If you want to get your driver’s license in Bulgaria you need the right information, and the right person to guide you throughout the process.
We've prepared all information you need to know to obtain or exchange your Driver’s License in Bulgaria in 2025.
In today's world of fast growing and progressive life the freedom of action is a need most strongly manifested in the big city. Here we are forced to be quick, communicative and useful to the society and in particular our friends, relatives and employers. This is my mission as a driving instructor - to help you and your loved ones feel the freedom which comes with your driving license.
The requirements
Let’s start with the requirements for obtaining a driving license in Bulgaria. They are mandatory if you want to get a license for the first time or if you want to replace your non-EU license with a Bulgarian one.
The first requirement is to have an ID card or residence permit - you must have at least 6 months of residence in Bulgaria, considered from the date of issue of the residence permit.
In Bulgaria, there is also a requirement for a minimum education level of at least 10th grade of high school completed in order to be allowed to have a driving license. The document which certifies that you cover the minimal education level is called “proof of education”.
Have in mind that you DON’T need proof of education for starting your driving course (you can sign into a driving school without it), but you’d need it after the course when you go to the Traffic Police office to apply for your drivers license.
Our driving school can assist you with the process of applying for your proof of education.
You can apply for your proof of education either with your high school diploma or with your university degree.
So, what’s the difference?
The 1st option (high school diploma) takes 30 days and costs 35 lv.
The 2nd option (university degree) could take up to 2 months (depending on the country where the document is issued) and it’s free.
Let me guide you through the process of applying for your proof of education. As you know sometimes the bureaucratic procedures might be a bit annoying, but the following guidelines will help you go through them much easier.
I’ve also created a video step by step guides for each type of proof of education:
1. Proof of education based on a high school diploma
2. Proof of education based on a university degree
Option 1
Proof of education issued based on your high school diploma (the document is called Uverenie/Уверение):
You need to have your high school diploma and the education level must be written on it (e.g. middle school or 10th grade etc.). If the education level is not clearly stated on the diploma you’d need to provide the transcript as well (transcript is the diploma supplement that shows your grades and subjects). Have in mind that college degrees are not accepted as there is no college level of education in Bulgaria.
Depending on the country of issuing of the diploma you might need to get it apostilled. The apostille is a special type of attestation which you can usually obtain from the ministry of foreign affairs of the country where the diploma is issued (some embassies also offer this kind of service). Some countries DO NOT need to have the diploma apostilled, and those countries are: Austria, Azerbaijan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Vietnam, Georgia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Yemen, Cyprus, China, North Korea, Cuba, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Syria, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Hungary, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Slovenia.
Then you need to make a notarized translation (by a sworn translator) of your high school diploma (and transcript). You may use any company offering legalized translations.
The final step is to take your original diploma (and transcript) together with the translation and your ID card (and copies of each document) to the Regional Department of Education (РУО) of the city where you have your residency and there you apply for your education certificate. Note that you need to fill in an application form which could be downloaded from the following link.
The address of the Regional Department of Education in Sofia is room 401 on the 4th floor at 17th “Antim I” Str., Sofia, working from 8:30 to 17:30:
There is a tax of 50 BGN which could be paid via POS terminal (if your card is issued by a bank in Bulgaria) or via bank transfer at IBAN: BG57UBBS80023106075808.
Personal advice: It’s good to have someone speaking Bulgarian to accompany you as the local Education Department employees don’t speak English
Option 2
Proof of education based on your university degree (the document is called Udostoverenie/Удостоверение):
You need to have your university degree together with the transcript (the document that shows your grades and subjects).
Depending on the country of issuing of the degree you might need to get it apostilled. Usually, it is quite hard timewize and moneywize to acquire an apostille (as it includes sending the document abroad) and that’s why it is important to know exactly if you actually need it or not. Apostille is NOT needed if:
- Your university degree is issued in a country- party to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, or in a member-state of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland;
- Your university degree is issued in a country which has a bilateral agreement for legal assistance with Bulgaria (so-called consular certification).
So, how to check if your university degree needs an apostille?
You can check on this link. Click “WHAT LEGALIZATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS ARE NECESSARY” (point 3 located at the right side)
You must also make a translation (by a sworn translator) of your university degree and the transcript (you may use any company offering legalized translations).
Note that you DON’T need to have your translation legalized (notarized) if your university degree is issued in a country- party to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, or in a member-state of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland (the full list of countries is available at the link above).
The university degree only needs to be translated by a sworn translator. The notarization procedure makes the translation service more expensive and, in some cases, it takes more time.
The final step is to apply for your proof of education at the National Center for Information and documentation (NACID). There are 2 ways to do it:
- You can submit your application online (you need to scan and attach all your documents as well as a Data Usage Declaration which can be downloaded from the NACID portal at this link).
