Bulgaria and the Euro: Dual Pricing Starting August 8, 2025—Everything You Need to Know.

Introduction

On August 8, 2025, Bulgaria officially began its preparations to join the Eurozone with the enactment of the Law on the Introduction of the Euro. This important step, part of the process of adopting the euro as the official currency on January 1, 2026, introduces mandatory dual pricing and dual-currency receipts in Bulgarian levs (BGN) and euros (EUR). Here’s what you need to know about the new requirements, the grace period, and what lies ahead.

The Official Decision and Key Dates

The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) adopted the last three legal acts, thereby successfully concluding the approval process. On July 8, 2025, the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council officially approved Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone effective January 1, 2026. The official exchange rate was also set: 1 euro = 1.95583 leva.

Key stages in the process:

If the process of introducing the euro can be divided into stages, here are the main ones:
Stage 1: Preparatory—completed (by August 8, 2025)

• Fulfillment of the Maastricht criteria
• Entry into ERM II in July 2020
• Adoption of legislation and approvals by the EU
• July 8, 2025 - The EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) unanimously adopted the final decision on Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone. The official exchange rate was also set: 1 euro = 1.95583 leva
• Preparation of cash registers and IT systems
• Information campaigns

Phase 2: Dual pricing (August 8, 2025 – August 8, 2026)

• August 8, 2025 – Mandatory dual pricing begins. evroto.bg
• Mandatory display of prices in both currencies
• Consumer and business adaptation to the euro
• Control over pricing
• October 8, 2025 - Grace period ends; fines begin
• August 8, 2026 – The mandatory dual-pricing period ends, and only the euro remains. evroto.bg, kdp-law.com

Stage 3: Official Introduction (January 1, 2026)

• January 1, 2026 – Bulgaria officially joins the eurozone
• The euro becomes the official currency
• Automatic conversion of bank accounts
• Dual circulation of banknotes and coins begins

Stage 4: Dual circulation (January 1–January 31, 2026)

• Both currencies are legal tender
• Merchants will give change only in euros if you pay in leva
• Free currency exchange at banks continues

Stage 5: Completion (after February 1, 2026)

• January 31, 2026 – The dual circulation period ends; the euro remains the sole official currency. bnb
• The euro remains the sole official currency
• Free currency exchange at the BNB continues indefinitely
• At banks and post offices—free exchange for up to 6 months, then subject to a fee

Bulgaria is currently in Stage 2 or Phase 2—the dual-pricing period, which officially began on August 8, 2025. This phase will last one year and is intended to help consumers and businesses gradually adapt to the new currency before its official introduction on January 1, 2026.

Dual Pricing: Requirements and Rules

Key Obligations

Price tags must display both prices in the same font, but there is no requirement for either to be the primary one—whether in leva or in euros. All merchants offering goods and services to consumers are required to display prices simultaneously in leva and euros.

Technical requirements:

• Prices in both currencies must be displayed in close proximity
• Use of the same font size, style, and color
• Clear, legible, and unambiguous labeling
• Currency symbols (лв./BGN and €/EUR) must be included

Summary:

• Format: Prices must be in the same font, legible, and placed side by side (e.g., “Bread: 2.00 BGN / 1.02 €”). There is no requirement regarding the order of the currencies.
• Period: Dual pricing will be mandatory until December 31, 2026, to help consumers get used to the euro.

Receipts

• Requirements: All receipts and system printouts must show the total amount in both currencies (BGN and EUR), as well as the official conversion rate (1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN).
• Example:

  …
  Bread: 2.00 BGN
  Milk: 3.50 BGN
  Total: 5.50 BGN.
  Total in EUR: 2.81 €
  Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN
  …

• Requirement: All businesses that deal with consumers must comply with this requirement.

Currency Conversion Rules

BGN to EUR Converters:

• https://psdox.com/trz/bgn2eur
• https://accdox.com/bgn2eur
• https://accdox.com/tools/bgn2eur
• https://evroto.bg

The conversion is performed according to strictly regulated rules—the amount in leva is divided by the official exchange rate of 1.95583, without rounding during the calculation. The resulting amount in euros is rounded to the second decimal place using the standard mathematical method, or: if less than 5—no change; 5 or more—round up.

Examples of correct currency conversion:

Price in leva: 5.00 BGN
Calculation: 5.00 ÷ 1.95583 = 2.55646…
Rounding: 2.56 €
Final result: 5.00 BGN / 2.56 €

Price in BGN: 5.50 BGN
Calculation: 5.50 ÷ 1.95583 = 2.81211…
Rounding: 2.81 €
Final result: 5.50 BGN / 2.81 €

Grace Period and Penalties

Merchants are granted a two-month grace period to bring their cash register software and systems into compliance. Until October 8, 2025, merchants will not be fined for non-compliance.

