Update — September 2026. Written before the changeover, in the future tense. It has happened: Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. The article has been rewritten to describe where things now stand, eight months in.
Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 at the irrevocably fixed rate of 1.95583 leva to one euro. Lev and euro cash circulated side by side for January only; since 1 February 2026 the euro has been the sole legal tender.
What is already finished
- Dual price display ended on 8 August 2026. Prices, receipts and price lists are in euro only from 9 August. A lev equivalent may still be shown voluntarily, for information.
- Bank accounts, loans, salaries, pensions and savings were converted automatically at the fixed rate. Nothing had to be re-signed, and contracts stayed valid on their existing terms.
- Free cash exchange at commercial banks ended on 30 June 2026. Banks and post offices may stop exchanging leva altogether after 31 December 2026. The Bulgarian National Bank exchanges lev banknotes and coins free of charge, with no time limit — so old cash in a drawer is never lost, it just has to go to the central bank eventually.
- Accounting and tax reporting moved to euro for periods from 1 January 2026. Returns for 2025 were completed in leva while the tax was paid in euro, which is why last spring’s forms looked odd.
What is still open for companies
The one obligation still outstanding is the share capital in your articles of association. The figure in the Commercial Register was converted automatically by the Registry Agency, at no cost and with no application, so the register already shows euro. Your founding document, however, still says leva until you amend it.
That deadline has just moved. It was 31 December 2026; on 8 September 2026 an amendment extended it to 31 December 2028. The same amendment removed the trap that had worried accountants all summer: filing your annual financial statements, a beneficial-owner declaration or a pledge no longer forces you to produce the euro version at the same time. The obligation now bites only when you amend your founding document anyway — changing the company’s name, its seat, its partners or its capital.
Restating the capital is free of state fee, and companies whose shares no longer divide cleanly may make a one-off adjustment of up to 5% without the usual creditor-protection procedure.
Converting leva to euro
The rate is fixed by law and will not change again: 1 euro = 1.95583 leva, so one lev is about 0.51 euro. Amounts are converted at the full rate and only the result is rounded to the cent; a rounded intermediate rate such as 1.96 is not permitted. Read old contracts, invoices and price lists in leva accordingly: divide the amount by 1.95583. For quick conversions there is our lev–euro calculator.
Consumer price protection continues
The ban on economically unjustified price increases connected with the changeover is enforced by the Consumer Protection Commission until 9 August 2027, with substantial fines for businesses. If you set retail prices, that regime still applies to you.
What to do now
If you are not amending your articles for another reason, you have until the end of 2028 and no urgency. If you are changing your address, your manager’s powers or your ownership, restate the capital in euro at the same time and pay one fee instead of two. Either way, check that any lev totals have come off your receipts and price lists, and clear out lev petty cash at the central bank.
Talk to us if you would like us to prepare the restatement with your next registry filing.