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The first Bulgarian university to teach medicine in English, since 1997, built around a city hospital that has treated patients since 1865.
1,500+ Students trust us
Bulgaria
Country
Pleven
City
€9,000
Tuition a year (about ₹9.9 lakh)
English
Medium, taught in English since 1997
For Indian Students
Short answer: Yes, Indian students can study medicine in Bulgaria. No, not as the rules stand: Bulgaria's internship, 310 to 336 days depending on the university, is shorter than the 12 months the NMC requires.
Seven Bulgarian faculties teach the six-year programme in English. Each runs its own entrance exam in English, Biology and Chemistry, and a qualified NEET UG result is mandatory before admission.
No, not as the rules stand. The NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 ask for a course of at least 54 months, teaching in English and a twelve-month internship in the same institution. The Bulgarian degree lasts six years and is taught in English, and the internship takes place in the university's own hospitals, but it runs 310 to 336 days depending on the university, rather than twelve months.
As the rules stand, the degree does not lead to an Indian licence through the FMGE (NExT deferred and not in force). Official NBEMS data records 21 passes from 73 Bulgaria-trained candidates across the 2025 sessions. If India is your long-term goal, plan this with our counsellors before you apply.
Introduction
Tiered lecture theatre at the Medical University of Pleven with a projection screen at the front
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Recognition & Prestige
The Medical University of Pleven appears in no international ranking table. It holds institutional accreditation from Bulgaria's National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA), its Faculty of Medicine is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), and the Bulgarian medical degree is named in EU law.
9.27 / 10
NEAA institutional accreditation rating, granted March 2021
9.22 / 10
NEAA rating for the Medicine professional field, granted June 2021
Clinical training runs at Dr Georgi Stranski University Hospital, the largest hospital in northern Bulgaria, which grew from the city hospital of 1865, and at St. Marina University Hospital in Pleven. EU Directive 2005/36/EC lists the Bulgarian degree, Магистър-лекар, in Annex V, point 5.1.1. Because the Faculty of Medicine is listed in WDOMS, graduates can apply for ECFMG Certification and the USMLE. The GMC lists the Bulgarian Master physician diploma as a relevant European qualification, so UK registration is applied for directly, without PLAB. For India, the degree does not meet the NMC rules as they stand, because the internship inside the degree is shorter than the twelve months the NMC asks for in the same institution.
EU
Bulgaria is an EU member state, and its degree Магистър-лекар is listed in Annex V, point 5.1.1 of EU Directive 2005/36/EC
WDOMS
The Medical University of Pleven Faculty of Medicine is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (FAIMER School ID F0000374)
Complete Information About the Medical University of Pleven
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Success stories
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Academic Excellence
Pleven offers the longest-running English-taught medical programme in Bulgaria, a robotic surgery record that began in 2008, a fee that does not change from year to year and low living costs. As the NMC rules stand, the degree does not lead to an Indian licence, as the sections below explain.
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How to Apply
Admission to Medicine at the Medical University of Pleven runs through the university's own examination in Biology and Chemistry, both sat on the same date, with a published ranking formula. NEET does not decide admission, but a qualified NEET-UG result is a separate Indian requirement a student must hold before going abroad. The course starts in February.
Indian nationals must qualify NEET-UG before taking admission abroad; under NMC rules the NEET result serves as the eligibility certificate and is valid for three years. This is an Indian requirement, entirely separate from the university's own selection.
For the February 2027 intake the application window opened on 1 June 2026 and closed on 1 October 2026. A one-time registration fee of €40 (about ₹4,400) is payable and is not refunded.
For 2026 the university listed five dates: 23 June, 17 September, 8 October, 28 October and 17 November. The examination fee is €200 (about ₹22,000) and is not refunded.
Both subjects are tested on the same date, in person or online. The ranking score is the school-leaving language grade on the six-point scale plus the Biology and Chemistry results, each multiplied by three, to a maximum of 42.
