The “Native Language and Culture Abroad” programme

The Ministry of Education and Science (MON) national programme “Native Language and Culture Abroad” supports teaching of Bulgarian language and literature, Bulgarian history and geography to children abroad. It is organisations, not parents, that apply: associations of Bulgarians registered in their country, Bulgarian church communities and embassies. Projects are submitted online at world.mon.bg.

per project

up to €20,000

for one school year

per pupil

up to €125

and per university applicant

pupils

min. 10

taught in person

schools

129

supported in 2025/2026

Two ways to get Ministry support

Bulgarian Sunday schools receive state funding in one of two ways, and the two cannot be combined: a school on the Decree No. 90 list cannot apply under Module 1 of the programme.

What the programme funds

The programme has three modules. The total budget for 2026 is about €1 million.

• Module 1 — teaching (€794,000): textbooks, books and teaching materials, shipping books from Bulgaria, rent of premises, teachers’ hours, classes for children aged 4–7 and for university applicants, extra activities — folklore, dance, theatre, local studies, folk costumes and instruments.
• Module 2 — teacher training (€107,500): long courses at Bulgarian state universities — 200 academic hours for qualified teachers and 250 hours for those without a teaching qualification. Graduates receive a certificate of professional qualification.
• Module 3 — sharing good practice (€140,000): forums, master classes, conferences and teaching resources for Bulgarian taught in a foreign-language environment.

Who can apply

• organisations of Bulgarians registered under the law of their country for educational and cultural activity;
• Bulgarian Orthodox church communities abroad;
• Bulgarian embassies and consulates;
• Bulgarian state schools abroad — only for materials and extra activities.

Under Module 2 the beneficiaries are state universities with an agreement with the Ministry; teachers apply to the university, with the approval of the head of their organisation.

Module 1 requirements

• teaching is in person, for at least 10 children and pupils; university-entry courses and extra activities need at least 8 participants;
• hours follow the Ministry’s curricula for teaching abroad — for example 108 to 120 hours a year of Bulgarian in years 1–4;
• a teaching hour is paid up to €15 and rent up to €750;
• the school keeps a register of lessons, parents’ consent forms and a register of certificates issued.

A project may not be funded in a town or district where another Sunday school supported by the Ministry already operates.

Deadlines for 2026/2027

Module 3 proposals are due by 30 September. Unspent or rejected amounts from past years are deducted from later payments.

What pupils receive

Pupils who complete the year receive a certificate of completed tuition in Bulgarian language and literature, history and geography. It is not a school report for a completed year: a Sunday school does not award a level of education.

List of schools

The Minister of Education approves a list of Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad every year, and approved programme projects are published on the Ministry’s website. You can also ask your embassy or consulate about a school near you.