The euro is the official currency of 21 of the 27 EU countries, including Bulgaria since 1 January 2026. Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden have not yet adopted it, and Denmark has an opt-out. Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City use it by agreement with the EU; Kosovo and Montenegro use it de facto.123
Which EU countries use the euro?
The euro is the official currency of 21 out of 27 EU countries, which together form the eurozone, officially called the euro area.1
| Country | Adopted the euro |
|---|---|
| Austria | 1 January 199912 |
| Belgium | 1 January 199912 |
| Bulgaria | 1 January 202612 |
| Croatia | 1 January 202312 |
| Cyprus | 1 January 200812 |
| Estonia | 1 January 201112 |
| Finland | 1 January 199912 |
| France | 1 January 199912 |
| Germany | 1 January 199912 |
| Greece | 2001; euro notes and coins from 1 January 200212 |
| Ireland | 1 January 199912 |
| Italy | 1 January 199912 |
| Latvia | 1 January 201412 |
| Lithuania | 1 January 201512 |
| Luxembourg | 1 January 199912 |
| Malta | 1 January 200812 |
| The Netherlands | 1 January 199912 |
| Portugal | 1 January 199912 |
| Slovakia | 1 January 200912 |
| Slovenia | 1 January 200712 |
| Spain | 1 January 199912 |
Bulgaria, which joined the EU on 1 January 2007, is the newest member of the euro area: it adopted the euro on 1 January 2026.2
Euro notes and coins can be used in all EU countries that have adopted the euro, including many of their overseas territories, such as the Azores, the Canaries, Ceuta and Melilla, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon.3
Which EU countries do not use the euro?
| Country | Position |
|---|---|
| Czechia | Not yet adopted; currently preparing to adopt the euro12 |
| Denmark | Opt-out: kept its own currency and is not obliged to introduce the euro12 |
| Hungary | Not yet adopted; currently preparing to adopt the euro12 |
| Poland | Not yet adopted; currently preparing to adopt the euro12 |
| Romania | Not yet adopted; committed to adopt it once it fulfils the conditions12 |
| Sweden | Not yet adopted; under the Treaty it will do so once it meets the conditions12 |
All EU countries except Denmark are required to adopt the euro once they meet the convergence criteria, the economic and legal conditions agreed in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. There is no timetable: the Commission and the European Central Bank jointly decide whether a candidate meets the conditions.1
Which countries outside the EU use the euro?
Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City use the euro as their national currency, in agreement with the EU.3
A number of countries and territories use the euro as their de facto currency; Your Europe gives Kosovo and Montenegro as examples.3
Does paying by card in euro cost more in another EU country?
As long as a payment is made in euro and within the EU, you should be charged no more for it than for a domestic electronic payment of the same value in euro. The same rules apply to transactions in euro in countries outside the euro area.3
When a card machine abroad offers to charge you in your home currency instead, different rules apply; our page on paying in local or home currency explains them.
This is not legal or financial advice. Check card charges with your own bank.
What this page cannot tell you
- Page dates. The EU portal page was last updated on 12 January 2026 and Your Europe's page last checked on 9 January 2026; both already include Bulgaria.13
- De facto users are examples. Your Europe names Kosovo and Montenegro after 'such as', so its list is not complete.
- No currency names or rates. The pages we used do not name the other EU currencies, so neither do we; the Commission links to exchange rates.
- Not financial advice. We describe the EU rule on euro payments; what your bank charges otherwise depends on its own terms.
Related: When a card machine offers your home currency, what must it tell you? · VAT refunds for visitors to the EU · Which countries are in the Schengen area?.
Key takeaways
- 21 of the 27 EU countries use the euro; Bulgaria is the newest, from 1 January 2026.
- Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden have not adopted it; Denmark has an opt-out.
- Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City use the euro by agreement with the EU.
- What we would skip: assuming every EU country takes the euro; six of them have not adopted it.
Sources
The list of euro countries comes from the EU's portal page (last updated 12 January 2026); adoption dates and each non-euro country's position come from the Commission's Economic and Financial Affairs pages; overseas territories, non-EU users and the card-payment rule come from Your Europe (last checked 9 January 2026). All were read on 5 October 2026. See how we research.
- European Union, Countries using the euro (page last updated 12 January 2026). Read it. Accessed 5 October 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
- European Commission, Economic and Financial Affairs, EU countries and the euro. Read it. Accessed 5 October 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
- European Commission, Your Europe, Using the euro (page last checked by the Commission 9 January 2026). Read it. Accessed 5 October 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
Changes made. We summarised the EU and Commission pages (CC BY 4.0) in our own words and built the tables from their lists, in the portal's order. We name no bank, card or currency-exchange service. Not legal or financial advice.