Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, and the lev stopped being legal tender on 1 February 2026. The fixed conversion was 1 euro = 1.95583 leva, so old prices halve, roughly, when you convert them in your head.
Cards are accepted almost everywhere in towns and resorts. Cash still matters in villages, at small monasteries, for parking attendants and at some mountain huts. Withdraw from bank ATMs rather than the standalone machines in tourist streets, and always decline the machine's offer to "convert to your home currency" — that conversion is set by the machine's operator and is never in your favour.
Tipping is not obligatory. Rounding up, or about ten per cent for a good meal, is normal. Some restaurants add a service charge; check the bill before adding more.
Leftover lev banknotes can still be exchanged at the Bulgarian National Bank, without a time limit. The six-month window for exchanging them at commercial banks closed at the end of June 2026.
