NACID (Bulgarian ENIC-NARIC centre)

NACID is the body the ENIC-NARIC network lists as Bulgaria's national information centre on recognition. It assesses diplomas from foreign higher education institutions, answers questions about whether a foreign institution and its degrees are genuine, publishes the list of regulated professions in Bulgaria and runs an e-services portal for applications.

NACID describes academic recognition as a formal written confirmation of the value of a higher education diploma. If you qualify, it issues a certificate of recognised higher education stating the Bulgarian degree and specialty your diploma corresponds to.

Often not for the licence itself. NACID says its certificate does not give access to professions with special legal requirements, and for a regulated profession you must contact the competent authority directly. Doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife and pharmacist are all on NACID's list of regulated professions.

For non-EU citizens with a qualification from outside the EU, the competent authority is the Ministry of Health, which admits you to an exam at a Bulgarian university under Article 186 of the Health Act. The Ministry's document list asks for your apostilled or legalised diploma and transcript, a Bulgarian language certificate and other papers, and does not list a NACID certificate.

NACID is useful if you want to work in a non-regulated role with your degree, if an employer or authority asks for its certificate, or to understand how your degree compares. To continue studying, the rector of the Bulgarian university decides on recognition instead.

1. Check the certification rule for your country. Diplomas from EU, EEA and Lisbon Convention countries, including the UK and USA, need no legalisation. Diplomas from other Hague Convention countries, such as India, Pakistan and the Philippines, need an apostille. Others need full consular legalisation.
2. Translate. The diploma and supplement, apart from a European diploma supplement, must come with a Bulgarian translation.
3. Submit. Apply in person at NACID's front office with ID, through an authorised person, or electronically through portal.nacid.bg with documents signed with an electronic signature.
4. Respond to requests. If NACID asks for more documents, you usually have two months to send them.

NACID says the procedure is free for Bulgarian citizens, foreigners and refugees. The legal time limit is up to two months from a complete file, about one month if nothing extra is needed. There is no paid fast-track. NACID can give you an official notice that your file is under review to show an employer.

• Treating the certificate as a licence. It is valid only in Bulgaria and does not let you practise; see our Bulgaria country guide for the Ministry of Health route.
• Wrong certification. Check your country's category before you send papers.
• Refusal. NACID refuses where there are substantial differences from Bulgarian state requirements, or where it cannot verify the diploma. A refusal can be appealed under the Administrative Procedure Code.