One of the newest European Union members, Bulgaria sits at an ancient crossroads betweet East and West. Stroll through the quaint plazas of the Blagoevgrad city center or taste the local cuisine while relaxing at a sidewalk café. Majestic mountain ranges with picturesque lakes offer ample outdoor activities. Nearby archaelogical sites include Roman ruins, early Christian basilicas, medieval Byzantine towns, monasteries and fortresses.

Languages Spoken:

Bulgarian

Education System

HIGHER EDUCATION OVERVIEW

Educational reform has come with the political reforms of the last several years, and the entire educational system from primary school through graduate school is being reconstituted along Western lines. As of 1991, the Bulgarian educational system consists of three types of schools: state, municipal and private (including religious). Secondary school students have the choice of studying for three years at professional-vocational schools, or for four years at technical schools or general high schools. Specialized high schools teach foreign languages, mathematics and music; admittance to them is by special entrance exams. Special programs for gifted and talented children begin as early as fifth grade.

Compulsory schooling ends at age 15 to 16, but more than 80 percent of students continue their education. Bulgaria's literacy rate is greater than 98%, considerably higher than in the United States.

Bulgaria has 43 universities and other institutes of higher education and 45 colleges and technical schools. "College" refers to semi-higher-learning institutions for nursing, paramedical training, teaching and technical education. A new feature of the Bulgarian educational scene is the recently reestablished private schools, which receive no financial support from the state budget. Most notable among these is the American University of Bulgaria in Blagoevgrad, an American liberal arts college with a strong business school.

STUDYING IN BULGARIA

Courses

The American University in Bulgaria is an American-style, four-year, English-speaking liberal arts university. Courses are taught by experienced American and international faculty who teach in a multicultural, learner-centered environment. The interactive teaching found at AUBG fosters the development of intellectual reflection, effective communication, personal initiative, individual self-expression and civic responsibility. Educated in the spirit of the liberal arts tradition, AUBG graduates become competent professionals with a broad and integrated vision of contemporary society that enhances their capacity as citizens and future leaders of the region. Instruction is in English.

Registration

Check with the host institution's International Students Service Center for details on enrolling in courses.

Course Load

Students generally take 4-5 classes per term, spending about 15 hours per week in class. A typical term is 15 weeks long.

Exams & Grading

Grades and transcripts are issued in the American-style format of A, B, C, D and F.

Transcripts

To ensure timely processing of transcripts, fill out an official transcript request form at the Office of the Registrar prior to leaving Bulgaria at the end of your exchange. Please be sure any charges to your bill not covered by ISEP are paid (i.e. room damage fees or library fines). Transcripts will not be issued until fines are paid. Fall term transcripts are issued in January, and spring term and full-year transcripts will be available in May.

Visa and Residency

Please note that students should ALWAYS check the website of the embassy/consulate with jurisdiction over their place of residence first, as the information in this handbook regarding visa application instructions is subject to change without warning. Visa requirements can vary depending on the country your passport is issued in.

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PASSPORT NOTIFICATION: If you have yet to obtain a current passport, please do so immediately. Your host institution may also request a copy of your passport by a certain deadline (for visa or admission purposes) and failure to meet this deadline could have serious consequences. For visa purposes, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the end date of your academic program.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students must begin the visa process immediately after accepting placement to ensure a timely delivery of the Bulgarian student visa. This process requires an in-person interview at the Bulgarian Embassy or Consulate in your area (four to five week processing time).

STUDENT VISA

SEMESTER & YEAR PROGRAMS

Type of Visa: Type D Visa (180 day for semester students or 360 day for full year students)

Visa fee: See paperwork sent by AUBG

Expected processing time: 4-5 weeks

When to apply: Begin gathering your documents as soon as you accept your placement; AUBG will send you the necessary acceptance documents once you have complete their internal application to assist with your visa application. You should apply for a visa no later than June 15 if you have been accepted for the fall semester and no later than November 15 if you have been accepted for the spring semester.

