Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. Its banknotes are the same notes used throughout the euro area; the national story lives on one side of the coins. All eight Bulgarian circulation coins use Cyrillic lettering and preserve images familiar from the former lev coin series.
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.
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.
Three designs tell one long story
The images intentionally continue motifs from Bulgaria's former circulation coins. The metal, size and common European side changed to euro standards; the cultural memory did not.
The note colors do the quickest sorting
| Note | Main color | Best travel job |
|---|---|---|
| EUR 5 | Grey | Cafes, small tips and market purchases |
| EUR 10 | Red | Lunch, simple tickets and daily gaps |
| EUR 20 | Blue | The most flexible general-purpose note |
| EUR 50 | Orange | Larger meals, groceries and a protected reserve |
| EUR 100 | Green | Planned larger purchases where acceptance is clear |
| EUR 200 | Yellow-brown | Legal, but awkward for everyday travel spending |
Do not confuse circulation coins with collector euros
The Bulgarian National Bank can issue collector euro coins in unusual denominations and precious metals. Those pieces may be legal tender only in Bulgaria and are not designed for ordinary change. The eight standard circulation denominations are the coins to learn for travel.
Old lev is history, not spending money
Lev notes and coins stopped being legal tender on 1 February 2026. Keep any old currency separate and take it to an official exchange route. The fixed conversion is EUR 1 = BGN 1.95583; a souvenir shop or restaurant is not the place to improvise a rate.
Recognition is not authentication
Our illustrations teach color, denomination and visual rhythm. For a real euro note, feel the raised print, look for the watermark and security thread, then tilt for the hologram and changing number effects.