Transfer from the Medical University of Sofia: Where to Continue Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy in 2026

What is the Medical University of Sofia and what does it teach in English?

The Medical University of Sofia (Medical University – Sofia) is the oldest higher medical school in Bulgaria, founded in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1917. In the 2026/2027 academic year, the Medical University of Sofia teaches Medicine, Dental Medicine and Pharmacy in English, plus Nursing and Kinesitherapy at its Faculty of Public Health.

The university began as the Faculty of Medicine of Sofia University. The Bulgarian National Assembly passed the founding law on 10 November 1917, and in 1950 the faculty became an independent Medical Academy. The Faculty of Pharmacy traces back to a pharmaceutical department created in 1942 and moved to the Medical Academy in 1951. The Faculty of Public Health followed in 2001. Today four faculties work under one roof: Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy and Public Health, linked to several university hospitals in the Bulgarian capital. Our Medical University of Sofia page has the full profile.

Medicine lasts six years and Dental Medicine five and a half years. The English-taught programmes are built for international students. They also include Bulgarian language classes, because patients on the wards speak Bulgarian.

One point causes confusion again and again. The Medical University of Sofia is a separate institution from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, which runs its own Faculty of Medicine. Students of that university find their own guide here: transfer from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. Everything on this page refers to the Medical University of Sofia.

Can you transfer from the Medical University of Sofia to another university?

Yes. Students of the Medical University of Sofia in Bulgaria can transfer to another university and take the credits they have earned with them, as long as the destination recognises the courses. Medschool Experts, the leading specialist for study transfers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine, organises transfers from Sofia with the world's largest choice of official partner universities.

A transfer means that you continue the same degree at a new university instead of starting again from year one. The new faculty compares your transcript and course descriptions with its own curriculum and decides which courses count. That comparison is where experience matters most. We know how partner universities read a Sofia transcript, and we prepare the file so that as many credits as possible are recognised.

The subject stays the same. A Dental Medicine student continues at a faculty that teaches dentistry, and a Pharmacy student continues at a faculty that teaches pharmacy. Medicine students have the widest choice.

A rule of thumb helps with first expectations. Usually no more than two exams may be outstanding when you move, and the ECTS credits of those open exams have to stay below a maximum that the destination sets. Your exact situation is something we check with you personally.

Why do students transfer from the Medical University of Sofia?

Students of the Medical University of Sofia transfer for one of five reasons: they want lower tuition and living costs, an exam format that suits them better, a fresh start for personal or organisational reasons, a route into the US medical system, or a path towards a medical career in Germany. Each reason is a question of fit and planning.

• Costs. Tuition at the Medical University of Sofia is €9,950 per year for Medicine in 2026/2027. Some students want a more affordable university for the remaining years, for example the Faculty of Medicine Foča at the University of East Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or one of our many other affordable partner universities.
• Exam fit. Every university has its own exam format and pace. A student who is stuck on specific exams often does better where the format matches the way they learn. We are specialists in exactly this kind of move.
• Personal or organisational reasons. Sometimes the situation with an individual professor, a family matter or an organisational question makes it hard to continue in the same place. A new start can solve that.
• Career goal USA. Students who want to work as doctors in the United States need the USMLE, US clinical rotations and a residency. Caribbean medical schools and Mostar School of Medicine are built around that path.
• Career goal Germany. Some universities prepare especially well for a medical career in Germany, including the option to complete the final year (PJ) in a German hospital.

None of these reasons says anything against Sofia. They describe what a student needs next.

Where can Medical University of Sofia students transfer to?

Medical University of Sofia students can transfer to affordable partner universities such as the Faculty of Medicine Foča in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Mostar School of Medicine or Caribbean medical schools for a US career, or to EU universities such as the Medical University of Varna in Bulgaria. Dentistry and pharmacy students move only to faculties that teach their subject.

For a lower budget, the Faculty of Medicine Foča is our standard example: €3,500 tuition per year and about €7,500 per year in total for tuition plus living costs. Foča teaches medicine and dentistry. Our partner network also includes many other affordable universities, so the right match depends on your transcript and your goal.

For a career in the USA, Mostar School of Medicine in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only European university that specifically prepares students for the USMLE, both Step 1 (preclinical) and Step 2 CK (clinical). Teaching happens in small groups, with a better teacher-to-student ratio than at other European medical schools and only 30 places per year. Medschool Experts places students there reliably without an entrance test as long as our own quota allows. Caribbean medical schools are the second route into the US system, with US clinical rotations and residency planning. Both options are for medicine only.

