ECB to remove euro reference rate for Bulgarian lev when Bulgaria joins euro area

11 December 2025

When Bulgaria adopts the euro on 1 January 2026, the Bulgarian lev will cease to be the official currency of Bulgaria and will be removed from the ECB’s list of euro foreign exchange reference rates. Reference rates are updated daily at around 16:00 CET, except on TARGET closing days. Consequently, the Bulgarian lev will be removed with the publication of the euro foreign exchange reference rates on Friday, 2 January 2026. For further details, including the official conversion rate (which is published with five decimal places, unlike the ECB’s euro foreign exchange reference rates that are published with four decimal places), please refer to the ECB press release “Bulgaria to join euro area on 1 January 2026”, dated 8 July 2025.