Non-EU applicants submit the physical document set by 30 October, a month earlier than the deadline for EU applicants, so allow for courier time from India. NACID recognition of the school certificate takes about a month and comes first.
Admitted students apply for a Bulgarian long-stay type D visa (€100 or €200, with a personal interview) and, after arrival, for a residence permit from the Migration Directorate, granted for up to a year and renewable. Classes begin in February.
The applicant needs completed secondary education with a grade of at least 62 per cent of the maximum in the official language of the school-leaving diploma, shown on a NACID-validated certificate and a legalised, translated diploma. Applicants who did not complete school in English provide a B2 English certificate. Under Indian NMC rules an Indian applicant additionally needs Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English at Class 12, with a minimum of 50% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Biology for the general category, 40% for SC, ST and OBC candidates and 45% for general-category candidates with benchmark disabilities, together with a qualifying NEET-UG score.
Subjects:
Under Indian NMC rules the candidate must be 17 years old by 31 December of the admission year, with no upper age limit. The university applies no separate age condition of its own.
Two published requirements shape a Pleven application.
The 62 Per Cent Language Grade
The school-leaving diploma must carry a grade of at least 62 per cent of the maximum in its official language. That grade then feeds the ranking formula alongside the Biology and Chemistry results, so it counts twice: once as a threshold and once as a score.
NACID Validation and the 30 October Deadline
A NACID-validated secondary education certificate is required alongside the legalised and translated diploma. Non-EU applicants submit hard-copy documents by 30 October, so start the NACID step early.
Admission rests on the university's own examination and a published ranking formula rather than on category-wise minimum marks.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Biology and Chemistry | Both subjects examined on the same date, in person or online |
| 2026 sittings | 23 June, 17 September, 8 October, 28 October and 17 November |
| Ranking formula | School-leaving language grade on the six-point scale, plus the Biology and Chemistry results multiplied by three, to a maximum score of 42 |
| Fees | €200 examination fee (about ₹22,000) and a one-time €40 registration fee (about ₹4,400), neither refunded |
To apply, students need to submit essential academic and identification documents:
Admission Guidance & Document Checklist
Get the complete document checklist or admission guidance from our experts.
Programme Structure
Medicine at Pleven is a six-year single-cycle Master's taught in English, with 510 hours (25.5 ECTS) of compulsory Bulgarian across the first three years. Ten semesters of coursework are followed by a state clinical internship of 336 calendar days in the university hospitals of Pleven and then five state examinations. That internship is shorter than the NMC's twelve months, so, as the rules stand, the degree does not meet the NMC rules for Indian students.
Total Duration:
6 Years: 10 semesters of coursework plus a 336-day state clinical internship
Degree:
Master's in Medicine, Магистър-лекар (Master-Physician), equivalent to MBBS
Years 1 to 2
Basic medical sciences taught in English, with compulsory Bulgarian running alongside from the first semester so that students can work with patients when clinical teaching begins:
Year 3
Disease mechanisms taught with the first systematic patient examination teaching, and the final year of the compulsory Bulgarian course:
Years 4 to 5
Systematic clinical teaching across the specialties at Dr Georgi Stranski University Hospital and the university's other clinical bases, completing the ten semesters of coursework:
Year 6
A state clinical internship of 336 calendar days, equal to 240 working days of six hours, 1,440 hours and 48 credits, in the university hospitals of Pleven after the tenth semester, followed by five state examinations:
Clinical training runs at the university hospitals of Pleven:
| Clinical base | Role in training |
|---|---|
| Dr Georgi Stranski University Hospital | The principal clinical base and the largest hospital in northern Bulgaria, which grew from the city hospital of 1865 around which the university was founded in 1974 |