For the most up-to-date Consular information, please visit the Bulgarian Consular webpage.

All international students accepted for study at the American University in Bulgaria must enter Bulgaria with a long-term student visa, type D. If you are attending AUBG for one semester, you must apply for a 180 day visa. If you are attending AUBG for a full year (two semesters), you must apply for a 360 day visa. To obtain this visa, students must apply at the Bulgarian embassy in the country of their permanent residence not earlier than three months before the arrival date and not later than one month before the arrival date.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

**PLEASE CHECK THE CONSULAR WEBSITE FOR MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION**

• Send a scanned copy of the front page of your international passport to the International Student Services Office. The page should include your full name and your date and place of birth. The expiration date of the passport must be at least 3 months after the date on which your program ends.

• After that AUBG will issue:

- Enrollment certificate

- Housing Letter

- Health Insurance letter certifying that you will have insurance upon arrival

• All documents issued by AUBG will be express mailed to you. Please give an exact mailing address and a telephone number. This should be a street address, not a PO Box. Note that mailing fees will be charged to your student bill (approximately $40)

• The final step is for you to take the documents required for a long-term type D visa to the Bulgarian Embassy or Consulate for your visa to be issued. You must go to the Embassy or Consulate in person. According to an agreement between the U.S. and Bulgaria, you will not have to pay a fee for the long-term type D visa. The documents that you will need to bring include:

- Two completed visa application forms

- Enrollment certificate from AUBG – provided by AUBG

- Housing letter – provided by AUBG

- Health insurance letter certifying that the student will have insurance upon arrival – provided by AUBG

- Document proving that you will be able to cover your living expenses – valid bank account with 3,720 BGN or the equivalent in USD

- Valid passport

- Two copies of the information pages of your passport

- Two current passport photos (European sized – 3.5x4.5cm)

- Other documents as indicated on the Consular Website

• After your visa is approved at the Consulate, ask them to mail it to you by providing a prepaid envelope (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.). If you do not hear from the Embassy/Consulate after 15 days contact them weekly for updates to make sure nothing was missing. You should go to the visa office in person at a minimum of three weeks prior to your departure to AUBG.

• You may travel to Bulgaria after the visa is entered in your passport. Please do not buy a nonrefundable ticket until you receive your visa.

NOTE: Students coming on exchange to AUBG DO NOT need the FBI police clearance report and the Certificate from the Ministry of Education. Please contact the Bulgarian Embassy in which you will apply and ask for the visa documents, but do not forget to inform them that you will be an exchange student not a regular full time bachelor degree seeking student at AUBG. The documents for the exchange students are different from those for the regular ones that are planning to study their bachelor degree(for 4 years) at AUBG.

Furthermore AUBG will send you by DHL the following documents in Bulgarian which you should submit to the BG Embassy:

- Enrolment certificate from AUBG, stating that you are accepted at AUBG, you will live on campus, and you will have insurance upon arrival;

- Letter confirming that you don’t need to submit a police report/certificate from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and that you are exempt from visa fee.

Important: You are responsible for making sure the visa process is carried out properly as there is nothing ISEP Global can do to expedite visa processing times or ensure the arrival of visa documents. We encourage you to check in with the Bulgarian Consulate or Embassy frequently after submitting their documents to make sure nothing is missing. Please follow any and all guidelines provided directly by AUBG as they are the most accurate and up to date.

Where to Go for Your Personal Interview

Please find the embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your country or state (US) of residence.

WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU ARRIVE

• Upon entry in Bulgaria all foreign nationals will be required to fill out a form at the respective point of entry providing information about the purpose of their travel to Bulgaria and the address of stay in the country.

• Within five days of arrival in Bulgaria, students must register with the police. For up to date information on the visa process you should also visit the AUBG website.

