Certification for the recognition of secondary education obtained in a foreign country is carried out by the National Center for Information and Documentation (NACID). Usually, this is necessary when applying to a Bulgarian university, for work, or for the issuance of a driver’s license.
The recognition of a diploma is an official procedure through which your foreign education is equated to the Bulgarian education system. The result is the issuance of a certificate of recognition of secondary education, which is valid before all public and private institutions in the Republic of Bulgaria.
Required documents:
- document certifying completed secondary education (e. g. secondary education diploma, certificate, document;
- diploma supplement and/or transcript of the studied subjects, grades and number of hours, if they are not part of the diploma itself (not required when equating for the purpose of obtaining a driver’s license);
- document proving the right to continue education in higher education institutions, if this is not stated in the diploma/certificate (not required when equating for the purpose of obtaining a driver’s license).
Each of the documents certifying the acquired education must be translated into Bulgarian, including with certification of the translation, and must comply with the requirements for legalization. Legalization is not required for documents issued by educational institutions within the European Schools system, but the requirement for translation and certification of the translation remains (pursuant to Council of Ministers Decree No. 184).
European Schools are located in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain (for more information https://www.eursc.eu/en/european-schools/locations/ ).
Depending on the purpose of the equivalence, the following is issued:
- Certificate of recognition of secondary education from a foreign school - continuation of education in higher education institutions, obtaining a driver’s license or work;
- Confirmation of recognition of secondary education from a foreign school - for obtaining a driver’s license or work (grades in studied subjects are not specified);
- Official note for equivalence of grades in academic subjects that are not reflected in the document for secondary education - usually when applying to higher education institutions.
The recognition of stages of the secondary level of education acquired in foreign educational institutions is carried out by the Regional Education Administrations (REA).