High School Diploma

High School Diploma issued outside Bulgaria Bulgarian High School Diploma

Students with high-school diplomas issued outside Bulgaria

If you graduated from a high school outside Bulgaria or received only an international diploma in Bulgaria, you must have your diploma recognized by the Bulgarian authorities before starting your studies.

  • Please collect the following documents:

      1. High school diploma;
      2. High school transcript showing grades and subjects studied;
      3. Document confirming that your diploma allows you to continue education at higher education institutions (issued by the Ministry of Education in your country or by your high school). See sample here.

    Important:

    Documents 1, 2 and 3 must be originals or notarized copies, certified for authenticity and legalized. Simple copies marked “True to the original” are not accepted. The documents must then be translated into Bulgarian either by the Bulgarian Embassy in the issuing country OR by an authorized translation agency in Bulgaria.
    Please double check the requirements with NACID as the procedure is subject to change.

  • Documents issued by a country which has signed the Hague convention must have an “Apostille”. You may find the member countries and the competent authorities providing “Apostille”here.

    Certification for authenticity can be carried away in two ways:

    • 1.1. By an Apostille: the Аpostille must certify the signature of the official who signed the respective documents OR
    • 1.2. By a notary or a lawyer. In this case, the certification must explicitly state either:
      • that the notary/lawyer certifies the signature of the official or
      • that the notary/lawyer has verified the authenticity of the documents.
      The signature of the notary or lawyer must then be certified with an Аpostille.

  • Documents issued by a country which has not signed the Hague convention must be first certified for authenticity, and then verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the Bulgarian Embassy.

    Certification for authenticity:

    • 1.1. By a competent authority which certifies the signature of the official who signed the respective document OR
    • 1.2. By a notary. In this case, the certification must explicitly state either:
      • that the notary certifies the signature of the official or
      • that the notary has verified the authenticity of the documents.

    • Option 2: Online through the NACID electronic portal (requires a qualified electronic signature).
      Option 3: Through an authorized person or agency in Bulgaria, by signing a Power of attorney, both on the English and Bulgarian section of the document. Please see a sample. The PA does not need a notary verification or any legalization.
      Option 4: Through International Students Office at AUBG, by signing a Power of attorney, both on the English and Bulgarian section of the document. Please see a sample.. The PA does not need a notary verification or any legalization.

    NACID fee: 50.56 EUR

    Payment methods:

    • Electronic payment via www.epay.bg;
    • At the NACID Administrative Service Center – cash or POS terminal;
    • Bank transfer to NACID’s bank account:
      UniCredit Bulbank, Battenberg Branch,
      IBAN BG 97UNCR96603119995010 BIC UNCRBGSF

  • Bring or send the following documents to Registrar’s office not later than the first day of Orientation week:

      - Certificate for Recognition of Secondary Education and Official note.
      - Notarized copy of your diploma or graduation certificate.

    Please ensure timely submission to avoid any disruptions to your academic plans. Failure to submit acceptable proof of your high school graduation diploma or certificate by the deadline will result in course registration cancellation and deferral of your enrolment.

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Contact National Center for Information and Documentation (NACID)

NACID 52 A, Dr. G.M. Dimitrov Blvd.
1125 Sofia, Bulgaria
Tel.: (+359 2) 817 38 24

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Contact International Students Office

American University in Bulgaria
ABF Student Center
12 Svoboda Bachvarova Str.
Blagoevgrad 2700, Bulgaria
Tel.: (+359 73) 888 519/ 524

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Students with Bulgarian High School Diplomas

If you graduated from a high school in Bulgaria, the AUBG Registrar’s Office needs to keep on file a copy of your high school diploma or graduation certificate, including the grades and subjects studied. The Registrar’s Office can accept as an official document the original high school diploma or graduation certificate, or a notarized copy of your high school diploma. Photocopies, scans, or unsealed diplomas or graduation certificates are not accepted as they cannot be treated as an official document.

    • Obtain your high school diploma or graduation certificate.
    • Bring the original diploma or graduation certificate to the Registrar’s Office, where it will be verified by AUBG. Your original diploma will be returned to you immediately after the verification.
    • Obtain your high school diploma or graduation certificate.
    • Obtain a notarized copy of your high school diploma or graduation certificate.
    • Send the notarized copy of your diploma or graduation certificate via regular mail to:
      Registrar’s Office
      ABF Student Center
      12 Svoboda Bachvarova Str.
      2700 Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

  • Please submit the required document no later than September 1, 2026.

    Please ensure timely submission to avoid any disruptions to your academic plans. Failure to submit acceptable proof of your high school graduation diploma or certificate by the deadline will result in course registration cancellation and deferral of your enrolment.

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