Bulgarian National Bank Clarifies Rules on Damaged Euro Banknotes

Following a negative campaign encouraging people to deface euro banknotes with texts and messages, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) emphasised that such deliberately damaged banknotes will be confiscated rather than replaced. The European Central Bank (ECB) provides guidance on which notes can be reimbursed and which cannot.

In the early hours after Bulgaria joined the eurozone, a 20-euro note featuring a quote from a song by Veselin Marinov circulated widely on social media. This banknote is considered deliberately damaged and is not eligible for replacement.

Meriyana Shishkova, a retailer, described how she has been instructed to handle such cases:

“Generally, I wouldn’t accept it; I simply refuse it to the customer.”

When asked whether this applied only to euros or also to leva, she clarified:

“No, only for euros. For euro banknotes, we’ve been warned: even a small tear on the edge, or tape applied, or minor scribbles – we don’t accept them.”

The BNB’s position is clear: both traders and customers should not accept banknotes that have been deliberately defaced, because they will not be replaced.

According to the ECB, euro banknotes retain their status as legal tender even if they bear small, unobtrusive markings. Minor inscriptions, such as letters or numbers, do not invalidate the note, provided the security features remain fully recognisable.

Banknotes with small inscriptions that are not hateful or offensive are generally not classified as deliberately damaged. In contrast, notes that have been defaced with discriminatory, hateful, or offensive messages, or otherwise deliberately damaged, will be withdrawn from circulation. The ECB reminds that, under a 2013 decision, each national central bank can decide whether to refuse replacement of such notes.

Genuine euro banknotes maintain their status as legal tender even if they carry small, unobtrusive inscriptions. This means that banknotes with minor markings, such as letters or numbers, can still be used for payments, provided the note remains otherwise intact and its security features are fully recognisable.

Euro banknotes with small inscriptions that are not hateful or offensive are generally not considered deliberately damaged. In contrast, banknotes containing discriminatory, hateful, or offensive messages, or those that have been intentionally damaged, will be withdrawn from circulation.

BNB Chief Cashier Stefan Tsvetkov confirmed on 27 January 2026:

“At BNB cash offices, there are currently no deliberately damaged banknotes of the type we discussed in previous meetings.”

Independent checks show that most people are reluctant to accept defaced banknotes.

The ECB also provides examples of banknotes accidentally soiled with ink, which are eligible for replacement.