Transfer from the University of Forestry Sofia: Where to Continue Veterinary Medicine in 2026

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

The University of Forestry in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a state university with six faculties, one of them the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. That faculty opened in 1994 and in 2011 became the first in Bulgaria to teach veterinary medicine in English. The English-taught programme lasts 11 semesters (5.5 years) and leads to a Master's degree in Veterinary Medicine.

The University of Forestry (Bulgarian: Лесотехнически университет, LTU) grew out of forestry teaching that began in Sofia in 1925. It became an independent Higher Forestry Institute in 1953 and has carried its current name since 1995. Today it runs faculties of forestry, forest industry, ecology and landscape architecture, agronomy, business management and veterinary medicine.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine trains about 550 students a year in the Master's programme. In 2021 the regulated profession of Veterinary Medicine at the faculty received a renewed accreditation from Bulgaria's National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation. The programme ends with state examinations. Teaching is in English.

For students from the European Union, the English-taught programme is also affordable by EU standards. The university's fee schedule for 2025/2026 lists €2,599.92 per semester in year one, which is about €5,200 per year. You will find more on studying there on our University of Forestry Sofia veterinary medicine page.

Can you transfer from the University of Forestry Sofia to another veterinary faculty?

Yes. Students of the University of Forestry Sofia can transfer to another veterinary faculty in Europe, and passed courses are usually credited against the new curriculum. Medschool Experts is the leading specialist for study transfers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine, and organises transfers from Sofia with the world's largest choice of official partner universities.

A transfer is not a new start. Nothing is wasted. The receiving faculty compares each course you passed in Sofia with its own curriculum and decides which study year fits your record. Transcript, course descriptions and signed practical logbooks do most of the work here.

Veterinary transfers have one extra layer. Faculties look closely at practical hours, clinical rotations and the accreditation status of both schools. That is why the choice of target faculty matters as much as the decision to move. Our guide on how veterinary transfers work in Europe explains the credit mechanics in detail. For Bulgaria as a whole, see our overview of study transfers from Bulgaria.

Why do veterinary students transfer from the University of Forestry Sofia?

Veterinary students at the University of Forestry Sofia usually transfer for five reasons: total cost, a better fit with exam formats, personal or organisational circumstances, a career plan for the USA, or a career plan for Germany, the UK or another European country. Each reason is a planning question and points to a different kind of faculty.

1. Costs and budget

The fee for the English-taught programme is modest by EU standards. Budgets still get tight. Living costs in Sofia of roughly €500–€800 per month add up over 5.5 years, and a repeated year is the most expensive item of all. We compare the total cost, tuition plus city, across the veterinary faculties in our network.

2. Difficulty with specific exams

Some students pass almost everything and get stuck on one or two subjects. Faculties differ in how they examine: written or oral, practical stations or case discussions, one large exam or several smaller ones. A move to a faculty whose format and pace suit you can change the picture completely. We help with exactly this, and it is one of our specialities.

3. Personal or organisational reasons

Family, health, a partner in another country, or a working relationship with an individual lecturer that no longer fits. These situations are real and common. They are also solvable.

4. A veterinary career in the USA

Graduates of veterinary schools that are not accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have two recognised routes to a US licence: the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG), run by the AVMA, and the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence (PAVE), run by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. Both are followed by the national licensing examination (NAVLE). Students with this goal often want a faculty with strong English-language clinical training, and a plan that starts early.

5. A veterinary career in Germany, the UK or elsewhere in Europe

Bulgaria is an EU member state, so the degree falls under Directive 2005/36/EC. Students who aim for Germany plan language skills and practical placements alongside their studies. Students who aim for the United Kingdom look closely at the EAEVE status of their faculty, because the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) links recognition to it. More on that below.

Where can University of Forestry Sofia vet students transfer to?

University of Forestry Sofia veterinary students can transfer to other English-taught veterinary faculties in the Medschool Experts network, for example in Hungary, Croatia, Lithuania and Slovakia. The right target depends on the goal: lower total cost, a better exam fit, a US licence, a career in Germany or registration in the United Kingdom.

We match your record against the whole network. Goals come first. The table shows how goals translate into search criteria.

