Bulgarian banks have confirmed today that all ATMs in the country will dispense euros from January 1, 2026, officially beginning the country’s transition to the common European currency.
Nikola Bakalov, a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Bulgarian Banks, said that citizens will be able to withdraw euros directly from ATMs from the first morning of the coming year, the Novinite portal reports.
He reminded the public that citizens who have large amounts of Bulgarian levs in cash can pay them into their accounts.
Deposits will be automatically converted into euros at the official exchange rate of 1.95583 BGN to the euro, at midnight between December 31 and January 1. This approach allows citizens to exchange their leva for euros effortlessly and for free.
The conversion will be free even after January 1 and at the same fixed exchange rate, but citizens should not wait until the last moment because of the crowds, Bakalov noted.
Until the end of the year, he emphasized, the Bulgarian lev will remain the official currency in Bulgaria, and all transactions and payments can be safely made in levs.
By adopting the euro from the beginning of next year, Bulgaria will achieve greater prosperity and security and strengthen its role in the European Union, President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde said last week in Sofia.
The disappearance of conversion costs will save companies about one billion leva per year, she added.
