Bulgaria: The Lev Exits Circulation, Enters Collector Circles
As Bulgaria phases out the lev at the end of January, the numismatic market is already responding to the change, though not all coins are attracting attention.
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With a Bulgarian passport you can travel to 169 countries.
The Henley Passport Index is a ranking of all the passports of the world according to the number of countries their holders can travel to visa-free. The ranking is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most comprehensive database of travel information, and is enhanced by extensive in-house research.
From the countries in the Balkan region the passport with the easiest way to travel is that of Greece, which is ranked 7th according to the ranking of Henley Passport Index for 2019. Macedonia is ranked 43rd in the list. With passport from Macedonia you can travel to 125 countries.
Bulgaria is ranked 19th, with a Bulgarian passport you are able to travel in 169 countries. Slovenia is the 11th, Croatia is the 20th, followed by Serbia in 40th place, Montenegro in 45th place. Bosnia and Herzegovina on 49th, Albania on the 50th, and Kosovo on the 90th.
According to the index, Bulgaria is next to Romania, Croatia and Hong Kong. The other EU countries are above us on the list.
Japan tops the ranking, as its passport gives visa-free access to 190 countries, followed by Singapore and South Korea (both 2nd, visa-free access to 189 countries), and France and Germany (both 3rd, access to 188 countries).
At the opposite end, Afghanistan and Iraq have the weakest passports, offering access to only 30 countries.
The full ranking is available here.
Bulgaria has been gripped by severe winter conditions in recent days, with polar cold and snowfall turning travel across the country into a serious challenge
In the first days of Bulgaria’s euro introduction, some bank branches faced serious disruptions as citizens rushed to exchange large amounts of levs for euros, particularly coins.
Cold conditions will persist across Bulgaria on Tuesday, with morning temperatures dropping further, while daytime values edge up slightly.
The Regional Health Inspectorate in Varna has proposed declaring a flu epidemic in the region starting January 14
The transition to the euro in Bulgaria has been met with a generally positive reception, though significant concerns remain regarding inflation and price regulation
The Ministry of Innovation and Growth (MIR) plans to allocate close to 310 million euros for the technological modernization and renewal of Bulgarian businesses in 2026
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