Online School & Homeschool in Sofia

Online school and homeschool in Sofia

For Sofia families from Lozenets to Boyana — live Cambridge delivery on the same clock as our teaching base, beside the country's only international tier.

Live online Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A-Level, Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma Programme, and American Curriculum with Advanced Placement (AP) for Sofia families. Sofia carries Bulgaria's corporate weight and one of Europe's largest outsourcing and technology sectors — global service centres, engineering teams, and a startup scene that has pulled a substantial diaspora home from Germany, Spain, the UK, and the US. It also holds essentially all of the country's international schooling: the Anglo-American School of Sofia, the American College of Sofia, Zlatarski, St George, and the French, German, and Italian lycées, at capital-city fees. Bulgarian law offers a genuine home-study route — самостоятелна форма — but it is granted by a regional commission and supervised every term, and families deserve to hear that before they apply. Smartious delivers the international pathways live, planned honestly around it.

Challenges Sofia families face

The international tier is concentrated in the capital and priced accordingly, with waitlists at popular entry points.
The parental route into independent study requires a decision by an expert commission at the Regional Education Directorate — it is not a notification.
That commission, which includes a Social Assistance Agency representative, supervises the examination sessions and results every school term.
Annual examinations run in every subject of the school curriculum, in Bulgarian, and a student may only progress after passing all of the previous grade's exams.
Time zone: Bulgaria runs EET (UTC+2) / EEST (UTC+3 summer) — 0-1 hours behind Nairobi EAT, and in summer Sofia and Nairobi share the same clock.

Why Sofia families choose Smartious

The commission route described before it is recommended: Independent study in Bulgaria is granted by a regional expert commission and supervised every term. We say so plainly, and for most families we recommend the simpler supplementary configuration instead.
The Cambridge track beside a capital-priced tier: Live small-group teaching from USD 5,076 a year — the alternative, the waitlist bridge, or the supplement beside an existing enrolment.
The same clock as our teaching base in summer: Bulgaria is 0-1 hours behind Nairobi EAT, so live classes land squarely in the Sofia afternoon — no late-night lessons.
Built for a rotating capital: Sofia now, Bucharest, Warsaw, or Dubai next — the curriculum, teachers, and examination board stay constant across the posting.
The window after sixteen: Compulsory school age ends at sixteen, so the A-Level years fall outside the obligation entirely.

Bulgaria does provide a home-study route, and it is more structured than most families expect. Самостоятелна форма на обучение — the independent form — consists of independent preparation plus examinations to determine annual grades in every subject of the school curriculum, with the day-form curriculum applying. It is organised for three groups: students of compulsory school age who cannot attend for certified health reasons; students of compulsory school age at the request of the student or parent under Art. 12(2) of the Preschool and School Education Act, following a decision of an expert commission established at the Regional Education Directorate; and students past compulsory school age. The parental route therefore turns on a commission decision rather than a notification — and the oversight is the part to understand before applying: for that category, the РУО commission, which includes a representative of the Social Assistance Agency, controls the organisation and conduct of the examination sessions and their results every school term. The school runs the sessions, students apply to sit at least ten days beforehand, consultation hours are provided, and a student may only sit the next grade's examinations after passing all of the previous grade's. Switching into this route mid-year is not available for the parent-request category. Because of all that, our clean default in Bulgaria is supplementary — an ordinary day-form enrolment carries everything, and the Cambridge track runs live alongside — and families considering the commission route should confirm current requirements with their school and their РУО.

Premium tier includes optional in-person home tuition supplementation for Sofia families during examination preparation periods, subject to associate teacher availability.

Live online via Smartious LMS. Classes land squarely in the Sofia afternoon — Bulgaria is 0-1 hours behind Nairobi EAT, the same clock in summer — with every session recorded for unlimited rewatch.

Sofia holds one of Europe's largest outsourcing and IT sectors, Bulgaria's diplomatic and corporate centre, and essentially all the country's international schooling — inside a framework where independent study is granted by a regional expert commission and supervised each term. Bulgaria runs EET (UTC+2) / EEST (UTC+3), 0-1 hours behind Nairobi EAT.

Family situations we work with

IT, outsourcing, and shared-services families across the capital's global centres.
Diplomatic, institutional, and corporate families on rotation.
Families outside the international tier's fees or capacity, supplementing a Bulgarian enrolment.
Bulgarian families in самостоятелна форма who want an externally examined track behind it.
Returning diaspora families from Germany, Spain, the UK, and the US.
Students past compulsory school age running the full A-Level phase.

Sofia communities and nearby areas

Lozenets · Boyana and Dragalevtsi · Mladost · Studentski grad · Bankya · Pancharevo · Sofia Tech Park

Common questions from Sofia families

Is homeschooling legal in Bulgaria?

There is a lawful route — самостоятелна форма на обучение — but it is not a notification. For a student of compulsory school age at the parent's request, it requires a decision by an expert commission at the Regional Education Directorate, and that commission (including a Social Assistance Agency representative) supervises the examination sessions and results every school term. The student sits annual examinations in every subject of the school curriculum.

What do you recommend for most families?

The supplementary configuration: your child stays in an ordinary day-form enrolment, which carries every legal obligation and needs no commission, while Smartious teaches Cambridge or IB subjects live in the after-school slot toward external examinations.

Can we switch into independent study mid-year?

Not on the parent-request route — that is a start-of-year decision. Mid-year switching is available for students turning sixteen in that year or on newly arisen circumstances. Confirm the current rules with your school and РУО.

How does Smartious compare with AAS Sofia, the American College, or Zlatarski?

They are established campuses with in-person culture and a local peer group we cannot replicate. Smartious runs live small-group teaching from USD 5,076 a year — the supplement, the bridge while a place is found, or the alternative for families outside those fees.

Where do Sofia students sit Cambridge examinations?

At authorised centres confirmed per family per session, with regional options where local capacity is limited.

Guides for families in Bulgaria

What parents say

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“Smartious eSchool is exceptional. Professional, caring tutors who truly understand their students and deliver results. Lessons are engaging, personalized, and well-structured, creating a supportive environment where learners thrive. If you want quality education and real academic progress, this is the place to go.” — Derrick A., Google review