In recent decades Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy plays active role in international maritime community. It is connected primarily with contracts for bilateral cooperation with other naval academies and maritime institutions in the USA, Canada, Asia, Australia, Europe.

Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy maintains active, fruitful and successful contacts with Naval Academy in Gdynia, Poland; Odessa National Maritime University in Ukraine;State Maritime Academy “Makarov” in Russia; Turkish Naval Academy in Tuzla and Istanbul Technical University; Romanian Naval Academy “Mircea cel Batran” and maritime University in Constanta, Romania; Italian naval Academy in Livorno; Hellenic Naval Academy in Piraeus; Maine Maritime Academy, and Naval Academy, Annapolis, USA.

Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy is a member of several prestigious international organizations and structures: International Consortium of military academies and scientific institutes in matters of security and defense, whose membership includes more than 200 organizations from 40 countries of the Euro-Atlantic Council partnership. The Naval Academy is co-founder and a member of the International Maritime Association – IAMU. Academy’s leadership and teachers regularly participate in the General Assembly of the Association held in different parts of the world. The Naval Academy is also a member of the International Association of Teachers of Marine Science – IMLA.

Representatives from the Naval Academy have participated in various international forums in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, Middle East. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan adopted a resolution on granting full rights of sea captains and engineers, graduates of the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy to sail onboard Japanese ships.

Graduates of the Naval Academy – cadets and students regularly participate in educational and craft practical activities of Polish, US, Italian and Romanian navies with which it has traditional ties. Cadets and students successfully participate in international competitions, regattas and other maritime events.

Naval Academy supports more than ten years of distance learning postgraduate programs for ship agents and brokers, together with the Institute for charter brokers London.

Since 2010, the Naval Academy works on an international project MarTEL Plus – an EU program LifeLong Learning Programme – Leonardo da Vinci, online tests in English for seafarers.

The International office monitors the “best practices” in terms of diplomatic protocol.