Visa for Non-EU

Follow strictly the process described below Visa for Non-EU students.

As an international non-EU student admitted to the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG), you are required to obtain a long-term student visa (Type D), issued pursuant to Article 15, Paragraph 1 of the Bulgarian Law on Foreigners.

You need to apply in person at the Bulgarian embassy in your country, or in a neighboring country if your country has no Bulgarian embassy or consulate.

Applications may be submitted not earlier than 3 months before the travelling date and not later than one month before the date. Visa processing is time-consuming. Based on experience, you should allow at least 30 working days for the Bulgarian Embassy to issue the visa.

Arrival requirement: The maximum permitted delay due to visa issues is two weeks after the start of the semester.

Please plan your trip and book a ticket, but do not buy a non-refundable ticket until you receive your visa.

Step one

Please prepare and upload the following documents to the AUBG Student Application Portal for initial review:

A photo in jpg format (600×600 pixels OR 363×545 pixels).
A clear copy of the front page of your international passport, showing your names in Latin, the date, and place of birth. (If you have dual citizenship, provide a copy of each passport). Important: The passport must be valid at least 18 months after the visa application date.
An original Power of Attorney, signed on both English and Bulgarian section of the document. If you are at least 18 years old, please refer to this sample. If you are under 18 years old, the PA should be signed by you and one of your parents/ guardians. Please refer to this sample
A high school diploma.
A high school transcript listing the grades and the subjects studied
A document confirming eligibility for higher education. This document is issued by the Ministry of Education in your country or by your high school. Please see а sample.

IMPORTANT:

Documents 4, 5 and 6 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.

Certification for authenticity/ legalization requirements (with an Apostille)

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. By an Apostille: the Аpostille must certify the signature of the official who signed the respective documents OR
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.

Certification for authenticity/ legalization requirements (consular legalization)

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. By a competent authority which certifies the signature of the official who signed the respective document OR
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.

Step two

After you receive an approval email by ISO, mail the following hard copies by express courier to the International Students Office (ISO):

An original Power of Attorney, signed on both English and Bulgarian section of the document;
A notarized copy of your high school diploma, duly legalized;
A notarized copy of your high school transcript, duly legalized;
An original document confirming eligibility for higher education, duly legalized;
Originals of diploma and transcript, or copies officially certified for authenticity. Please note that copies simply marked “True to the original” are not accepted. Please check the requirements here.

This is our mailing address:

International Students Office

American University in Bulgaria

ABF Student Center

12 Svoboda Bachvarova Str.

Blagoevgrad 2700, Bulgaria

Telephone: +35973888519

Step three

ISO will process your documents (no actions are required by the student).

ISO will:

Forward the documents to the Bulgarian National Center for Information and Documentation (NACID) to issue Documents for recognized secondary education. The fee is 50 EUR, charged to your student account. Processing time: at least two weeks and up to one month. Please double check the recognition process with NACID

Submit the recognition documents to the Bulgarian Ministry of Education to obtain the visa D certificate. Processing time: at least two weeks.
Prepare an AUBG certificate stating that you are accepted at AUBG, you will live on campus, and you will have insurance upon arrival.

Step four

ISO will send you the following documents:

AUBG certificate – by DHL. Courier cost will be charged to your student account. Make sure to provide your exact mailing address and a telephone number.
Ministry of Education Visa D certificate– by email
Proof of tuition payment, issued upon your request (please see Step 6, point 4) – by email.

Step five

While you are waiting for the documents from Step 3 to arrive, make an appointment with the Bulgarian Embassy and obtain an original police clearance report */ original parental Declaration – agreement (please see Step 6, point 9)

Step six

Submit the following documents at the embassy (one original set and two copies of each document):

One completed visa application form.pdf (see sample here)
Certificate from the Ministry of Education – (print this out—we sent this to you via email);
AUBG Certificate – (we sent this to you via DHL);
Proof of tuition payment – (please contact the Bulgarian embassy, ask if they require this document and request it at [email protected])
Proof of financial means – valid home country bank account in your name with the equivalent of 2000 EUR;
Valid passport;
2 copies of the passport;
The 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm picture of you;
If you are at least 18 years old – an original police clearance report* issued in your home country, confirming no criminal record. Ensure the Embassy returns the original document, as it will be required later in Bulgaria.

If you will be under 18 years old at the time you apply for a visa you will need:

Original Declaration – agreement* from your parents, signed in front of a notary, that you can travel abroad and apply/receive a D visa and prolonged residence status in Bulgaria because you will be studying at the American University in Bulgaria. Please see a sample.
Notarized copy of your birth certificate.

*The police report/declaration/birth certificate must be legalized and then translated into Bulgarian by a translator accredited by the Bulgarian embassy and then the translation must be certified by the embassy. If the embassy doesn’t provide translation services, after arrival in Blagoevgrad, the same document should be translated in Bulgarian by a local translation agency and used for a BG ID card application.

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK WITH THE BULGARIAN EMBASSY, AT WHICH YOU WILL APPLY IF THESE ARE ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS as the visa procedure is subject to change.

You may find useful information about the Bulgarian Embassy here.

Step 7

Pick up your visa at the Bulgarian embassy when they say it is ready. Make sure you have your passport with you when you visit the embassy.

Please notify the Office of International Students at [email protected] once you have received your visa.

You may travel to Bulgaria after the visa is entered in your passport.

Important: Your D-type visa will be valid for 6 months. To stay legally in Bulgaria as a student after this period, you will obtain a Bulgarian residence permit. More details about Bulgarian residence permit procedure will be given to you during the Orientation week upon arrival on campus.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if these procedures are unclear.

Visa for Non-EU Students