| St. Marina University Hospital, Pleven | The home of the robotic surgery programme, and in April 2022 the first hospital in Bulgaria to run two da Vinci systems |
| Leonardo da Vinci Centre of Competence | Opened at the university in April 2022 and led by the Medical University of Pleven, with the Medical University of Varna and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Robotics Institute as partners |
| TELEC | The university's teaching and experimental centre for endoscopic surgery, used for simulation-based surgical training |
Get the full curriculum
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European Framework
What a Bulgarian medical degree is worth depends on the framework it sits inside. The table sets out where the Pleven degree stands and how the university is organised.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| European Union | Bulgaria's degree, Магистър-лекар, is listed in Annex V, point 5.1.1 of EU Directive 2005/36/EC. Automatic recognition across the EU applies to EU citizens, so an Indian graduate moves to another EU country through that country's own procedures, or through EU long-term resident status |
| UK registration | The General Medical Council lists the Bulgarian Master in Medicine with the professional qualification Master physician, completed on or after 1 January 2007, as a relevant European qualification. A graduate applies for full registration directly, without PLAB, with evidence of English such as IELTS or OET. The route depends on where you qualified, not on nationality |
| United States | The Faculty of Medicine is listed in WDOMS, so graduates can apply for ECFMG Certification and sit the USMLE. ECFMG's accreditation policy is for information only and does not affect an individual graduate's eligibility |
| NEAA accreditation | Institutional rating of 9.27 granted on 25 March 2021 for six years; Medicine professional field rating of 9.22 granted on 10 June 2021, with an approved capacity of 2,500 students |
| Faculties | Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, Health Care and Veterinary Medicine, alongside a Medical College, a Department of Language and Specialised Training and a Research Institute |
| Where Medicine is taught | Only in Pleven, so an admitted student studies in the city throughout |
Understand the Recognition Framework
The table above sets out where a Bulgarian medical qualification is recognised and on what basis.
Legacy
The Medical University of Pleven has taught medicine since 1974 and in English since 1997, and its leadership built the robotic surgery programme that sets it apart.
Rector of the Medical University of Pleven, first elected on 2 June 2021 and re-elected on 29 May 2025 for a second term running from 2025 to 2029. He signed the 2023 curriculum that sets out the state clinical internship.
The surgeon at the centre of the robotic surgery programme that began in Pleven in 2008. On 11 January 2019 he led the Pleven team that performed what was reported as the first operation in Eastern Europe with the latest-generation da Vinci system.
Rector from 2013 to 2021 across two mandates, and afterwards Chairman of the university's General Assembly. The robotic surgery programme grew to two da Vinci systems during his tenure.
The university comprises five faculties: Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, Health Care and Veterinary Medicine. It also runs a Medical College, a Department of Language and Specialised Training and a Research Institute, alongside a Library, a Career Development Centre and an International Students Centre. It has taught medicine in English since 1997, the first Bulgarian university to do so.
Founded in 1974 around a city hospital dating from 1865
Bulgaria's first da Vinci robotic surgery system, installed in 2008
Leonardo da Vinci Centre of Competence, opened in April 2022
NEAA ratings of 9.27 institutionally and 9.22 for the Medicine field
1,563 international students from 53 countries (July 2026)
510 hours of compulsory Bulgarian across the first three years
Tuition payable in two semester instalments of €4,500
An International Students Centre for enrolment, visas and housing
About University
Get all information about the Medical University of Pleven in our free brochure
Read on to find out how you can fulfil your dream of studying medicine at the Medical University of Pleven.
Role in medicine
Get all information about the Medical University of Pleven in our free brochure
Read on to find out how you can fulfil your dream of studying medicine at the Medical University of Pleven.
