Irina Papancheva was born in the Bulgarian city of Burgas. She graduated from the “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” high school in Burgas where she specialized in literature, then continued her education at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” where she earned a master’s degree in Slavonic studies, focused on Czech language and literature, and completed her education at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium, where she got a master’s degree in European integration and development, majoring European politics and social integration.