Admission of full-time and part-time doctoral students for the 2025–2026 academic year

The Institute for the State and the Law at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences announces admission of full-time and part-time doctoral students for the 2025 – 2026 academic year in accordance with Decision No 394 of the Council of Ministers of 18.06.2025.

(State Gazette, No 24/06.03.2026)

Documents required for application:

1. Application addressed to the Director of the Institute for the State and the Law (the ISL template may also be used) – stating the doctoral programme, the form of study and the foreign language in which the candidate will sit the second competition examination; (Download the template HERE)

2. Curriculum vitae;

3. Diploma for the educational and qualification degree of “Master” in the specialty of “Law” for the doctoral programmes in “Law” and, respectively, “Master” for the doctoral programme “International Law and International Relations”, together with its supplement (a notarised copy of the diploma and the supplement) or a certificate from the higher education institution attesting completed education, with an overall grade on the diploma / certificate of no less than Very Good 4.50;

4. Certificate of recognition of higher education, if the diploma was issued by a foreign higher education institution;

5. Medical certificate;

6. Criminal record certificate;

7. List of publications (if any);

8. Proof of payment of a fee of EUR 20.45 (twenty euro and forty-five euro cents) to the BAS Training Centre (Sofia, 125 Tsarigradsko Shose Blvd, Block 26B, 2nd floor, tel. 02/987 3167, 0882 712466);

Bank account: UNI CREDIT BULBANK

IBAN: BG12UNCR 96603120 715116

Payment reference: Такса Канд.Докт.Изпит

9. Proof of payment by bank transfer of a fee of EUR 20.45 (twenty euro and forty-five euro cents) to the ISL-BAS:

Institute for the State and the Law, BAS

UniCredit Bulbank, Batenberg branch – Sofia

IBAN: BG46 UNCR 9660 3119 9026 14

BIC: UNCRBGSF

Please do not pay the fee to the BAS Training Centre (item 8) into the ISL account!

10. Declaration pursuant to § 5 of the Supplementary Provisions of Decree of the Council of Ministers No 90 of 26.05.2000 – only for candidates for full-time study! (Download the template HERE)

11. Other documents at the candidate’s discretion, without notarisation.

Within two months of 06.03.2026 candidates shall submit an application to participate in the competition addressed to the Director of the Institute for the State and the Law – Sofia, 4 Serdika Str., 3rd floor.

For enquiries: tel. 02/987 4902, 0878 891135.

All candidates will be notified in writing of their admission (or of the refusal to admit them to the competition and the reasons for it) by 15.05.2026.

The examinations will be held: in the specialty from 15 to 19.06.2026 at the Institute for the State and the Law (Sofia, 4 Serdika Str.), in foreign languages from 22 to 26.06.2026 at the BAS Training Centre.

Candidates who pass the competition examinations successfully are those who obtain a grade in the specialty examination (written and oral) of no less than Very Good 5.00 and, in a Western language, of no less than Good 4.00.