovina
3.3. Botswana
3.3. Brazil
3.3. Brunei
3.3. Burundi
3.3. Cabo Verde / Cape Verde
3.1. Canada
3.3. Chile
3.2. China
3.3. Colombia
3.1. Croatia
3.2. Cuba
3.1. Cyprus
3.1. Czech Republic
3.2. Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
3.1. Denmark
3.3. Dominica
3.3. Dominican Republic
3.3. Ecuador
3.3. El Salvador
3.1. Estonia
3.3. Fiji
3.1. Finland
3.1. France
3.1. Georgia
3.1. Germany
3.1. Greece
3.3. Grenada
3.3. Guatemala
3.3. Guyana
3.3. Honduras
3.1. Hungary
3.1. Iceland
3.3. India
3.1. Ireland
3.1. Israel
3.1. Italy
3.3. Japan
3.1. Kazakhstan
3.3. Kingdom Eswatini
3.3. Kosovo
3.3. Kosta Rica
3.2. Kuwait
3.1. Latvia
3.2. Lebanon
3.3. Lesotho
3.3. Liberia
3.2. Libya
3.1. Liechtenstein
3.1. Lithuania
3.1. Luxembourg
3.3. Malawi
3.1. Malta
3.3. Marocco
3.3. Marshall Islands
3.3. Mauritius
3.3. Mexico
3.3. Monaco
3.2. Mongolia
3.3. Mongolia
3.1. Montenegro
3.3. Namibia
3.1. New Zealand
3.3. Nicaragua
3.3. Niue
3.1. North Macedonia
3.1. Norway
3.3. Oman
3.3. Panama
3.3. Paraguay
3.3. Peru
3.3. Philippines
3.1. Poland
3.1. Portugal
3.1. Republic of Kyrgyzstan
3.1. Republic of Moldova
3.3. Republic of South Africa
3.1. Romania
3.1. Russian Federation
3.3. Saint Kitts and Nevis
3.3. Saint Lucia
3.3. Saint Vincent and Grenadines
3.3. Samoa
3.1. San Marino
3.3. Sao Tome and Principe
3.1. Serbia
3.3. Seychelles
3.1. Slovak Republic
3.1. Slovenia
3.3. South Korea
3.1. Spain
3.3. Suriname
3.3. Swaziland
3.1. Sweden
3.1. Switzerland
3.2. Syrian Arab Republic
3.1. Tajikistan
3.3. The Cook Islands
3.1. The Holy See
3.1. The Netherlands
3.3. The Special Administrative Regions Hong Kong And Macao (China)
3.3. Tonga
3.3. Trinidad and Tobago
3.1. Turkey
3.1. Ukraine
3.1. United Kingdom (Of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
3.3. Uruguay
3.1. USA
3.2. Uzbekista
3.3. Vanuatu
3.3. Venezuela
3.2. Vietnam
3.2. Yemen

3.1. My diploma does not need legalization and certification - it is issued in a country- party to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, or in a member-state of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

The diploma and other documents, related to the recognition procedure, must be accompanied by a translation into Bulgarian by a so-called “sworn translator” (a person who has a contract for translations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pursuant to Article 2a (2) of the Regulations on Legalization, Certification and Translation of Documents and Other Documents, adopted by Decree No 184 of the Council of Ministers of 1958 (promulgated, SG No. 73/1958, amended and supplemented, No 10 of 1964, No 77 of 1976, No 96 of 1982, No 77 of 1983 and No. 103 of 1990, amended and supplemented issue 95 of 2017, in force from 01.03.2018).

If a document certifying change in the applicant's names, under item 4 of the application form, is issued in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by a translation into Bulgarian.

3.2. My diploma is issued in a country outside category 3.1, with which Bulgaria has a bilateral agreement for legal assistance (so-called consular certification).

For the countries with which Bulgaria has signed bilateral legal assistance agreements and in which there are provisions for exempting documents from apostille legalization, the issued documents should bear a stamp of the institution, authorized to do so in the bilateral agreement.

In this case the necessary documents (diploma for scientific degree and other documents related to the recognition) need only translation into Bulgarian and certification of the translation by the Bulgarian.
The translator's signature needs only notarization.

3.3. My diploma is issued in a country outside Categories 3.1 and 3.2, which had ratified the Hague Convention (Apostille).

Information on the apostille authorities in each country can be found at: https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities

The documents (diploma for scientific degree and other documents related to the recognition) should be certified with an Apostille in the country where they were issued. There is no need of any other certifications in the home country.

The certified documents must be accompanied by a legalized translation in Bulgarian.The translator's signature needs only notarization.

3.4. My diploma is issued in a country that is not in any of the above categories (legalization under the general order)

In this case, the documents are certified (legalized) by the general order.

The general order for legalization in different countries may vary depending on the structure of the official authorities at the location.

In general, the sequence of certification is as follows:

The diploma and other documents related to the recognition are certified by the ministry, agency or authority, responsible for higher education and research activities in the country concerned (certification of the signature and official function of the rector of the university/head of the scientific organization who had signed the diploma).
Certification by the Consular Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing State (certification of the signature and official function of the previous certifying authority).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the foreign state should be certified by the Bulgarian diplomatic or consular representation in that State (certification of the signature and official function of the previous certifying authority).
If there is no Bulgarian embassy/consulate in the issuing State, the stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be certified/legalized by the embassy of that country in Bulgaria. The signature and certification of the Embassy Consular Office must be certified by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Certified documents must be accompanied by a legalized translation into Bulgarian. The translator's signature needs only notarization.
In this case the documents are certified (legalized) in the general order.
The general procedure for legalization in different countries may differ depending on the structure of the official bodies of location.

All issues, related to the translation of documents and / or certification of the translation, are within the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria).

Additional information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria:
http://www.mfa.bg/

List of persons, working individually as translators (or to translation companies), included in the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria

In the "Frequently asked questions" section, you can find answers to questions related to our procedure.

Recognition of higher education acquired at foreign higher educational institutions: “Doctor”, “Doctor of Sciences”