Bulgaria currency in 2026: the euro, old leva, cards and ATMs

Bulgaria’s currency is the euro. The country joined the euro area on 1 January 2026 at a fixed rate of 1 € = 1.95583 leva, and since 1 February 2026 the euro is the only legal tender (ECB). If you still have old leva, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) exchanges them free of charge, in any amount and with no deadline.

Does Bulgaria use euros now?

Yes, everywhere: shops, hotels, taxis, buses and markets in Varna price and accept euros, and euro coins and notes from any euro-area country are valid. Leva and euros circulated together only from 1 to 31 January 2026, with change given in euros. Mandatory dual price labels (leva and euros) ran from 8 August 2025 to 8 August 2026, according to the official euro information site evroto.bg and the European Commission; since then, prices are normally shown in euros only. You may still see an old leva figure on some receipts or menus, but you pay the euro amount.

What can I do with old Bulgarian leva?

• Bulgarian National Bank: free exchange, no limit on amount or time, at the BNB and the cash-services centres in Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Varna and Pleven (BNB Q&A).
• Commercial banks: free until 30 June 2026; from 1 July to 31 December 2026 they may charge a fee, and after that they may stop exchanging leva (as of 2026-10). Amounts over 30,000 leva need three working days’ notice.
• Abroad: some other euro-area central banks exchanged leva only until 2 March 2026 (ECB), so bring them to Bulgaria.

Can I pay by card, and are ATMs expensive?

Cards are widely accepted in Varna’s shops, restaurants and hotels, but keep a little cash for kiosks, markets and small cafés. For euro accounts from EU countries, EU rules say your bank must not charge more for a euro ATM withdrawal in another EU country than for one at home (Your Europe). Fees can still come from the ATM operator itself — read the screen before you confirm, and prefer machines belonging to banks.

If a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency (pounds, lei, lira, złoty), decline and choose euro. This “dynamic currency conversion” usually uses a worse rate than your own bank.

How do I avoid a bad exchange rate?

Exchange offices display buy and sell rates, but the headline rate is not always the one you get. Ask how many euros you will receive in total before handing over cash, count the money at the counter and avoid anyone offering to change money on the street. Major currencies such as US dollars, British pounds and Turkish lira are usually easy to change; hryvnias and roubles far less so, so a bank card or transfer is often the better choice. Cards issued by Russian banks generally do not work in the EU because of sanctions.

Were prices raised because of the euro?

During the changeover, the Euro Adoption Act required price rises to be justified by objective economic factors, and the Consumer Protection Commission (KZP) can check traders. In June 2026 Parliament extended the ban on economically unjustified price rises, now in the Consumer Protection Act, to August 2027. If you think a price was unfairly rounded up, report it to KZP on its hotline 0700 111 22 or online.

Quick plan for visitors

1. Bring a euro or multi-currency card plus a small amount of cash.
2. Always pay in euros, never in your home currency.
3. Change other currencies at a bank or a clearly priced exchange office.
4. Tip about 10% in restaurants for good service — see Bulgarian customs and etiquette.

More: Practical basics for Varna, Is Bulgaria cheap in 2026? and Bulgaria visa and Schengen rules.