Bulgaria marked its first official euro transactions shortly after the stroke of midnight on January 1, as the country officially adopted the single European currency. According to the payment service provider Borica AD, the very first successful euro withdrawal was recorded at 00:20 at an ATM in the popular seaside resort of Sunny Beach. Earlier, at 00:03, the first euro payment via Borica’s SoftPOS system was completed in Sofia, followed by a successful donation using a virtual POS terminal at 00:04:55.
The transition to the euro proceeded smoothly, with minimal disruption to essential services. Borica credited this to careful preparation, strict scheduling, and strong coordination between institutions, banks, payment service providers, and technology operators overseeing the national payment infrastructure. The company confirmed that card payments, mass payment services, and other electronic transactions were fully adapted to handle euros from the very start.
A BTA inspection also verified that ATMs in several Sofia banks were dispensing euro banknotes just after midnight. As of January 1, euros officially entered circulation in Bulgaria, making the country the 21st member of the eurozone. While both the lev and the euro remain legal tender until the end of January, from February 1 onward, the euro will become the sole currency, as stipulated by the Act on the Introduction of the Euro in Bulgaria.
Cash withdrawals from ATMs will henceforth be available only in euros following the completion of technical adjustments. Throughout 2026, citizens can exchange Bulgarian levs for euros at commercial banks without fees or commissions until mid-year. Afterward, banks may apply conversion charges. Leva can also be converted at branches of Bulgarian Posts, while the Bulgarian National Bank will continue to exchange them for euros free of charge and without any time limit. (Novinite)