Pension payments in January 2026 through post offices will begin on January 7th (Wednesday) and will end on January 20th (Tuesday). Transfers of the amounts for January pensions to the accounts of pensioners who receive their money by bank transfer will be made on January 7, 2026, the press center of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) announced. The date for the payment of unemployment benefits during the first month of the year is January 15th (Thursday). 

"With the last transfers for 2025, the NSSI symbolically closed a chapter in which the lev served us for more than a century as the currency that accompanied the working lives of generations of Bulgarians. From January 1, 2026, our country, as a full member of the European family, is embarking on a new path with the introduction of the euro. The NSSI remains committed to ensuring a smooth transition and the timeliness of all future payments," the announcement also states.

From the beginning of next year, Bulgaria will officially adopt the euro, and this will happen with a short transition period that will last throughout January. During the first month of 2026, we will have two legal means of payment – the euro and the lev. During this dual circulation period, all non-cash payments, such as payments with bank cards, bank transfers, etc., will be made in euros, while cash payments will allow the use of both currencies. After the expiration of the dual circulation period - from February 1, 2026, the lev ceases to be legal tender. From the beginning of February next year, the euro remains the only official currency of Bulgaria.