For a career in Germany, two options stand out. The Medical University of Varna is an EU university in Bulgaria, so a Sofia student stays in the same country and the same EU framework. Medicine students at Varna can complete the final year (PJ) in Germany through Medschool Experts, and the same is possible from Foča. Varna also teaches Dental Medicine in English.

Pharmacy is the smallest field. We match Pharmacy students individually with partner universities that teach pharmacy and can recognise their Sofia credits. The full list of destinations is on our universities page, and a country overview is in our guide to study transfers from Bulgaria.

How much can a Medical University of Sofia student save by transferring?

A Medicine student at the Medical University of Sofia pays €9,950 tuition in 2026/2027 and, with living costs of €500 to €800 a month, spends about €15,950 to €19,550 per year. At the Faculty of Medicine Foča in Bosnia and Herzegovina, tuition plus living costs come to about €7,500 per year (2026), a saving of €8,450 to €12,050 per year.

Here is a worked example. A Medicine student with three years left at the Medical University of Sofia would spend about €47,850 to €58,650 on tuition and living costs in that time. The same three years at Foča come to about €22,500. The difference is roughly €25,350 to €36,150.

That is a lot of money. For many families it decides whether the degree can be finished calmly.

Which year can you enter after leaving the Medical University of Sofia?

There is no fixed entry year for students leaving the Medical University of Sofia. Medschool Experts reviews every Sofia transcript individually and aims for the highest possible entry with no or minimal loss of time. Placements into year 4 or year 5 are frequent, and each case is decided by the destination after a course-by-course comparison.

The entry year depends on three things: how many semesters you have completed, how well your Sofia courses match the destination curriculum, and how many exams are still open. Usually no more than two exams may be outstanding, and their ECTS credits have to stay below a maximum. Every course on your transcript is compared, including language and elective courses.

Timing matters too. A student who applies right after a completed exam session often has a cleaner transcript than one who moves mid-semester. That can make the difference between two possible entry years.

So we plan backwards. First the target year, then the path.

How does a transfer from the Medical University of Sofia work with Medschool Experts?

A transfer from the Medical University of Sofia with Medschool Experts follows four steps: a free consultation, a review of the Sofia academic record, a placement offer from a suitable partner university, and a planned switch. Students stay enrolled at the Medical University of Sofia until the new place is confirmed, so no semester is left open.

1. Free consultation. We talk about your goal, your budget, your subject and the stage you have reached in Sofia.
2. Record review. We look at your transcript and open exams and compare them with the curricula of our partner universities.
3. Placement offer. You receive a concrete option with the expected entry year, based on your own record.
4. Switch with a plan. Once the new place is confirmed, you leave Sofia in an orderly way and start at the new university. We stay with you until your first day.

More about what we do is on our services page. Students who have already made the move tell their stories on our student stories page.

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How does EU recognition work for Medical University of Sofia students who transfer?

Bulgaria has been an EU member state since 1 January 2007, so degrees in medicine, dental medicine and pharmacy from the Medical University of Sofia fall under Directive 2005/36/EC. A student who transfers to another EU university keeps this framework, while a degree from outside the EU is assessed individually by the country where the graduate wants to work.

This is not a reason to avoid non-EU partners. It is a planning point. A student who aims for Germany and studies at Foča can complete the final year (PJ) in Germany through Medschool Experts, which gives early contact with the German hospital system. A student who wants to stay inside the EU framework from start to finish can look at the Medical University of Varna, which is in Bulgaria like Sofia.

For the USA, the European directive plays no role. What counts there is the USMLE, clinical experience in US hospitals and a residency match. That is why Mostar School of Medicine and the Caribbean schools focus on these steps.

Language is the second planning point. Sofia students learn Bulgarian for patient contact during their English-taught programme. At a new university, patients speak the local language too, so we discuss early which language you will need in the clinical years and how much time that takes.

We map all of this before you decide. No surprises later.

When should Medical University of Sofia students start planning a transfer?

Medical University of Sofia students should start planning a transfer as soon as the idea becomes concrete, ideally well before the next academic year begins. Early planning gives Medschool Experts time to review the Sofia transcript, compare curricula with partner universities and aim for the highest possible entry year with no or minimal loss of time.

Many students wait until an exam situation feels urgent. That is understandable, but earlier is easier. With more time, there are more options, and open exams can still be closed before the move. A short consultation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

Start with the question of where you want to work in five years. Everything else follows from that.