ECB Removes Bulgarian Lev from Exchange Rate List Ahead of Euro Adoption

As of 1 January 2026, Bulgaria will formally adopt the euro, marking the end of the Bulgarian lev as the country’s official currency. In line with this transition, the European Central Bank (ECB) will remove the lev from its list of reference exchange rates against other currencies.

After the euro is introduced, the lev will no longer be included among the currencies for which the ECB publishes daily exchange rate data. The move reflects Bulgaria’s full integration into the euro area and the alignment of its monetary system with the eurozone.

The official fixed conversion rate between the lev and the euro will be announced separately. Unlike the standard ECB exchange rate references, which are provided with four decimal places, Bulgaria’s conversion rate will be published with five decimal places to ensure precise calculation.

For further details regarding Bulgaria’s accession to the euro area and the official lev-to-euro rate, the ECB released a press statement on 8 July 2025 titled “Bulgaria will join the euro area on 1 January 2026.” The announcement outlines the final preparations for the country’s transition and the mechanisms for implementing the new currency.