State system: Republic
Population: about 6.5 mil people (2021)
Capital city: Sofia (1.4 mil inhabitants)
Official language: Bulgarian, Alphabet: Cyrillic (Аа, Бб, Вв, Гг …)
Religion: Orthodox (61%), Muslim (8%), others and unaffiliated (31%)
Time zone: GMT (London) + 2 hours, Central European time (Germany) + 1 hour
Climate: Continental to Mediterranean in the South parts of the country. Four seasons – cool and wet spring, hot summer, sunny and windy autumn and cold and snowy winter.
Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz. Standard Europlug
Entrance in the country: Most of the foreign citizens entering Bulgaria don’t need visa but they must carry their valid international passport. The list of the countries which citizens need visa, when entering Bulgaria, can be found at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since January 1st 2025, Bulgaria is a full member of the Schengen area.
Official holidays:
January 1st – New Year’s Holiday
March 3rd – Liberation Day (Day of Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Dominion)
Easter holidays (from Friday to Monday)
• 2023: April 16
• 2024: May 5
• 2025: April 20
• 2026: April 12
• 2027: May 2
• 2028: April 16
• 2029: April 8
May 1st – Labour Day
May 6th – Gergyovden (Saint George’s Day), and the Day of the Bulgarian Army
May 24th – Day of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture and of Slavic literature
September 6th – Unification of Bulgaria
September 22nd – Independence Day
December 24th – Christmas Eve
December 25th, and 26th – Christmas Days
Currency: Since 1 January 2026, Bulgaria uses the euro (€) as its official currency, replacing the Bulgarian lev (BGN). Bulgaria became the 21st member of the euro area on this date, completing its long-planned integration into the European Union’s single currency system. During January 2026, there is a period of dual circulation in which both euros and levs may still be accepted for cash payments, but the euro is the official legal tender.
Exchange rate:
The fixed conversion rate used for the transition is:
€ 1 = 1.95583 BGN (Bulgarian lev)
For practical purposes (banks, ATMs, prices), all amounts are now expressed and paid in euros, and travellers are advised to have euros on hand when visiting.
Money exchange: You may exchange money in banks and in any of the numerous exchange offices. Some of those offices are opened during the holidays.
Credit cards: Visa, Master Card, American Express are accepted in most of the cities, hotels and resorts. Eurocard, Maestro, Cirrus, JCB, VISA Electron are also accepted. Visa and Master Card can change through ATM.
Most of the shops work on weekends and holidays. 🙂
Important phones:
Dialling code for Bulgaria from abroad +359
Emergency number: 112
Road assistance: 146
Telephone information: (0)118 00