Many people lined up in long queues in the Bulgarian National Bank, wanting to exchange currencies in the eurozone for the new euros. Five cash desks serve the citizens in the bank, some of whom had come as early as five o'clock in the morning. The Bulgarian National Bank will apply the euro changeover rate of BGN 1,955 between January 1 and February 28, 2002. Five Bulgarian banks - United Bulgarian Bank, Bulbank, Commercial Bank Biochim, Bulgarian Post Bank and the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) can exchange national currencies that are already invalid. The euro is now legal tender in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Former currencies, such as the drachma, peseta, franc and lire, will continue to be legal tender in the eurozone countries until the end of February, when the euro becomes the sole currency. Three European Union countries -- the UK, Sweden and Denmark -- have yet to sign on to the euro and are retaining their own currencies.

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