Money: Bulgaria and the euro

Since 1 January 2026 the euro has been Bulgaria's currency. During January both currencies circulated: shops took lev but gave change only in euros, to drain the old notes out of use. After 31 January the lev could no longer be used for payments. Shops had to show prices in both currencies from 8 August 2025 until 8 August 2026, so you may still see some double price tags, but the euro figure is the one that counts.

For a visitor, the practical effect is simple: euros you bring from elsewhere in the euro area work in Bulgaria, and cards issued in euros incur no currency conversion. Older guidebooks, blogs and price lists quote leva; divide by 1.95583 to get euros, or roughly halve the figure for a quick estimate.

According to the UK Foreign Office, lev could be exchanged free of charge at Bulgarian banks until 30 June 2026. Banka Slovenije, the central bank of Slovenia, explained in 2025 that anyone wishing to exchange lev for euros from March 2026 onwards would be able to do so in Bulgaria under conditions set by the Bulgarian National Bank. Outside Bulgaria, options are few: Banka Slovenije itself exchanged lev notes only in January and February 2026, and said Slovenian commercial banks do not exchange them.

If you have old notes, check the Bulgarian National Bank's current conditions before you travel. Banka Slovenije did not exchange coins, or banknotes of series issued before 1999, which are no longer legal tender.

Card terminals and cash machines abroad sometimes offer to charge you in your home currency instead of the local one. Since Bulgaria now uses the euro, the local currency on the screen should be EUR. If you are offered a choice, find out beforehand what your own bank charges for euro payments, so you can compare it with the conversion offered on the screen before accepting it.

Keep receipts until you have checked your statement, especially for larger amounts and for card payments in bars and clubs, where the UK Foreign Office reports overcharging. If a card is declined, try another rather than handing it out of sight.

If you enter or leave the EU through Bulgaria carrying EUR 10,000 or more in cash or travellers' cheques, you must declare it. You will receive a certified declaration showing you brought it in; without it, the money could be seized when you leave.