Cost of living
Pleven is a city of under 90,000 people in northern Bulgaria with low living costs. Rent is the figure that moves the budget most. The table converts at about ₹110 to the euro.
| Cost Component | Approximate Amount |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (one-bedroom flat, outside the centre to the centre) | ₹16,800 to ₹33,000 (€153 to €300) |
| Groceries/meals | ₹16,500 to ₹27,500 (€150 to €250) |
| Utilities/internet | ₹10,500 to ₹18,000 (€95 to €165) |
| Public transport | ₹1,400 to ₹2,800 (€13 to €25) |
| Miscellaneous (books, etc.) | ₹11,000 to ₹22,000 (€100 to €200) |
Average monthly living cost
₹56,200 to ₹1,03,300 (€510 to €940)
Housing
The university runs two dormitory buildings, and private rents in Pleven are low by European standards.
Need accommodation details?
Get a full overview of housing options with our university guide, or reach out to an expert.
Food & Dining
Pleven is an inland city of under 90,000 people with no established Indian restaurant scene, so a student here should plan to cook.
Most Indian students in Pleven cook. Bulgarian supermarkets are of full European standard, and rice, pulses and dry goods are widely available, so the basics are straightforward even where specific spices are not.
Pleven has no established Indian restaurant scene. Sofia, 170 km away, is the Bulgarian city with several Indian restaurants and delivery options.
Bulgaria is in the EU, so EU-wide online spice and grocery suppliers deliver without customs or payment friction. Students typically combine online ordering with occasional trips to Sofia.
Numbeo puts an inexpensive restaurant meal in Pleven at about €7.66 (about ₹840) and a cappuccino at about €1.91, so eating Bulgarian food out is affordable.
With 1,563 international students from 53 countries and an English track running since 1997, the international student community here is mature, and Pleven is where most Indian students in Bulgaria live.
Location
Medical University of Pleven, 1 Sveti Kliment Ohridski Street, Pleven, Bulgaria. Pleven is the administrative centre of Pleven Province in northern Bulgaria, 170 km from Sofia. Clinical teaching runs at Dr Georgi Stranski University Hospital and St. Marina University Hospital, both in the city.
Nearest Airport
Sofia Airport (SOF), 170 km away. Pleven has no commercial airport, so every journey from India ends with an onward leg from Sofia
Getting In From Sofia
About four hours by train or bus, at around €5 to €8, or about two hours by car or taxi, at around €26 to €37
Your Roadmap to Success
Graduates receive a Master's in Medicine with the professional qualification Магистър-лекар (Master-Physician), the Bulgarian primary medical qualification. It is the equivalent of an Indian MBBS, not an Indian postgraduate MD.
The Bulgarian degree is listed in Annex V of EU Directive 2005/36/EC. Automatic recognition under the directive applies to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, so an Indian citizen moves to another EU country through that country's own procedures, or through EU long-term resident status.
The General Medical Council lists the Bulgarian Master in Medicine with the professional qualification Master physician, completed on or after 1 January 2007, as a relevant European qualification. A graduate applies to the GMC for full registration directly, without sitting PLAB, with evidence of English such as IELTS or OET. The route depends on where you qualified, not on your nationality.
The Medical University of Pleven Faculty of Medicine is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), so its graduates can apply for ECFMG Certification and sit the USMLE, the US licensing exam. ECFMG's accreditation policy is for information only and does not affect an individual graduate's eligibility for ECFMG Certification.
For India, the degree does not meet the NMC rules as they stand. The NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 ask for a course of at least 54 months, teaching in English and a twelve-month internship in the same foreign institution. The Pleven degree lasts six years and is taught in English, and the internship takes place in the university's own hospitals, but it runs 336 calendar days (about 310 days at most Bulgarian faculties), not twelve months. So it does not lead to an Indian licence through the FMGE (NExT deferred and not in force). Plan this with our counsellors before you apply.
After registration, graduates can pursue specialty training in Bulgaria, in another EU country through its own procedures, in the United Kingdom after full GMC registration, or in India after the FMGE and the Indian internship. For a student drawn to surgery, Pleven's robotic and endoscopic training centres are worth asking about.
Understand the Medical Licensing Pathway
A clear overview of the exams and requirements after graduation.
