Bulgaria is scheduled to adopt the euro on 1 January 2026 (the “€-day”).
For businesses, this is not just a “currency switch” — it triggers mandatory dual pricing, system changes, cash/payment rules, and (crucially) a corporate documents update to convert registered capital into euro.
Below is a practical, Bulgaria-specific guide with the key rules, dates, and what you must do.
1) The fixed exchange rate (BGN → EUR)
The conversion rate is irrevocably fixed at:
1 EUR = 1.95583 BGN
Everything (prices, capital, balances, accounting figures) is converted using this rate, then rounded according to the Law on the Introduction of the Euro
2) The most important deadlines
Key milestones at a glance
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8 July 2025 – EU Council approval (formal accession decision)
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8 August 2025 → 8 August 2026 – Mandatory dual display of prices (BGN + EUR) for one year
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1 January 2026 – €-day (euro introduced; lev accounts convert; dual circulation begins)
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1–31 January 2026 – Dual circulation: lev + euro cash are both legal tender (special cash/change rules apply)
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1 February 2026 – Euro becomes the sole legal tender
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Corporate documents deadline: within 12 months after €-day, i.e. by 31 December 2026, companies must update and file their articles/statutes to reflect capital in euro
Note: the Commission’s Q&A also describes the dual-pricing window as starting after the Council decision and ending 12 months after €-day (Bulgaria’s implementation is reflected in the 8 Aug 2025–8 Aug 2026 dates above).
3) Dual pricing: what Bulgarian businesses must do (8 Aug 2025 – 8 Aug 2026)
During the dual-display period, you must show selling prices in both BGN and EUR:
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clearly and legibly,
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side by side,
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using the same font/size/colour for both currencies.
This affects:
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physical price tags and menus,
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websites and e-commerce product pages,
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quotes and commercial communications,
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invoices/receipts (where applicable under the rules/guidelines)
“Price control” risk
From 8 Aug 2025, unjustified price increases can trigger fines; increases should be objectively explainable (costs, supplier changes, etc.)
4) Cash and payments during January 2026 (dual circulation month)
In January 2026, both currencies can be used in cash payments, but there are strict consumer-facing rules:
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mixed payments (some BGN + some EUR) may be allowed, but traders can set whether they accept them;
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change should be given in EUR (and only if euro cash is insufficient, change may be given in BGN).
5) Accounting, invoicing and systems: what to update before €-day
Your systems must be euro-ready before 1 Jan 2026, including:
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ERP/accounting base currency settings,
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invoicing templates and numbering logic,
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POS/cash registers and receipt formatting,
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payroll calculations,
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bank file formats and integrations,
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e-commerce pricing, discounts, vouchers, subscriptions.
ECB’s changeover milestones explicitly note that lev bank accounts are automatically converted into euro on €-day.
6) Corporate governance: converting registered capital & updating Articles of Association (critical)
What happens automatically
On €-day, the Commercial Register is expected to reflect converted capital values (i.e., amounts expressed in BGN become EUR using the fixed rate and rounding rules).
What does not happen automatically
Even if the register shows the converted numbers, companies must still adopt and file updated corporate documents (depending on legal form):
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OOD/EOOD: updated Articles of Association / company agreement with capital and partners’ shares in EUR
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AD: updated Statute with capital and nominal value of shares in EUR
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other forms: founding acts/statutes updated accordingly
Deadline to update Articles of Association / Statute
Within 12 months after 1 January 2026 → deadline: 31 December 2026.
7) Practical compliance checklist (what to do now)
Pricing & customer-facing
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Build a dual-price engine (BGN master → EUR conversion + rounding).
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Prepare new menus/price lists/labels and website templates.
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Create a short internal policy: how rounding is applied and how discounts are shown.
Finance & operations
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Run a full sandbox test: invoice, refund, partial payment, subscription renewal, voucher redemption.
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Update POS and fiscal devices to print both currencies where required.
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Coordinate with suppliers/marketplaces on currency fields and settlement.
Corporate/legal
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Map your legal form (OOD/EOOD/AD etc.) and prepare:
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shareholder/partners resolution template,
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updated Articles/Statute in EUR,
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filing package for the Commercial Register.
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Schedule this work for Q1–Q3 2026, not December.
We can assist you for a smooth migration by preparing and filling the necessary documents to the Commercial Register.
Contact us today!