Transfer from Trakia University Stara Zagora: Where to Continue Medicine in 2026

What is Trakia University Stara Zagora and what does it teach in English?

Trakia University Stara Zagora (Тракийски университет, Trakiyski universitet) is a public university in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, established in 1995 by the Bulgarian National Assembly. In 2026, Trakia University teaches two degree programmes in English: Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

The Faculty of Medicine is older than the university itself. It was founded on 8 April 1982 by a decision of the Bulgarian Council of Ministers as a Higher Medical Institute for the specialty Medicine, and it joined Trakia University in 1995. Medicine in English has a clear structure. It takes six years. Pre-clinical subjects such as anatomy, physiology and biochemistry come first, together with Bulgarian language courses. Clinical training follows from year three, including placements at the university hospital in Stara Zagora.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine dates back to 1923. Its veterinary medicine programme was the first accredited specialty in Bulgaria in 1997, and in June 2022 the European Council on Veterinary Education (ECOVE) gave the faculty the status "Approval". You can read more about studying at the university on our Trakia University Stara Zagora page.

Can you transfer from Trakia University Stara Zagora to another university?

Yes. Medicine students at Trakia University Stara Zagora can transfer to another medical school and keep the credits they have earned in Bulgaria. Medschool Experts is the leading specialist for study transfers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine, and it has the world's largest choice of official partner universities.

A transfer is not a restart. Nothing is wasted. Your passed exams, your ECTS and your clinical hours all count. The receiving university compares your Trakia transcript with its own curriculum and decides which year you can join. That comparison is where experience matters, because two faculties rarely teach the same subjects in the same semester.

The same applies to Veterinary Medicine. If you study veterinary medicine in English at Trakia University, Medschool Experts can check your options as well.

Why do students transfer from Trakia University Stara Zagora?

Students transfer from Trakia University Stara Zagora mostly for planning reasons. The five most common motives in 2026 are tuition and living costs, a better fit with a different exam format, personal or organisational circumstances, a career goal in the USA, and a career goal in Germany.

1. Costs. Trakia's official fee sheet lists €9,000 per year for Medicine students who enrolled in 2025/26. Earlier cohorts pay between €6,500 and €7,500 depending on their year and fee category. Over six years that adds up. A more affordable partner university can cut the yearly bill by more than half.

2. Exam fit. Every faculty examines in its own way. Some students do well in written tests and struggle with oral exams, or the other way round. Pace matters too. Moving to a university whose exam format suits you is a legitimate study decision, and it is one of our specialities.

3. Personal or organisational reasons. Sometimes the fit with an individual professor or a department does not work out. Sometimes family, health or finances change. These are real reasons. They deserve a calm plan.

4. A career in the USA. Caribbean medical schools help students into the US system with USMLE preparation, US clinical rotations and residency applications. Mostar School of Medicine in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only European university that specifically prepares for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK.

5. A career in Germany. Some universities prepare students especially well for German hospitals. That changes the choice.

Where can Trakia University Stara Zagora students transfer to?

Trakia University Stara Zagora students can transfer to a more affordable university such as the Faculty of Medicine Foča in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to a university with a better exam fit, to Mostar School of Medicine or a Caribbean school for the USA, to Varna or Foča for Germany, or to another EU university.

Lower costs. The Faculty of Medicine Foča (University of East Sarajevo) charges €3,500 tuition per year. Including living costs, students need about €7,500 per year (Medschool Experts figures, 2026). Foča is one of several affordable options in our network.

The USA. Mostar School of Medicine teaches in small groups with a better teacher-to-student ratio than other European medical schools. It admits only 30 students per year. Medschool Experts places students there reliably without an entrance test as long as our own quota allows.

Germany. At the Medical University of Varna, an EU university on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, students can complete the final practical year (the German "PJ") in Germany through Medschool Experts. The same is possible from Foča. For a Trakia student, Varna has one extra advantage. It is still Bulgaria.

An EU degree. If staying inside the European Union matters most, we compare EU partner universities for you. The full list is on our universities page.

Country-level context helps too. Our overview of study transfers from Bulgaria covers students from Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, Pleven and Stara Zagora.

How much can a Trakia University Stara Zagora student save by transferring?

A Trakia University Stara Zagora Medicine student who enrolled in 2025/26 pays €9,000 tuition per year and needs about €600 a month to live in Stara Zagora, around €16,200 per year in total. At the Faculty of Medicine Foča, tuition plus living costs come to about €7,500, a difference of roughly €8,700 per year.

Here is the worked example. Tuition at Trakia is €9,000 for the 2025/26 cohort, according to the university's fee sheet. Our own estimate for living in Stara Zagora is about €600 per month, or €7,200 over twelve months. Independent data points the same way: Numbeo listed about €514 a month without rent for a single person in August 2026, and €226 to €263 for a one-bedroom flat.

With three years left, the gap is roughly €26,100. That is real money. Students from older Trakia cohorts pay a lower fee, so their savings are smaller, but the difference stays substantial. Please treat these as planning figures and let us calculate your own case.

Which year can you enter after leaving Trakia University Stara Zagora?

There is no fixed entry year for students leaving Trakia University Stara Zagora. Medschool Experts reviews every case individually and aims for the highest possible entry with no or minimal loss of time. We frequently achieve high placements, often into year 4 or year 5, depending on the student's passed exams and ECTS.

One rule of thumb helps. Usually no more than two exams may be outstanding, and their ECTS must stay below a maximum. The receiving university also looks at how closely your Trakia modules match its own curriculum.

Keep passing exams while you plan. Every module you complete in Stara Zagora strengthens your record. It can also move your entry point higher.

How does a transfer from Trakia University Stara Zagora work with Medschool Experts?

A transfer from Trakia University Stara Zagora with Medschool Experts follows four steps: a free consultation, a review of your academic record, a placement offer from a partner university, and a planned switch. Students stay enrolled at Trakia University until the new place is confirmed in writing.

1. Free consultation. You tell us your goal, your budget and your timeline.
2. Record review. We check your Trakia transcript against our partner network.
3. Placement offer. We secure the highest entry year we can reach for you.
4. Switch with a plan. You leave Stara Zagora only once the new place is confirmed.

That last point protects you. No gap, no risk. Want to hear from students who have already switched? Visit our student stories or see all our services.

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Does a transfer from Trakia University Stara Zagora affect recognition of your degree?

A Medicine degree from Trakia University Stara Zagora falls under automatic recognition across the EU, the EEA and Switzerland because Bulgaria is an EU member state (Directive 2005/36/EC). A transfer to another EU university keeps that framework. A transfer outside the EU means recognition follows the rules of the country where you want to work.

This is a planning question. Students who aim for Germany can choose Foča or Varna because both allow the final practical year in a German hospital through Medschool Experts. Students who aim for the USA care more about USMLE preparation than about EU recognition. Students who want to work in the EU and move later can keep an EU degree.

Language is the second point. Trakia's curriculum includes Bulgarian language courses, because patients in Stara Zagora speak Bulgarian. At a new university, clinical years may require a different local language. We look at that before we suggest a route.

When should Trakia University Stara Zagora students start planning a transfer?

Trakia University Stara Zagora students should start planning a transfer as soon as the idea becomes serious, ideally several months before the next academic year begins. Early planning gives Medschool Experts time to review the record, compare partner universities and secure the highest possible entry year for the student.

Waiting rarely helps. Partner universities have limited places, and some, like Mostar, fill a small quota each year. An early conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

Timing also shapes your exams. If you know your target, you can prioritise the modules that matter most for your entry year. That is how students move without losing time. Book your free consultation and we will look at your situation together.