Banking in Bulgaria: the euro since 2026, the basic account and why your Dutch account simply works

Do you need a Bulgarian bank account in Bulgaria? Less than before. Since 1 January 2026 the euro has been Bulgaria's currency, and so a payment in euro from your Dutch account to a Bulgarian one costs the same as a domestic one. If you do want a Bulgarian account, you are entitled to a basic account, and the bank must decide within ten days. The pitfall: anyone who already has more than one payment account in Bulgaria can be refused.

What changed with the euro?

On 1 January 2026 Bulgarian banks converted all balances in leva to euro in one go, free of charge. In January 2026 leva and euro were both legal tender for one month; after that only the euro. For anyone arriving now that means: no exchange rate in your budget any more, and your Dutch card and account work as in any other euro country.

Why your Dutch account simply works

What	Rule
Transfer in euro to another EU country	costs no more than a domestic one
Withdrawing cash in another EU country	no more expensive than in your own country
Paying by card in the EU	the same rate as domestic
Direct debit from a Bulgarian supplier on your Dutch account	may not be refused if they accept domestic direct debits
Reversing a wrongful direct debit	within 8 weeks
Savings at a failed bank	protected up to 100,000 euro per person per bank

The rule that a payment in euro within the EU may not cost more than a domestic one covers transfers, cash withdrawals, card payments and direct debits. And a company or authority accepting domestic direct debits may not refuse your account because it is in another EU country. If someone refuses your Dutch IBAN anyway, you can complain to the competent authority in that party's country.

The Bulgarian basic account

Every bank with a Bulgarian licence offering payment services must have a basic account in its range: the платежна сметка за основни операции. According to the BNB it is there for everyone legally resident in the EU, Bulgarian or not, and it is held in euro.

Ten days, and one ground for refusal you need to know. The bank decides within ten days of having all your documents. It may refuse if you already have such a basic account, or more than one other payment account in Bulgaria. So don't first open ordinary accounts at two banks to try them out. A bank may also refuse if you don't comply with the rules against money laundering.

The services of a basic account are free or at reasonable cost. The BNB says exactly what is reasonable: lower than the average Bulgarian banks charge for that service, and lower than the lowest rate the bank itself charges for comparable services on an ordinary account. Before you open, you get an overview of the costs, and afterwards at least once a year an overview of what you paid.

Do you need a bank card for your residence certificate?

Not necessarily a Bulgarian one. Anyone living on their own means shows, when applying for the residence certificate, that they have at least one minimum wage a month per family member. The ministry names as proof, among other things, a copy of a debit or credit card, or a pension statement. So a Bulgarian account is not a condition for registering.

It is handy, though: with your residence certificate you get your personal number, and that makes the rest of Bulgarian administration, from GP to tax authority, a good deal simpler.

What do you keep in the Netherlands?

Keep your Dutch account. With the euro you can pay in Bulgaria from that account without extra transfer costs, and a Bulgarian supplier that accepts domestic direct debits must accept yours too. When the bank comes up in the rest of your move is in the step-by-step plan for Bulgaria.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Bulgaria or go straight to step 4.3 in the open plan.