EUR
Euro
5
5
EUR banknote
5 EUR banknote · Classical gateway
About 5 dollars 40 cents
Bulgaria
travel money guide
Money in Bulgaria
Meet the euro area's newest wallet: brand-new Bulgarian coins, Cyrillic cents, a lev that can still be exchanged and a Sofia transport tap that quietly finds the best fare.
The euro is now Bulgaria's only legal tender. Old lev still has an official exit route, new coins carry Bulgarian stories and Sofia turns a bank card into a remarkably cheap day ticket.
CurrencyEuro
Euro since1 January 2026
Fixed rateEUR 1 = BGN 1.95583
Sofia day capEUR 2 with the same card
Restaurant tipAbout 10% for good service
The quick answer
Should you carry cash in Bulgaria?
Bring a low-fee Visa or Mastercard, a separate backup and a working layer of small euros. The euro has been Bulgaria's only legal tender since 1 February 2026, so old lev belongs at an exchange counter, not a cafe counter.
Cards work smoothly across much of Sofia and larger resorts, but cash still earns its place at markets, guesthouses, small restaurants and rural stops. Through 8 August 2026, many prices still show both lev and euro: read the currency label, not only the larger number.
Turn over the new coinsMadara Horseman rides across every cent; Saint Ivan of Rila appears on EUR 1 and Saint Paisius of Hilendar on EUR 2.
Keep lev out of the spending pocketLev stopped being legal tender on 1 February 2026. Exchange it through an official route at the fixed conversion rate.
Let one card learn your Sofia dayTap the same physical card or the same phone on every ride so the system can aggregate trips and apply the daily cap.
Meet the EUR
Paper money
Euro notes follow an easy architectural colour ladder - grey €5, red €10, blue €20, orange €50, green €100 and yellow €200 - wherever you spend them in Europe.
EUR
Euro
10
10
EUR banknote
10 EUR banknote · Romanesque arch
About 11 dollars
EUR
Euro
20
20
EUR banknote
20 EUR banknote · Gothic windows
About 22 dollars
EUR
Euro
50
50
EUR banknote
50 EUR banknote · Renaissance window
About 54 dollars
EUR
Euro
100
100
EUR banknote
100 EUR banknote · Baroque gateway
About 108 dollars
EUR
Euro
200
200
EUR banknote
200 EUR banknote · Iron and glass
About 216 dollars
The euro banknote theme is imagined European architecture rather than real monuments: windows and gateways move from classical to modern styles, while bridges on the reverse suggest connection. Cash by Country artwork is an original, simplified interpretation and is not legal tender.
Shared currency guide One euro, many destinations See where the euro is used, what stays the same and why the coins change. Explore →
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Go deeper
Bulgaria travel money guides
Bulgaria is the rare destination where a visitor can watch a national wallet change in real time. Meet the new coins, understand the lev's afterlife and make Sofia's payment systems work for you.
01 A new euro with an old soul
Bulgaria's New Euro Notes and Coins
Meet the Madara Horseman, Saint Ivan of Rila and Saint Paisius of Hilendar on Europe's newest national euro coins.
Turn over the new euro 02 The fixed-rate time capsule
The Lev Afterlife
Know where old lev can still be exchanged, why dual prices remain visible and how the official conversion really works.
Give old lev an exit 03 City card, village cash
Cash, Cards and ATMs
Build a mixed wallet for Sofia, the Black Sea, mountain towns, markets and guesthouses without accepting poor conversion.
Build the Bulgarian wallet 04 One card learns the whole day
Tap Sofia
Use one card across metro, tram, trolleybus and bus, unlock the daily cap and read a taxi's windscreen before riding.
Tap through Sofia 05 Ten percent, when deserved
Tipping in Bulgaria
Handle restaurants, cafes, taxis, hotels and guides without letting an old lev-era rule confuse the new euro total.
Tip with confidence 04 One currency, many countries
Where Is the Euro Used?
Meet the euro-area members, agreement countries and de facto users, then see why the notes match while the coins can look local.
Explore the euro
Source desk
The Bulgaria source desk
Sources include the European Commission, Bulgarian National Bank, ECB, Sofia Municipality and official urban-mobility information.