- You may also take your original degree and transcript together with the translation to the National Center for Information and documentation (NACID) where you apply for your proof of education. Note that you need to fill in an application form which could be downloaded from the following link.
The address of NACID is 52A, Dr. G.M. Dimitrov Blvd., Sofia with working hours from 8:00 to 18:30 during working days.
The driving course in Bulgaria
What documents do you need to sign for the course:
- ID card or residence permit (you must have at least 6 months of residence in Bulgaria, considered from the date of issue of the residence permit);
- Medical certificate for assessment of the physical condition for a driver of category B vehicle (issued by your general physician (GP) or any medical center offering the relevant service).
You don't know how to get the medical certificate?
No problem, our driving school can also assist you with that.
Important: Proof of education is no longer required upon signing for the driving course, but you'd need it when you go to the Traffic police office to apply for your drivers license.
The full driving course consists of the theoretical and practical parts, each ending with an exam. It takes between 1,5 to 2 months depending on your individual pace and availability.
Theoretical training:
The theoretical training consists of group face-to-face and online classes, as well as self-study, all of which usually takes around 2 weeks. The classes are interactive (lectures, discussions, videos) in English and cover all aspects of the road traffic rules and their application in Bulgaria. Each student receives access to an online textbook as well.
The theoretical classes are held in accordance with a schedule prepared by the driving school. Each student will receive information about the schedule up to 1 day before the start of the classes. Attendance at the face-to-face and online theoretical classes is mandatory.
Note that you’ll be provided with an online textbook in English which we’ve created specifically for the foreigners in Bulgaria and proves to be of great help during the learning process. The textbook covers the Bulgarian road traffic rules and includes lots of examples, pictures and videos. You’ll also receive the full database of exam questions and answers which will be discussed during our meetings.
The full database of exam questions and answers can also be accessed at the following link and you can check your knowledge by doing practice tests in English here.
Practical training:
The practical part consists of minimum 31 driving hours (45 mins each plus 5 mins for discussion and analysis) divided into 16 sessions/2 hours per session and delivered in English. It covers all aspects and principles of defensive driving including the practice of safe road habits, obeying the rules of the road, driving responsibly, and minimizing the risks.
We have full flexibility in scheduling the driving classes including before or after working hours and the weekends as well.
We will start in an area with low traffic intensity and gradually based on your progress we’ll switch to areas with more intense traffic (e.g., the city center). Each driving class will take you a little bit out of your comfort zone which guarantees the best learning results. The practical course also includes out of city driving covering motorways and mountain roads as well as driving during the night.
Our driving school also organizes mock exams to assess the current level of skills and knowledge of each student.
You will also have the ability to fully observe your learning progress as all our cars have dash cameras installed. Sometimes the stressful situations in the traffic prove to be quite a useful lesson. The dashcam captures not only the situations on the road but also your own reactions. The recordings are available as per your demand.
The exams:
After the theoretical part of the course, you have to take the theory exam which is a test of 45 questions with a time limit of 40 minutes. Depending on the difficulty each exam question gives you 1, 2 or 3 points. You need to have at least 87 out of maximum 97 points in order to successfully pass. The exam is being scheduled by your driving school (as per your workdays availability) and takes place at 1st Vitinya Str., Sofia (The Executive Agency Road Transport Administration) here.
Example theoretical test question
After the driving classes you have to take the practical exam which consists of 25 to 30 minutes driving with a state examiner (inspector). He sits on the passenger seat and tells you the directions for movement. The examiner evaluates your driving technique and knowledge of the traffic rules. Each mistake gives you different penalty points depending on the severity. You are allowed to have no more than 9 penalty points. Small mistakes (for example if you forget to switch on the blinker) are 1 point. Bigger mistakes could give you 3 points (e.g. crossing a solid line without a valid reason). There are specific mistakes which give you 10 points immediately (for example if you don’t stop at a STOP sign or pass on a red light). At the end, the examiner analyses your mistakes and provides an explanation. Note that the exam is being video recorded.
As per the Bulgarian legal regulations the practical exam is being conducted in Bulgarian language, but during your driving course you’ll be provided with a special workbook covering the Bulgarian pronunciation (including audio recordings) and transcription of the most commonly used directions during your exam (e.g., turn left, turn right, U-turn, etc.) which will also be practiced during the driving classes.
Important:
Each student has the right to take the theoretical and practical exams no more than 4 times within six months. For the theoretical exam the six months time period starts from the date of completion of the theoretical training. For the practical exam it starts from the successful passing of the theoretical exam or from the completion of the practical training.