Many students with a UK or broad European career in mind ask about accreditation first. The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) evaluates veterinary faculties under its ESEVT system. The following faculties from our network hold full accreditation on the EAEVE list updated after the ECOVE meeting of 27 November 2025:

Fees, languages and admission rules vary between these faculties and change from year to year. So does the number of places for transfer students. We check the current situation for your profile and year before we propose anything. The full list of locations is on our universities page.

How much does a transfer from the University of Forestry Sofia cost or save?

For EU and EEA citizens, the University of Forestry Sofia charged between €2,249.68 and €2,599.92 per semester in 2025/2026 for its English-taught Veterinary Medicine programme. Many other EU veterinary faculties charge more. The biggest saving from a well-planned transfer is usually a year not lost: one extra year in Sofia costs about €10,800 to €14,400.

The fee schedule of the University of Forestry for 2025/2026 (order of 15 December 2025, in force from 1 January 2026) sets the following fees for Bulgarian, EU and EEA citizens in the English-taught programme. The amounts include the supplement for teaching in a foreign language.

By comparison, the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice (Slovakia) charges €10,000 per academic year for General Veterinary Medicine in English. A move from Sofia is therefore rarely about the tuition line alone. Time is the bigger factor.

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

There is no fixed entry year after leaving the University of Forestry Sofia. Medschool Experts reviews each record individually and aims for the highest possible entry with no or minimal loss of time. High placements, often into year 4 or year 5, are something we achieve frequently.

The decision rests with the receiving faculty, and it depends on what you have passed. A rule of thumb helps with planning. Usually no more than two exams may still be outstanding, and their ECTS credits must stay below a maximum. Beyond that, curricula differ, so the same record can be placed differently at two faculties.

Comparing pays off. Course descriptions with hours, content and practical components give the receiving faculty the detail it needs to credit your work generously.

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

A transfer from the University of Forestry Sofia with Medschool Experts runs in four steps: a free consultation, a review of your academic record, a placement offer with faculty and study year, and a planned switch. Students stay enrolled in Sofia until the new place is confirmed in writing.

Step 1, free consultation. We talk about your goal, your timing and your budget.

Step 2, record review. We check your transcript and course descriptions against our partner network.

Step 3, placement offer. You receive a concrete proposal: which faculty, which study year, what remains open.

Step 4, switch with a plan. You leave Sofia only when the new place is secure. Nothing is left to chance. What our services include is described in detail on our website, and you can read how other students experienced their move in our student stories.

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How is a veterinary degree from the University of Forestry Sofia recognised in the EU, the UK and the USA?

A veterinary degree from the University of Forestry Sofia comes from an EU member state, so Directive 2005/36/EC applies across the European Union. For the United Kingdom, the RCVS links recognition to EAEVE status at graduation. For the United States, graduates of non-AVMA-accredited schools follow the ECFVG or PAVE route and pass the NAVLE.

European Union. Directive 2005/36/EC sets a minimum of five years of full-time veterinary training and provides automatic recognition of listed veterinary qualifications between member states. Host countries still handle registration formalities, such as language requirements, through their own authorities.

United Kingdom. The RCVS registers holders of European degrees where the programme was EAEVE-approved or accredited at the time of graduation, and it publishes a list of recognised schools with date ranges. In the EAEVE list of November 2025, the Sofia establishment appears as a candidate member not yet visited. The RCVS list checked in September 2026 includes Bulgaria's Stara Zagora faculty, and graduates of schools outside the list take the RCVS Statutory Membership Examination. From January 2029, the RCVS will accept only programmes it accredits directly.

United States. ECFVG certification is accepted by all state regulatory boards as meeting, in full or in part, the educational prerequisite for licensure. PAVE, run by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards, is the second pathway for graduates of non-accredited international programmes. Both require the national licensing examination.

None of this is a verdict on anyone's education. It is planning information. A student who knows at year two where they want to work can choose the faculty that fits that plan.

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

University of Forestry Sofia students should start planning a transfer about one semester to one year before the intended start at the new faculty. Early planning leaves time to collect course descriptions, compare several faculties and keep the exam schedule in Sofia running while the new place is secured.

Earlier is easier. Course descriptions from the home faculty can take weeks to prepare, and most faculties decide on transfers before the winter or summer semester begins. Starting early also means you can keep passing exams in Sofia, which improves your entry year.

A late start is not a lost cause. We regularly find solutions at short notice, but options narrow as the semester approaches. The sensible first move is a free consultation with your transcript at hand.