What the grace period includes:

• Duration: August 8 through October 8, 2025.
• Purpose: adaptation of cash registers, labels, and software
• Enforcement: written warnings instead of fines

Penalties after October 8, 2025:

As of October 8, 2025, violations of dual labeling requirements will be subject to sanctions in accordance with applicable law. Monitoring and enforcement will be carried out by the competent authorities, which may impose administrative measures, enforcement orders, and other appropriate actions depending on the nature and severity of the violation. Entities have the right toappeal the imposed measures in accordance with the procedure provided by law; for specific procedures and amounts, see the official text of the amendments in the “State Gazette” and the publications of the competent supervisory authorities.

Exceptions to Dual Labeling

The law provides for several exceptions to the rule:

• Books and educational materials—dual labeling takes effect on January 1, 2026.
• Taxi services — the requirement takes effect on October 31, 2025.
• Labels from electronic scales and self-service machines
• Invoices, credit and debit slips

Price control and consumer protection

The period of dual pricing of goods and services in euros and levs will begin on August 8 of this year and will continue until August 8, 2026. During this period, strict controls will be enforced to prevent unjustified price increases.

The government will be able to intervene in the event of a sharp price increase for essential goods and services, and large retailers will publish daily prices for essential goods online to ensure transparency.

Practical Advice for Businesses

For retailers and service providers:

• Updating cash registers by October 8, 2025.
• Preparing new labels and price tags
• Training staff on the new requirements
• Checking accounting software systems

For consumers:

• Getting used to prices in euros
• Checking receipts for the correct exchange rate
• Reporting violations to the Commission for Consumer Protection

Consumer protection and prevention of price gouging

The law explicitly stipulates that the introduction of the euro cannot lead to an unjustified increase in the prices of goods and services, unless this is justified by real economic factors. In practice, this means two basic principles:

• First, when prices are converted, citizens must not be placed in a financially worse position;
• second, any increase in the consumer’s final cost must be justified.

Against this backdrop, the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC), the National Revenue Agency (NRA), the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC), and the Ministry of the Interior have launched coordinated inspections and communication efforts to prevent unfair commercial practices and speculative price increases. The chairpersons of the CPC and the CPC stated that they will not allow the “euro” to be used as an excuse for unjustified price increases, and will use all legal mechanisms to protect consumers.

During the transition periods (dual pricing and dual circulation), you can use the special channels for reporting violations—the CPC’s mobile app, the website “About the Euro in Bulgaria,” or the CPC’s regional offices. In the event of a complaint, regulators may request information from merchants regarding their pricing policies and, if necessary, impose sanctions after the grace period expires. It is important for consumers to know their rights: currency conversion is free of charge for them, and merchants may not mislead end consumers regarding price amounts

What’s Next for Consumers, Step by Step:

• Payments: Until January 31, 2026, you can pay in stores with leva or euros. After that—only with euros.
• Prices: You’ll see prices in both currencies on labels, menus, and websites. This allows you to see how much an item costs in leva (at the fixed exchange rate) and choose which currency to pay with.
• Change: When shopping in January 2026, if you pay in leva, you will receive your change in euros. As a rule, change is given in euros during the dual circulation period; however, there are exceptions (for example, if there is no euro cash available).
• Exchange: If you have leva after the end of January 2026, you can easily exchange them for euros. The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) will exchange them free of charge and without limits; practices at banks and post offices vary — many institutions offer free exchange for the first ~6 months, but this is not a universal rule.
• Money in Accounts: Bank accounts in leva will be automatically converted to euros at the fixed exchange rate. After January 1, 2026, all withdrawals and deposits will be made in euros, with no additional fees

Sources: BNB, CPC

Historical Significance

The adoption of the euro marks the culmination of an 18-year process that began with Bulgaria’s accession to the EU in 2007.
“Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, congratulated Bulgaria in a European Commission press release (June 4, 2025) European Commission, X (formerly Twitter):

• [EN] “Bulgaria will take its rightful place in shaping the decisions at the heart of the euro area. Congratulations, Bulgaria!”
• [BG] “Bulgaria will take its rightful place in shaping the decisions at the heart of the euro area. Congratulations, Bulgaria!”

For the first time in its history, our country will have a currency that is both national and European, which strengthens our position within the European economic and political project.

Conclusion

Dual pricing, effective August 8, 2025, is an important step in Bulgaria’s preparations for joining the eurozone. The two-month grace period allows businesses to adapt, after which penalties for violators will take effect. This process will last one year and will help ensure a smooth transition to the euro as the official currency starting January 1, 2026.

Sources:

• BNB – Questions and Answers About the Euro
• ECB - Bulgaria Joins the Euro Area
• European Commission - Bulgaria Meets the Criteria
• Business.dir.bg - Grace Period
• Lex.bg
• Parliament.bg

The data and facts in thearticle are current as of August 14, 2025.