Study Medicine in Bulgaria for UK Students

Bulgaria is the country where most of our students start, and the one we know best. Our founder Marcel Kloos studied in English at the Medical University of Sofia from 2015 to 2021. For a UK student, three facts make it worth a close look. You study medicine in Bulgaria fully in English. Tuition is 9,000 € to 10,000 € a year. And the diploma is an EU medical degree, which the GMC accepts as a relevant European qualification without PLAB.

Study medicine in Bulgaria in English: universities and tuition fees

The course plan for one of these universities is on our page Curriculum: Medical University Varna. All Bulgarian faculties are also in the university finder.

Why UK students study medicine in Bulgaria

Sofia is about three hours from London by direct flight. The English programmes have run for many years, and the lecture halls are international: Germans, Greeks, Italians, British. Group work happens in seminar groups, not in rows of 300. From the third year you are in the university hospitals, and Bulgarian classes in the first years prepare you for the ward.

• Medicine in English for all six years, state exams included
• EU medical degree, recognised across the European Union
• GMC registration as holder of a relevant European qualification, without PLAB
• The internship year is part of the degree, so you graduate ready to apply for registration
• Tuition of 54,000 € to 60,000 € for the whole degree

Entry requirements to study medicine in Bulgaria with A-levels

Bulgarian medical universities look at Biology and Chemistry. Your A-level results in the two subjects carry the application; some universities add an entrance test in biology and chemistry, which we prepare you for. There is no UCAT and no interview round. Your certificates are legalised with an apostille and recognised by the Bulgarian authorities. We run that process for you.

• A-levels including Biology and Chemistry, or IB Diploma with both sciences
• School certificates with apostille; translation and recognition are handled by us
• A valid passport and, after admission, the long-stay student visa, which we arrange with you

From application to GMC registration: the steps

• Step 1: Free consultation with your predicted or achieved grades.
• Step 2: Application, apostille, translations and recognition of your school certificates.
• Step 3: Admission letter, student visa, accommodation.
• Step 4: Five years of taught semesters in English.
• Step 5: Pre-graduation internship and state exams in year six.
• Step 6: Application to the GMC with your Bulgarian diploma. The route is described in GMC registration after studying medicine abroad.

Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna or Pleven?

Sofia is the capital and the oldest faculty in the country, with the largest hospitals. Plovdiv is smaller and walkable, with a historic old town. Varna sits on the Black Sea and has a modern, compact campus. Pleven is the quiet option with the lowest fee. In the consultation we match the city to you: some students want the capital, others study better in a town where the library is ten minutes from their flat.

Medschool Experts takes care of the application, the documents and your arrival. More than 500 students have started their studies with us. Book your free consultation.

More guides for UK students

FAQ: study medicine in Bulgaria as a UK student

Last reviewed: October 2026