Euro circulation coins have legal tender status throughout the euro area. The Commission publishes all new euro coin designs (1) with a view to informing all parties required to handle coins in the course of their work as well as the public at large.

On 8 July 2025 the Council of the European Union decided that the Republic of Bulgaria fulfils the necessary conditions for the adoption of the euro on 1 January 2026  (2).

From 1 January 2026 the Republic of Bulgaria will therefore issue euro coins, subject to the approval by the ECB of the volume of the issue (cf. Article 128(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).

1 Euro Cent	2 Euro Cent	5 Euro Cent	10 Euro Cent
20 Euro Cent	50 Euro Cent	1 Euro	2 Euro

Issuing country: Republic of Bulgaria

Date of issue: 1 January 2026

Description of the designs

1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent:

The design shows the Madara horseman – a rock relief from the 8th century, included in the List of world cultural heritage. Indicated with a Cyrillic inscription above is the country – БЪЛГАРИЯ (Bulgaria), and underneath – ‘СТОТИНКA’ (Stotinka) for the 1 cent and ‘СТОТИНКИ’ (Stotinki) for the 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent – the name of former Bulgarian circulation coins of the same denominations. To the right is the year of issue ‘2026’.

1 euro

The design shows St. Ivan Rilski (ca. 876-946) – a Bulgarian spiritual leader who lived as a hermit monk, founder of the Rila Monastery. Miracle worker and heavenly protector of the Bulgarian people. Indicated with an inscription in Cyrillic on the right is the country – ‘БЪЛГАРИЯ’ (Bulgaria). To the left of the portrait are the Cyrillic inscription ‘ЕВРО’ (Euro) and the year of issue ‘2026’.

2 euro

The design shows Paisy Hilendarski (1722-ca. 1773) – a Bulgarian enlightener and clergyman, author of the first national revival work of Bulgarian historiography – ‘Slavo-Bulgarian History’. Indicated with an inscription in Cyrillic on the right is the country – ‘БЪЛГАРИЯ’ (Bulgaria). To the left of the portrait are the Cyrillic inscription ‘ЕВРО’ (Euro) and the year of issue ‘2026’.

Inscription along the edge of the € 2 coin: on one half ‘БОЖЕ ПАЗИ БЪЛГАРИЯ’ (GOD SAVE BULGARIA) is written and on the other half – the same inscription is written in reverse.

(1)  See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p.1, OJ C 254, 20.10.2006, p. 6 and OJ C 248, 23.10.2007, p. 8 for a reference to the other euro coins.

(2)  Council Decision of 8 July 2025 on the adoption by Bulgaria of the euro on 1 January 2026 (OJ L, 2025/1407, 14.7.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1407/oj).