In case of failure to take or failure to pass the exam within 4 attempts within the specified period, the student may take a new exam only after completing a new theoretical or practical training (depending on which exam needs to be taken again).
Replacing a non-EU drivers license
All foreigners are allowed to drive in Bulgaria with a non-EU driving license (provided that it has a legalized/notarized translation) for up to 1 year since the date of issuing of their residence permit. Then the non-EU license needs to be replaced by a Bulgarian driving license. This is also valid for international driving permits as well.
You are allowed to replace your non-EU license with Bulgarian license without the obligation to take the full driving course, but you have to take the exams (theoretical and practical).
Note:
Some countries have bilateral agreement with Bulgaria for direct transfer of the driver’s license. In this case, there is no need to be registered in a driving school or to pass any exams. You just have to apply for direct transfer at the Traffic Police office. Some of the countries that have agreements with Bulgaria are UK, Israel, UAE, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Macedonia, South Korea, Iran, Georgia. You have to check for your specific country and if there’s an agreement.
Important:
Have in mind that if you do a direct transfer you will receive a Bulgarian drivers license but it will only be valid for the territory of Bulgaria and it will not be valid for all countries of Europe and the EU.
For the foreigners who want to replace a non-EU license with a Bulgarian one, we’re providing a smart, quick, and easy solution.
Our exam preparation bundle includes:
- Preparation for the theoretical exam including a textbook in English, the full database of exam questions and answers, theory classes at our training center and online scheduled discussions where we cover and discuss the problematic topics and questions.
- Preparation for the practical exam including 4 driving hours in the exam area to get yourself familiar with the car and the tricky parts of the area itself. This takes into consideration that you can actually drive, but if you prefer you can always take additional driving hours as well.
- Theoretical and practical exams.
The price
The price of the full driving course is 1800 BGN (disclaimer note: prices could be subject to a change, depending on the inflation rates, prices of the fuel and insurances).
Exam taxes:
Tax for state practical exam: 100 BGN
Tax for state theoretical exam: 100 BGN
The price of the exam preparation course for replacing a non-EU license with Bulgarian license is 800 BGN in total (including all exam taxes);
In case you want to take additional driving hours – the price is 60 BGN per driving hour (45 mins).
Applying for the drivers license at the traffic police office (KAT)
3 working days after you take your exams you can apply for your driving license at the traffic police office (KAT) located at 4th Lachezar Stanchev Street, Sofia (location) working from 7:30 to 17:00.
Our driving school can assist you for applying for your drivers license.
Upon applying for your drivers license you need to present the following documents:
- Your ID card;
- Your proof of education;
- Medical certificate for vehicle of category B (it can be obtained by almost any medical center). The tax is between 30 and 40 BGN (depending on the medical center). Our driving school can also assist you with that.
- Certificate of completion of a First aid course (more details below).
Note that you need to have at least 1 copy of each document listed above.
The tax for issuing a driving license is 25 BGN for normal service (30 days) and 50 BGN for fast service (10 days).
How to get a certificate of completion of a First aid course?
The certificate for completion of the First Aid Course is required when submitting the documents for the driver's license at the Traffic Police office (KAT). You can schedule your First Aid course at the Red Cross website here.
The certificate is being issued based on a 6 hours training course at the Red Cross office located at 61th Knyaz Alexander Dondukov Blvd., Sofia. The courses are being conducted every day (except Sunday) and can be scheduled online.
Note that the courses are held only in Bulgarian, but you’ll be provided with written materials and a final test in English (valid only for the Sofia Red Cross office). The feeis 90 BGN.
Our driving school can also provide you with the written materials in English so that you can prepare for the course.
Also, if you already have a certificate issued by any Red Cross instance (no matter the country) – it could be accepted which means that you won’t have to attend any first aid course. You just need to email your certificate to secretariat@redcross.bg and after you receive feedback – you need to visit the Red Cross office where you’ll be issued with an additional renewed certificate. This still includes paying the tax. Same rules apply if you are a medical student as well.
Of course, our driving school can personally assist you with every aspect of the process for obtaining your driving license. This includes visiting the different institutions, help and advise with the paperwork, and interactions with the local state representatives.
The right to be a driver also carries its responsibilities, which you will safely build up after each driving class. So don’t hesitate and don’t allow unnecessary dilemmas to disturb your wonderful world – contact us and let’s make it even more magnificent and free.
Feel free to contact me
Andrey Popov
SIGMA Driving Academy
Mobile/Viber/WhatsApp: +359 879 348 177
e-mail: sigmadrivingacademy@gmail.com
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Address: entr. 1, bl. 11, zhk. Mladost 1., Sofia. (click on the map below)
SIGMA Driving Academy