Starting in November, euro banknotes and coins will be offered for purchase to businesses and citizens before entering the eurozone on January 1, 2026. Traders will have to obtain euro banknotes and coins in order to be able to return change in the single currency, the Bulgarian National Bank website reports.

Until the date of the introduction of the euro, the supply of euro banknotes and coins to merchants will be carried out by banks. The central bank specifies that the euro banknotes and coins received by traders cannot be used until the date of the introduction of the euro.

A month after adopting the common currency, lev banknotes and coins can still be used for payment, but change will be returned only in euro banknotes and euro cents. In the event of insufficient euro banknotes and euro coins, there would be an exception.

Self-service machines, such as coffee or vending machines, will only accept euros and euro cents and will only give change in the common European currency.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov

Publication in English: Alexander Markov

Photo: BGNES