RESOURCES

• Visa process as outlined by AUBG

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Updated June 2023

Culture

ABOUT BULGARIA

Bulgaria has the feel of a nation at a very important crossroads. After having spent five centuries under the Ottoman empire and four decades locked behind the Iron Curtain, Bulgaria is sometimes seen as a distant, enigmatic country in the eyes of much of the world. However, Bulgaria today is a vastly different country from what it was even 10 years ago.

Bulgaria’s main lure is its long, sandy Black Sea Coast. But there is so much more to this country, and so much of it remains largely untouched and unvisited by overseas tourists. Networks of well-maintained hiking trails and horse-riding routes allow you to discover Bulgaria’s lush mountainous and forested landscapes, especially around the Rila and Pirin Mountains, inhabited by bears, lynx, rare birds and other kinds of wildlife now becoming scarce elsewhere in Europe. Getting around the country is easy, with cheap and efficient public transport to ferry you between the cities and into the more remote, rural corners; where the traditional, slow pace of life continues much as it has done for centuries. The cities are often overlooked highlights, from dynamic, cosmopolitan Sofia with its lovely parks, sociable alfresco bars and fascinating museums, to the National Revival architectural treasures and Roman remains of Plovdiv and the maritime of Varna.

RELIGION

Bulgaria is officially a secular nation and the Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion but appoints Orthodoxy as an official religion. In the 2001 census, 82.6% Bulgarians declared themselves Orthodox Christians, 12.2% Muslim, 1.2% other Christian denominations, 4% other religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Judaism) and zero percent atheists.

FOOD

Due to the relatively warm climate and diverse geography affording excellent growth-conditions for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits, Bulgarian cuisine offers great diversity.

Famous for its rich salads required at every meal, Bulgarian cuisine also features diverse quality dairy products and a variety of wines and local alcoholic drinks such as rakia, mastika and menta. Bulgarian cuisine also features a variety of hot and cold soups. Many different Bulgarian pastries exist as well, such as banitsa, a traditional pastry prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of sirene (Feta cheese) between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven.

Bulgarians eat banitsa, hot or cold, for breakfast with plain yogurt, ayran or boza. Some varieties include banitsa with spinach (spanachena banitsa) or the sweet version, banitsa with milk (mlechna banitsa or pu) or pumpkin (tikvenik).
Bulgarian lyutenitsa comprises a spicy mixture of mashed and cooked tomatoes, aubergines, garlic, hot peppers and vegetable oil, seasoned with salt, pepper and parsley. Variations of lyutenitsa exist in the national cuisines of most Balkan states.

Note: Bulgaria is a major producer of tobacco, and smoking seems to be the national pastime. Cafés, bars and restaurants are often poorly ventilated, but this is less of a problem in summer when most patrons sit outside.

CUSTOMS

Fire dancing is the most ancient mysterious ritual, which includes barefooted dancers performing on burning embers. This religious and mystical ritual for bringing health and fruitfulness and expelling illness is one that must be seen to believe it.

The Festival of Roses is a lovely festival celebrated in the Rose Valley near the town of Kazanluk (at the foot of the Balkan Range) on the first weekend of June every year. The festival is a pageant of beauty in the unique Rose Valley. In the run-up of the event, a Queen Rose beauty contest is held in several rounds. Artists, actors, circus performers, writers and singers flock to Kazanluk at the start of June. The Bulgarian oleaginous rose yields 70 percent of the world's attar of roses used by every perfume company as an essential component of its products.

LANGUAGE

The Bulgarian language, like Russian and Serbian, is based on the Cyrillic alphabet. The Cyrillic alphabet originally spread from Bulgaria to Russia, which is a source of great pride for Bulgarians. Learning foreign languages has always been stressed in Bulgaria, and the systems developed for learning language are quite effective. The level of fluency in languages such as English, French and German, often without the benefit of travel, is noteworthy.

BODY LANGUAGE

When Bulgarians nod their heads up and down, they mean NO. When they move their heads from side to side, they mean YES.

TIPPING

It is optional, but generally standard practice to tip servers in restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as hairdressers and taxi drivers. A customary tip is about 10 to 15 percent.

Daily Life