On a budget and looking for free ATMs in Bulgaria - Any top banks?
Bank ATMs in Bulgaria dont charge fees. Unicredit, UBB and CCB are all good ATMs I tried. Could get 800 BGN out everytime. But my HSBC debit card got stung by a €5 fee at an Euronet ATM in Varna, and the limit was just 400 BGN. Always stick with bank-operated ATMs like DSK, OTP, or UniCredit. Limits there are usually 600-800 BGN. Avoid street-side tourist ATMs, as they tend to have hidden fees or bad conversion offers. My advice: withdraw larger amounts at once and only from established bank branches.
I had a very smooth time withdrawing cash in Bulgaria. DSK Bank ATMs in Sofia accepted my Monzo Mastercard without issues, and I could take out 800 BGN per transaction. UniCredit Bulbank also worked fine with my Revolut Visa, with no local fee. I withdrew twice during my stay, enough to cover restaurants, taxis, and tours. Compared to other Balkan countries, I found Bulgaria’s ATMs more reliable and much easier to use for foreign cards.
In Bulgaria, the best ATMs for foreign cards are from UniCredit Bulbank, DSK Bank, and OTP. I used my Wise Visa at UniCredit in Sofia, with a withdrawal limit of 800 BGN (~€400) and no local fee. DSK also worked fine with my Revolut Mastercard, offering the same limits. Avoid Euronet ATMs, which charge high fees and push dynamic currency conversion. Always select BGN instead of EUR when prompted to avoid bad exchange rates.
Dsk Bank ATM in Bulgaria charges a flat fee of 3 BGN. Worked fine with a standard debit card.
Used a Steam card at DSK Bank ATM in Bulgaria - worked fine for my payment.