Practising in India
To practise medicine in India after graduating abroad, an Indian student qualifies NEET-UG before admission, completes the course abroad, clears the NMC screening examination (the FMGE; NExT is deferred and not in force), completes an internship in India and registers with a State Medical Council. A Bulgarian degree does not meet the NMC rules as they stand, because the internship inside the degree is shorter than twelve months.
Step 1
The NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 ask for at least 54 months of study and a twelve-month internship in the same foreign institution. Ten semesters of coursework clear the course length. Pleven's state clinical internship then runs 336 calendar days, equal to 240 working days of six hours and 1,440 hours, in the university hospitals of Pleven. That is short of twelve months, so, as the rules stand, the degree does not meet the NMC rules.
Step 2
The regulations require the course to be taught in English. Pleven has taught Medicine in English since 1997, with 510 hours of compulsory Bulgarian across the first three years so that students can work with patients, whose language on the wards is Bulgarian.
Step 3
The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences conducts the FMGE twice a year with a pass mark of 150 out of 300. Official NBEMS data for the two 2025 sessions records 45 Pleven-trained candidates, with pass rates of 42.1% and 30.8%, and 21 passes from 73 Bulgaria-trained candidates overall (28.8%). Nationally, the December 2025 session passed 10,262 of 42,872 candidates (23.95%). The National Exit Test (NExT), intended to replace the FMGE, is deferred and not in force.
Step 4
Clearing the FMGE is followed by a twelve-month Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship in India, the same as an Indian MBBS graduate completes. It comes in addition to the Pleven internship, not instead of it.
Step 5
Once the internship in India is complete, the graduate applies for registration with the relevant State Medical Council. Bulgaria and India are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so the Bulgarian degree is legalised for use in India with an apostille.
Student Life Style
Pleven is a compact city in northern Bulgaria with low living costs, cold winters and no airport of its own.
Sports hall at the Medical University of Pleven with a climbing wall, handball goal and basketball court
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, the city Pleven students travel through on every journey to and from India
Scholarship & Financial
The Medical University of Pleven states on its own FAQ that there are no scholarships available to study there, so a family should plan for the full fee. What it does offer is a flat fee paid in instalments.
Tuition is €9,000 in every year with no increase across the six, totalling €54,000 (about ₹59.4 lakh), paid as two instalments of €4,500 at the start of each semester. Add a one-time €40 registration fee and a €200 entrance examination fee.
A one-bedroom flat outside central Pleven costs about €153 a month (about ₹16,800). Over six years, a low rent saves more than most fee discounts would.
The university's FAQ says there are no scholarships available to study at Pleven, and no Bulgarian government scholarship open to Indian nationals for a medical degree is published. Erasmus+ can fund an exchange period once a student is enrolled, but it does not pay Bulgarian tuition.
Compare
Compare the Medical University of Pleven with India's top-ranked government medical college.
Quick Comparison:
Medical University of Pleven vs AIIMS New Delhi
| University | Medical University of PlevenPleven, Bulgaria | AIIMS New DelhiNew Delhi, India |
|---|---|---|
| University Type | Public | Institute of National Importance (government) |
| Medium | English, with compulsory Bulgarian | English |
| Course Duration | 6 years, ending in a 336-day state clinical internship (Магистър-лекар) | 5.5 years: 4.5 years of study plus a 12-month internship |
| Tuition (per year) | €9,000, about ₹9.9 lakh | Nominal government fee |
| Admission | Biology and Chemistry exam, plus a qualified NEET result | NEET UG |
| Recognition | Listed in WDOMS; EU Annex V 5.1.1; does not meet the NMC rules (internship shorter than 12 months) | Listed in WDOMS |
| Global Ranking | No QS or Times Higher Education listing | NIRF Medical 1 (2025); QS Medicine =105 (2026) |
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FAQ
Short answers to the questions students and parents ask most often about studying medicine at the Medical University of Pleven.
