A leading exchange office exchanges levs for euros at a rate of 1.972, which for 1,000 levs is an 8 lev loss if people are in a hurry to exchange their money now, and not wait for January 1, when they will be able to do it for free, at the BNB rate in all banks and post offices. After the beginning of 2026, the money in bank accounts will be exchanged automatically.
This was told to the Bulgarian National Radio by financial expert Deyan Vassilev.
The expert's explanation is: people do not believe that everything will happen at the exchange rate and some of them are not sure.
"I attribute it to psychosis that these levs will lose their value."
The expert ironically perceives this panicked exchange of levs as "a vote for the euro". Everyone will be able to exchange their levs at the rate of 1.95583 after January 1 for free, Vassilev assured.
Regarding the exchange of levs into euros in banks after January 1, Vassilev specified that up to 30,000 levs will be able to be exchanged without prior notice and free of charge. If a person has 100,000 leva in cash and wants to exchange it for euros without "getting on the radar", he can exchange 10,000 leva 10 times, he pointed out.
"Entering the eurozone is an anchor for everyone who has properties or has turned their savings into properties – that prices will rise because we are entering the eurozone. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy: everyone believes that prices will rise and they do. Many owners hold properties and do not sell because they are afraid of inflation. Apartments stand on brick and mortar, but people believe that their value is enormous. When the first half of the year subsides, property prices will stabilize. There is no reason and economic logic for them to grow by 10-15% every year. It is normal for them to grow by 2-3%. I expect some people to start releasing some of their properties, selling them," the financial consultant commented on the show "Before Everyone."
He cited research according to which if property taxes are higher, property prices stabilize, "because people don't keep them like piggy banks."
Bulgarians currently have 94 billion leva in the banking system, which yields about 0%. People seem to be used to being safe, instead of optimizing their income, Deyan Vassilev also reports, according to whom we are registering many missed benefits due to low financial culture.