Best Place to Exchange Money in Sofia

Where to change money in Sofia

Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026, so UK visitors need only euros. No exchange office in central Sofia, on Vitosha Boulevard or elsewhere, could be confirmed by two independent sources, so we recommend none: draw euros on a UK card from a bank machine, or visit a bank counter. Police tell people to deal only with official bureaux and banks, and to see an offer above the official rate as fraud.

• Bulgarian National Bank, Sofia - Swaps old lev notes and coins for euros free, with no ceiling on the amount and no end date. Check the address and opening hours on bnb.bg before you go.
• Metro ticket machines, Sofia Airport station, Terminal 2 - The airport says one machine accepts bank cards and the others take notes and coins. You can skip the machine and tap a contactless card at the gate instead.

Changing money at the airport

Sofia Airport (SOF) has two terminals. Its metro station sits at the eastern end of Terminal 2, and a blue line on the floor of the public area leads to it. Trains run daily from 5:30 to midnight and reach the centre in about 18 minutes. We could not confirm the airport's cash machines or exchange desks, so plan to pay by card and draw cash in the city.

Bus 84 runs from the centre (Gen. Gurko Street) to both terminals. The Foreign Office warns of unlicensed drivers overcharging at the airport. Since July 2026, Novinite reports, arriving passengers at Terminal 2 take a ticket at the official taxi desk past arrivals and wait at Exit 5 for a car. Look for the licence sticker and window price list, and check the meter runs. Novinite gives Sofia's taxi rates from 1 January 2026 as EUR 0.73 to EUR 1.24 a kilometre by day and EUR 0.84 to EUR 1.52 at night.

ATMs and cards in Sofia

Hotels, restaurants and shops in central Sofia generally take cards, but the tourist portal warns that small shops, cafes and bars may want cash, so carry a few euro notes. When a terminal or cash machine offers pounds as well as euros, stay with euros; Which? warns that the pounds option leaves the business to set the rate. We found no published cash machine fees for UK cards, so ask your bank what it charges abroad. The Foreign Office suggests watching the card payment happen and being suspicious if asked to enter your PIN again.

The lev stopped being legal tender on 1 February 2026, after a month in which both currencies were used. Leftover lev can be exchanged at the Bulgarian National Bank free and without limit or deadline; commercial banks had to do it free only until 30 June 2026 and may stop offering it from 1 January 2027.

Paying for transport in Sofia

Sofia's public transport is cheap and takes contactless cards. A metro single costs EUR 0.80 and is good for 60 minutes, but only from the station where it was sold. The 30 plus ticket, also EUR 0.80, allows changes within 30 minutes and can be bought with a tap of your bank card on the validator on board or at the metro gates; tap again on each vehicle. Metropolitan Sofia also sells a 24-hour card for EUR 3 and a 72-hour card for EUR 7.60, both including night lines.

Good to know

• Tipping is optional, but Rough Guides says a ten per cent tip goes down well.
• The Foreign Office reports tourists charged hundreds of pounds too much in Sofia's so-called gentlemen's clubs, with threats if they refuse to pay; check prices first.
• Police say no genuine institution asks for money, personal data or bank details over the phone; hang up and ring your bank yourself.
• Fake euro notes were a concern around the changeover, police said; use the ECB's touch, look and tilt checks on notes in your change.