The Austrian National Bank (OeNB) announced that it will exchange Bulgarian lev banknotes into euro free of charge following Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro as legal tender on 1 January 2026, with the conversion rate irrevocably set at BGN 1.95583 per EUR 1. The service will cover Bulgarian lev banknotes that are currently legal tender in Bulgaria and will run from 2 January to 2 March 2026. Excluded are Bulgarian coins, older banknote series that no longer have legal-tender status, and 1- and 2-lev banknotes from the 1999 series. The exchange is capped at BGN 2,000 per transaction, per person, per day, and will be available at the OeNB cash desks in Vienna and Innsbruck during opening hours.
Austrian National Bank (OeNB) 2025-12-29
Austrian National Bank to provide free exchange of Bulgarian lev banknotes into euro from 2 January to 2 March 2026
The Austrian National Bank (OeNB) will exchange Bulgarian lev banknotes into euros free of charge following Bulgaria's euro adoption on 1 January 2026, with a fixed conversion rate of BGN 1.95583 per EUR 1. The service, available from 2 January to 2 March 2026, excludes coins, older banknote series, and 1- and 2-lev banknotes from the 1999 series, with a transaction cap of BGN 2,000 per person daily. Exchanges can be made at OeNB cash desks in Vienna and Innsbruck.