Practical Tips for Bulgaria

Money

Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026. Leva circulated alongside it for one month, and since 1 February 2026 only euro notes and coins are legal tender. The conversion rate was fixed at 1.95583 leva to the euro.¹

• Old leva at banks and post offices: exchanged until at least 31 December 2026, free of charge until 30 June 2026 and possibly for a fee after that.
• Old leva at the Bulgarian National Bank: exchanged free of charge, with no time limit.

Source: European Central Bank: Bulgaria joins the euro area¹

Tipping: in restaurants a tip of around 10% is normal for good service; in bars and cafés people often round up the bill. Check whether a service charge has already been added.⁶

Phones, power and time

• Emergencies: call 112 for an ambulance, the fire brigade or the police. It is free from fixed and mobile phones everywhere in the EU.
• Calling code: +359.
• Electricity: 230 V, 50 Hz, with the two-pin European plugs C and F.
• Time: Eastern European Time, UTC+2, and UTC+3 from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October.

Source: European Commission: 112, the EU emergency number; Wikipedia: Bulgaria; timeanddate.com: Time zone in Sofia, Bulgaria; World Standards: Plug, socket and voltage by country^2,3,4,5

Borders and driving

Bulgaria has been a full member of the Schengen area since 1 January 2025, so there are no checks at its land, sea and air borders with other Schengen countries. For longer stays, see Residency.⁷

• Drive on the right; seat belts are compulsory for everyone in the car.
• Headlights must be on day and night.
• Speed limits: 50 km/h in towns, 90 km/h outside towns and 140 km/h on motorways unless signs say otherwise.
• The blood alcohol limit is 0.5; phones only with a hands-free set.
• Winter tyres are required in winter, and snow chains can be made compulsory by road signs.
• A vignette is required for motorways and main roads outside towns. It is electronic, so there is nothing to print or display.

Source: State Agency Road Safety: Useful information for drivers⁸

For getting around without a car, see the Sofia metro, which serves Sofia Airport, and Infrastructure for rail and flights.

Customs and etiquette

• The head nod: many Bulgarians nod to mean “no” and shake their head to mean “yes”. If in doubt, ask for “da” (yes) or “ne” (no). See Did You Know?.
• Name days are celebrated much like birthdays; see Name Days.
• The alphabet: Bulgarian is written in Cyrillic; see Language.
• Holidays: offices close on public holidays, including four days at Orthodox Easter.

Source: timeanddate.com: Holidays in Bulgaria in 2026⁹