If you've studied outside Bulgaria and want to get a Bulgarian driver’s license, you will need to prove that you have the required level of education (legally required for obtaining a driver's license in Bulgaria). For many foreigners, this is one of the most confusing parts of the process.
Should you go to RUO (Regional Department of Education) or NACID (National Centre for Information and Documentation)?
Can you use your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree instead of your high school documents?
Do you need an Apostille? And can you submit your documents online?
The rules changed significantly in 2025, so some older information available online may no longer be correct.
In this article, we explain the different options in a simple way.
Important: 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 driver's license.
What level of education do you need?
To receive your first Bulgarian driver’s license, you must have completed at least Grade 10 of secondary education (as per the Bulgarian education system). If your education was completed outside Bulgaria, you need a Bulgarian document proving that your foreign education meets the required level. There are three main ways a foreigner can prove their education:
The important thing is to choose the correct procedure first (only after that should you prepare the required legalization and translation).
Option 1: Recognition through RUO (Regional Department of Education)
RUO is usually the correct option if you want to recognize a school grade or stage of secondary education, rather than your fully completed secondary education as a whole. For example, you may want to recognize Grade 10, Grade 11, another high-school grade, or a completed stage of secondary education. If the recognized level meets the minimum education requirement (Grade 10), it can be used to obtain a Bulgarian driver’s license. When recognition is requested for the purpose of applying for a driver’s license, the authority will issue a document showing the last recognized grade or completed educational stage.
Example of a document issued by RUO Sofia-City for recognition of foreign secondary education
Applying through RUO Sofia-City
If you are applying in Sofia, the relevant institution is RUO Sofia-City.
The exact documents depend on your country and on the type of education you want to recognize. Normally, you will need your foreign high school document showing the grade or educational stage that you completed. There is also one very important requirement:
Your RUO documents need an official Bulgarian translation
The translator’s signature on the Bulgarian translation must be notarized by a Bulgarian notary. In English, this is usually called a notarized translation. So, if you are applying at RUO Sofia, a standard translation alone is not enough. The translation must meet the official requirements of RUO Sofia. Depending on the country where the document was issued, the original document may also need an Apostille (official certificate that confirms that your document is genuine).
Where to submit your documents and pay the fee
RUO Sofia-City – Administrative Service Centre, address: 17 Antim I St., 1303 Sofia, Bulgaria
Working hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:30.
Fee: €25.56
The fee can be paid by bank transfer or by card at the POS terminal at RUO Sofia-City.
Bank: United Bulgarian Bank (UBB)
IBAN: BG57UBBS80023106075808
Advice: It’s good to have someone speaking Bulgarian to accompany you as the local Education Department employees don’t speak English
Do you need an Apostille for RUO?
Not always. This mainly depends on the country where your education document was issued. There are generally 3 possibilities:
1. Your country has a bilateral legal assistance treaty with Bulgaria:
Bulgaria has bilateral legal assistance treaties with a number of countries. These treaties can allow certain official documents (for example your high school diploma) to be used in Bulgaria without additional legalization or an Apostille.
According to the list published by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (last update March 2025), the countries include:
Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Korea, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.
The official list can be found on the website of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.
2. Your document requires an Apostille (your country is not part of the list above):
If there is no applicable bilateral exemption an Apostille will normally be required.
An Apostille is an official certificate that confirms that your document is genuine. It is normally obtained by the authorities in the country where the document was issued (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Because the procedure differs from country to country, always check the requirements before paying for legalization and translation.
3. An Apostille cannot be used for documents from your country:
For some countries, an Apostille cannot be used. In this case, the document may need to go through a full legalization procedure.
This is a longer process and may involve government authorities in the country where the document was issued, as well as a Bulgarian embassy or consulate. Because the exact procedure depends on the country, we strongly recommend checking the requirements (link) before preparing or translating your documents.
Watch our video: How to submit documents at RUO Sofia
We know that visiting a Bulgarian public institution can be difficult, especially if you do not speak Bulgarian. This is why we made a video showing how to submit documents to RUO Sofia-City. In the video, we show you where to go and how the process works in practice. Please remember that the video shows the RUO Sofia procedure. If you have a fully completed secondary education or already hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, the NACID procedures are more suitable (detailed description below).
Option 2: Recognition of a fully completed secondary education through NACID (National Centre for Information and Documentation)
If you have fully completed secondary education abroad and have your final diploma, you can apply through NACID.
Since the changes introduced in 2025, NACID is responsible for recognizing completed secondary education obtained in a foreign high school. NACID specifically lists applying for a driver’s license as one of the purposes for which secondary education can be recognized. This is an important change compared with the previous procedure.
Where is NACID?
If you want to submit your documents in person, the NACID Front Office is located at:
NACID – Front Office, address: 50 Dr. G. M. Dimitrov Blvd., 1125 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Working hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00–18:30.
The same Front Office handles questions and applications related to the recognition of both secondary education and higher education obtained abroad.
What can NACID issue?
For secondary education, NACID can issue a Certificate of Recognition or a Verification Letter, depending on the purpose of the application. A Verification Letter can be requested specifically for purposes such as applying for a driver’s license.
Example of an education recognition document issued by NACID
What documents does NACID require?
The main document is normally your final secondary-school diploma. Depending on the country, NACID may also require additional documents. For example, NACID may require proof that the diploma gives you the right to continue to higher education in the country where it was issued. NACID publishes detailed country-specific instructions (link), so you should always check the requirements for the country where your diploma was issued before getting an Apostille or preparing a translation.
Can you apply for recognition of secondary education online?
Yes, but there is an important condition. For online application for recognition of secondary education, NACID requires a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES). You must register in the NACID Electronic Services Portal and sign the electronic application with your QES. So this is not simply a case of creating an account and uploading your documents.
