In short: A euro changeover is the switch of a country's national currency to the euro at an irrevocably fixed rate; Bulgaria made it on 1 January 2026 at 1.95583 leva to €1.
Simply put: When a country joins the euro area, salaries, prices and bills are all converted at the same fixed rate, so the changeover itself does not change what money can buy on the day. Its central bank then takes part in the ECB's decisions. Prices shown in both currencies help people spot rounding up.
Example: Bulgaria — the path: currency board (1997), redenomination (1999), ERM II (10.07.2020), euro area (1.01.2026) as its 21st member. Dual prices are mandatory from 8.08.2025 to 8.08.2026; in January 2026 both currencies circulated, with change given only in euros. Source: ECB, 8.07.2025 — https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.pr250708~b9676a9fa8.en.html
Example: A salary of 2,000 leva becomes €1,022.58 (2,000 ÷ 1.95583). A loaf at 1.95 leva should cost about €1.00.
Watch out: Myth: "With the euro our money lost half its value." Bulgaria's rate had been the same since 1999. Compare price changes with official statistics, not impressions.
Check in your country — if your country is preparing to adopt the euro, your central bank and the ECB publish the timetable and the conversion rules.
Source: European Commission, "Bulgaria adopts euro" — https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/news/bulgaria-adopts-euro-1-january-2026