site.bta91% of Bulgarian Lev Banknotes and Coins Withdrawn from Circulation

As of March 27, 91% of the Bulgarian lev banknotes and coins which were in circulation at the beginning of 2025 have been withdrawn, with BGN 2.9 billion in cash remaining outside the vaults of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), the central bank reported.

The BNB noted that, thanks to good organization and coordination among the parties involved, 90% of Bulgarian leva had been withdrawn ahead of the original end-June 2026 target.

The bank added that as of Friday, the process of withdrawing lev banknotes and coins and putting euro banknotes and coins into circulation is being carried out in accordance with the existing regulatory framework and the approved operational plans. As of February 1, 2026, the euro is the sole legal tender in Bulgaria.

Euro banknotes and euro coins in circulation (net issuance, representing the difference between euro banknotes and coins withdrawn from and deposited with the BNB) currently amount to a total value of more than EUR 7.8 billion, the bank added.