If you do not have a QES, you must submit your documents in person.
Another important point is that if NACID cannot officially verify your diploma, Apostille, or other document electronically, you may still be asked to present the originals.
Option 3: Using a university degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) through NACID
There is another option that can be very useful for foreigners who have already completed university.
If you hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a foreign university, you can apply to NACID for academic recognition of your higher education qualification. This means that instead of using your Grade 10 or high school documents, your foreign university degree can be recognized in Bulgaria and used as proof of your level of education. This can be especially useful if you completed high school many years ago and no longer have easy access to your old school documents. If you prefer to apply in person, the same NACID Front Office at 50 Dr. G. M. Dimitrov Blvd. handles higher-education recognition applications as well.
Important: A college diploma or Associate Degree is not necessarily equivalent to a Bulgarian higher-education degree. In practice, such qualifications — especially from the USA and Canada — may not correspond to a Bulgarian Bachelor’s or Master’s level and may therefore be refused recognition by NACID. If you only have a college diploma, check with NACID before relying on this option.
What does NACID issue for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree?
If the academic recognition is successful, NACID issues a Certificate of Recognition of Higher Education.
The certificate includes information about the recognized qualification, such as the foreign university, the country where you studied, your field of study, and whether the qualification is recognized as a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. This recognized higher-education document can then be used as proof of education in Bulgaria, including when you need to prove your education for the driver’s license procedure.
What documents do you normally need?
For recognition of a foreign Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, NACID normally requires:
- The university diploma;
- The diploma supplement or academic transcript;
- Bulgarian translation of the above listed documents;
NACID may also request additional information if necessary to verify the university, the qualification, or the authenticity of the documents. The exact legalization and Apostille requirements depend on the country where the university diploma was issued, so you should always check the current NACID instructions (link) before preparing the documents.
An important advantage: Applications for recognition of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees can be submitted online without a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES)
This procedure is different from the online recognition of secondary education. For academic recognition of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, the current procedure allows you to register in the dedicated NACID online portal with a username and password and submit the application online. A QES is not required and the procedure is free of charge.
In practice, you can:
- Open the NACID electronic services portal;
- Create an account;
- Select the service for recognition of higher education acquired at a foreign university;
- Complete the online application form;
- Upload scanned copies of the required documents;
- Submit the application online.
This makes the higher-education route particularly convenient for foreigners who do not already have a Qualified Electronic Signature.
Will you still need to show the original documents?
Possibly. Even if you submit the application online, NACID may ask you to provide original documents if their authenticity cannot be confirmed electronically or through official sources. So, online submission does not always mean that you will never have to present the originals.
How long does recognition of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree take?
The official processing time is up to two months after all required documents have been submitted. When no additional documents are needed, the procedure is often completed in about one month. The academic recognition service itself is currently free of charge, although you may still have expenses for translations, Apostilles, legalization, or obtaining additional documents.
Why can the university diploma option be useful?
Imagine that you completed high school 10 or 15 years ago in your home country and later completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. You may no longer have your Grade 10 certificate or other school documents. However, you may still have your university diploma and diploma supplement. In this situation, using your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree through NACID can be a very practical alternative. It can also be easier because the application for higher-education recognition can currently be started online without a Qualified Electronic Signature.
Important: Do not confuse the two NACID procedures
NACID handles both secondary education and higher education, but they are different procedures.
NACID – Secondary Education:
Use this when you have completed high school and want your secondary education recognized.
For an online application: Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is required.
NACID – Higher Education Recognition:
Use this when you already have a foreign Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and want that degree academically recognized.
For the dedicated NACID online portal - you can register with a username and password and submit the application online without a QES. This difference is important.
RUO and NACID may have different document requirements
Do not assume that the rules for Apostille, legalization, or translation are the same for every procedure.
A document used at RUO may have one set of requirements. A secondary-school diploma submitted to NACID may have another. A Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma submitted for academic recognition may follow a different set of certification rules.
For this reason, always follow this order:
- Decide which procedure you need.
- Check the requirements for your country and your type of document.
- Only then get an Apostille, legalization, or translation.
Doing this in the wrong order can cost both time and money.
Which option is right for you?
The simplest way to choose:
For many university graduates, the third option may be the most convenient.
Quick step-by-step guide:
- Check what education documents you currently have.
- Decide whether you want to use a school document (separate school stage), high school diploma (completed secondary education), or university degree.
- Choose RUO Sofia-City, NACID – Secondary Education, or NACID – Higher Education Recognition.
- Check the requirements for the country where the document was issued.
- Check whether an Apostille or legalization is required.
- Prepare the required Bulgarian translation.
- Submit your application.
- Provide original documents if the authority requests them.
- Receive your Bulgarian recognition document.
- Keep the document for your Bulgarian driver’s license application.
Do not leave this until the end of your driving course
Education recognition can take several weeks. If a document is missing, incorrectly legalized, or incorrectly translated, the procedure can take even longer. For this reason, at SIGMA Driving Academy, we recommend starting the education recognition procedure as early as possible during your driving course. Do not wait until you have already completed your training and passed your exams.
Need help with the Bulgarian driver’s license process?
At SIGMA Driving Academy, we work with students from many different countries. We understand that the administrative process can sometimes be more confusing than the driving lessons themselves. If you are planning to start a driving course in Sofia, you can contact us and tell us which country issued your education documents, whether you have completed high school, and whether you have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. We can help you understand which procedure you should check first and assist with it.
And if you need to submit documents to RUO Sofia-City, make sure to watch our step-by-step video showing how the process works.
Important: Administrative procedures and document requirements may change. This article is based on the official information available as of September 2026. Always check the latest requirements published by RUO and NACID before submitting your documents.