Overview
- Bulgaria became the 21st member of the eurozone on January 1, completing a years-long integration process.
- The conversion rate is fixed at 1.95583 leva per euro, with both currencies accepted for cash payments through January 31 and the euro the sole legal tender from February 1.
- Retail prices continue to be displayed in both leva and euros until August 8, 2026, with euro-only pricing starting August 9.
- The Bulgarian National Bank will exchange leva into euros indefinitely at no cost, while banks and some post offices offer free exchanges until June 30, 2026, with services allowed to end by December 31, 2026.
- The switch follows the early-December resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov after mass protests, with spring elections expected, public opposition to the euro measured at 49%, and authorities and the ECB pledging vigilance as past euro adoptions lifted inflation by roughly 0.2–0.4 percentage points temporarily.