Central bank will provide first euro banknotes to Bulgarian banks from November 1
From November 1, central Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) will provide the first euro banknotes to Bulgarian banks, which will then be able to supply everyone with the necessary quantities by December 31, Georgi Chanev, chief director of BNB’s Issue Department told an information meeting in Haskovo on September 30.
The meeting was part of a series across Bulgaria, launched on September 2, to provide information to the public ahead of the country adopting the euro as its currency as of January 1 2026.
“The most important question for everyone is whether there are enough euro and how the supply of people and businesses will be implemented,” Chanev said, according to a statement on the evroto.bg website.
“The key dates are related to this: from November 1 2025, literally in a month, we will provide the first euro banknotes to Bulgarian banks, which will have sufficient logistical freedom to supply everyone with the necessary quantities by December 31,” he said.
“By comparison, this period in Croatia was only two weeks,” he said, referring to Croatia’s accession to the euro, which took place as of January 1 2023.
Chanev said out that all participants in the process – commercial banks, Bulgarian Posts and BNB – will ensure that all entities along the chain are provided with sufficient supplies of banknotes and coins so that the transition is normal and smooth.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Doncho Barbalov said that Bulgaria was already feeling the positive effect of the upcoming accession to the single European currency – Bulgaria’s rating was raised immediately after the decision to admit Bulgaria to the euro zone.
“The introduction of the euro – these are additional opportunities that we must take advantage of. We will become part of a large market of 340 million people, in over 20 countries,” Barbalov said.
He said that Bulgarian institutions and businesses are ready for the introduction of the euro.
“The Ministry of Economy and Industry is focusing its efforts on inter-institutional dialogue – organising talks between regulators – the Competition Protection Commission, the Consumer Protection Commission and the National Revenue Agency on the one hand, and also with consumers and business representatives, on the other,” Barbalov said.
“We hold regular meetings and discuss problems, seek solutions and I think that at this stage things are developing extremely well.
“The good news is that during the preliminary checks that are currently being carried out, almost no cases of incorrect double labeling have been found,” Barbalov said.
For reliable official information on Bulgaria’s transition to the euro, the Association of Banks in Bulgaria has a Q and A, in English.
The official evroto.bg website has an English-language version, while the European Commission made available on July 8 a Q and A on Bulgaria’s changeover to the euro.
(Photo: BNB)
