On 8 July 2025, the European Council formally approved Bulgaria's accession to the euro area from 1 January 2026, with a fixed exchange rate of 1 euro = 1.95583 leva.
This is a key milestone for the country's economy, affecting all economic sectors and industries. The transition requires adaptation not only in accounting and administrative processes, but also in communication with customers, partners, employees and institutions.
- What is changing?
From January 1, 2026, the euro will be the only legal tender in Bulgaria.
The BGN will be used in parallel only within 1 month – until January 31, 2026 (only for cash payments).
From August 8, 2025 to December 30, 2026, mandatory dual pricing is introduced – all prices should be displayed simultaneously in BGN and EUR on labels, websites, offers, invoices and fiscal notes.
- What does this mean for business?
By autumn 2025, all systems should be prepared to work in euros:
- Currency setup of fiscal devices and POS terminals;
- Updating accounting and commercial software, online platforms and warehouse systems;
- Recalculation of depreciation, balance sheets and estimates;
- Update billing.
Important: The accounting year 2025 ends in BGN. From January 1, 2026, all accounting operations will be in EUR. Balances, deposits and account liabilities will be automatically converted at the fixed rate – without commission from banks.
- Cash exchange
Free of charge, in unlimited quantities and without time limit – at the Bulgarian National Bank. Commercial banks will accept BGN for exchange into euros without a fee until the end of June 2026, after which there will be limited access and possible fees. Recommended:
- to plan cash holdings, especially in cash;
- to minimize the use of BGN cash registers by the end of 2025.
Financial aspects
1) Contracts
All existing contracts in BGN remain in force, and the amounts will be recalculated in euros from January 1, 2026.
2) Promotional campaigns
From August 8, 2025, in case of announcements about a decrease in the prices of goods and services, which is expressed in absolute value or as a percentage, the trader can make a double indication of the prices of goods and services only in relation to the final price paid by the consumer.
3) Rents, leases, loans
Existing leases of equipment, cars or premises will be automatically recalculated, without changing the terms and interest rates.
4) Pricing and rounding
All prices should be recalculated accurately, without hidden price increases. The price in BGN is divided by the official exchange rate (with five decimal places). Rounding is done according to the following principle - the resulting amount is rounded to the second decimal place, and if the third place is below 5 - the second decimal place remains unchanged. If the third character is 5 or more – the second character is increased by 1.
The law prohibits price increases due to conversion.
Customers will have the right to report suspected abuse of the transition.
5) Special recommendations for businesses
Contact your accountant and lawyer – for a conversion action plan and preparation of documentation.
Update price lists, websites, menus and labels – from August 8, 2025, all values should be displayed in both BGN and EUR.
Inform your staff and patients about the change by showing understanding and responsibility.
If you would like personalised legal or accounting advice on the transition to the euro, we are available.
attorney-at-law Katrin Mitova
attorney-at-law Valentin Savov
Savov & Partners Law Firm
