A Bulgarian school day is likely to be your child's first immersion in Cyrillic, and the system is more welcoming than you may fear: state school is free, the law guarantees Bulgarian lessons to children who need them, and foreign school years are recognised. The planning is mostly about ages, addresses and papers. This is how schools in Bulgaria work for a family that has just arrived.
At what age do children start school in Bulgaria?
Under the Preschool and School Education Act (ЗПУО), school is compulsory from age 7 to 16. A child enters first grade in the year they turn 7, or at 6 if the parents ask and the child's school readiness is certified. A one-year deferral is possible for health reasons. Before school, preschool education is compulsory from the school year that begins in the year the child turns 4. It is free in state and municipal kindergartens (Articles 8 and 9).
How do you enrol in kindergarten?
Kindergarten (детска градина) takes children from 3 to 7, and from 2 if there are not enough nursery places. You enrol through the municipality or the kindergarten. Many large cities use an online system, so check your municipality's website. Fees for nurseries and for non-compulsory years should be confirmed with the municipality.
Since the school or kindergarten you can use depends on your address, settle your lease and residence first: see renting in Bulgaria and residence in Bulgaria for EU citizens.
How do you choose and enrol in a school?
Where a municipality has several schools, the main criterion is proximity to the child's address, with neighbouring catchment areas defined by the municipality. Places follow each school's admission plan. State and municipal schools are free and secular.
Bring the identity documents of the child and parents, the residence certificate, proof of address, and the reports and certificates of the last school, translated. Immunisation requirements should be confirmed with the school.
Documents for a child coming from abroad are the part that takes time: translations, legalisation and the question of which grade the school will accept. Moovy can build a checklist for your child's age and previous school. The school and the regional education authority make the decisions.
How are foreign school years recognised?
Years completed at a foreign school are recognised under the national standard, and the marks converted into the Bulgarian system (Article 165). The request goes to the regional education authority (РУО), which charges recognition fees; they are not due for a child of compulsory school age (Article 300). For a secondary school-leaving diploma used for higher education, you also deal with NACID, which accepts electronic applications. Its expert commission decides within a month of a complete file, and the clock stops while a document is missing. Legalisation requirements per country are on NACID's "document certification" page.
What about Bulgarian lessons?
The law guarantees free Bulgarian lessons to every child residing in Bulgaria of compulsory school age (Article 17). If a parent works in Bulgaria, the child can also follow lessons in their mother tongue and culture, organised with the country of origin. Ask the school how it is done in practice.
What does it cost, and when does the year run?
State and municipal schools are free. The school year starts on 15 September, except in sports schools (1 September). Holiday dates, days without classes and the second term are fixed each year by a ministerial order published at mon.bg; read the 2026-2027 one before booking trips. Also see public holidays in living in Bulgaria.
What changes by nationality?
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have the same rights as Bulgarians, including free state school after 16 (Article 9(2)). For Britons and other third-country nationals, compulsory school and Bulgarian lessons are free; after 16, state school is free with a prolonged, long-term or permanent residence permit, otherwise a government tariff applies. See moving to Bulgaria from the UK.
How do schools in Bulgaria fit the year your child turns 7?
The rule is by calendar year: a child starts first grade in the year they turn 7, not on their seventh birthday. A child born late in the year therefore starts earlier relative to their age than a child born in January. Parents can ask for entry at 6 if the child's school readiness is certified, and a deferral of one year is possible for health reasons. Ask the school or the regional education authority how the certificate is obtained, since we did not read the procedure.
Compare this with your home country before you move. A child who is already in school abroad is placed according to the recognition of the school years completed, not simply by age.
What do international and foreign-language schools offer?
Some families look for a school that teaches in English or French. We did not find an official list of international schools in Bulgaria for this article, so we cannot name any. For a French curriculum, the AEFE publishes a list of approved schools abroad; check whether one operates in your city, and note that French families may apply for a scholarship based on family income through the AEFE process. Fees at private and international schools are set by the school, so request them in writing.
What help does the state school give a child who does not speak Bulgarian?
The law guarantees free Bulgarian lessons to every child of compulsory school age who resides in Bulgaria. The way these lessons are organised is up to the school, so ask at enrolment what is on offer, how many hours and in what format. Children often pick up a language quickly, but the first term can be tiring, so agree with the teacher how the child will be supported. If a parent works in Bulgaria, the child can also follow lessons in the home language and culture arranged with the country of origin.
What does the school calendar mean for your move?
The year starts on 15 September. If you move in the summer, you have time to settle the lease, the residence file and the enrolment before the start. If you move during the year, a child can usually be placed in the school of your address, depending on the available places in the admission plan. Holidays are fixed by a ministerial order each year, so check the order for 2026-2027 at mon.bg before booking travel. The public holidays that close offices are in working in Bulgaria.
How does choosing where to live affect the school?
In municipalities with several schools, proximity to the child's address is the main criterion, and neighbouring catchment areas are defined by the municipality. So the lease you sign in renting in Bulgaria shapes your child's school, and the other way round. Visit the school before you choose a flat if you can, and ask the municipality which school covers the address.
What about children over 16 and higher education?
After 16 state school stays free for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and for others with a prolonged, long-term or permanent residence permit. For university studies, your child's secondary diploma can be recognised through NACID, which provides an electronic application. Recognition rules depend on the country where the diploma was issued, so check the NACID pages for your case.
Which mistakes do parents make?
- Enrolling at 6 without the readiness certificate.
- Forgetting that preschool is compulsory from the year the child turns 4.
- Arriving without the last school's papers, which decide the grade.
- Not asking for Bulgarian lessons.
Rules and dates change every year, so check with your municipality and the regional education authority.