Bulgaria and the euro: 81% of leva cash withdrawn – central bank
As of February 6, a total of 81 per cent of leva in banknotes and coins had been withdrawn, according to a regular weekly report by central Bulgarian National Bank (BNB).
Following the January 2026 temporary dual circulation period in which euro and leva both were legal tender in Bulgaria, as of February 1 only the euro is legal tender.
BNB said that as of February 6, euro banknotes and coins worth more than 6.7 billion euro had been put into circulation, ensuring the normal functioning of the payment system and servicing the economy and the population.
BNB will for an indefinite period exchange leva banknotes and coins for euro, free of charge, at the official fixed exchange rate.
Until June 30 2026, commercial banks will exchange leva banknotes and coins for euro at the official exchange rate, free of charge, with no limit on the quantity. However, for amounts of more than 30 000 leva, three days advance notice is required. After that date, commercial banks will be entitled to charge for the service, if they choose to do so.
Hristo Markov, executive director of the National Revenue Agency, told bTV on February 7 that since inspections by the agency for violations of the Euro Adoption Act began, 6882 had been done, with 78 fines handed out, adding up to 215 000 euro.
The fines were for unjustified price increases, Markov said.
“The mass inspections are at grocery stores, but where the most unjustified price increases are found are services,” he said.
“Yesterday I was told about such a case in Varna – from 800 leva the service became 800 euro.
“The most violations are at the places for annual technical inspections of cars – there were again striking cases and we will take more serious action there. There were cases of a 600 per cent increase in the districts, not in Sofia,” Markov said.
