We are going to be in Ireland for the Heart of Ireland tour in a couple of weeks. We still have some Euros we brought back from Spain in 2012. I understand that Euros are being updated as of 2013. Would the Euros from 2012 still be legal tender in ireland these days?
Thanks.
Yes, of course.
re: Frank - Thanks, great to know.
While it's true that your euros haven't "expired," your question isn't silly at all. I was in the UK in September 2016 and again in April 2018. In that time, my old £5 notes, old £10 notes, and old £1 coins had ALL become invalid!
re: Harold - You say the 5 and 10 Euro notes had become 'invalid' - does that mean I won't be able to use the Euros I brought back in 2012? That was my worry.
re: Harold - Oh you are referring to pound notes not Euros, right?
Jumping in - Harold was referring to British Pounds (which would be of concern if you were visiting Belfast and Northern Ireland, rather then the heart of the Republic of Ireland). Any place throughout the Republic of Ireland should gladly accept your 6-year old Euros in 2018. Happy travels! We'll be there in 3 weeks ourselves, and bringing some left-over Euros from past trips elsewhere in Europe.
Yes, I am referring to British pounds, not euros. I'm just pointing out that it is indeed possible for money to become "outdated" and no longer accepted - and that this can happen quickly. I was caught by surprise (at least I learned about this online, so I knew how to handle my old money without losing value).
Your euros are fine, even if the designs have changed.
And yes, since Northern Ireland is part of the UK, it uses British pounds (GBP), not euros (EUR). I see the Heart of Ireland tour does not go to Northern Ireland, but if you're visiting there before or after, you will be using GBP for any cash needs there.
With your old British £ currency, it always retains its value, but you will need to exchange it for the new currency at the Bank of England in London. Don’t throw it away! I exchanged some old notes last year and it only takes a few minutes. The new £5 and £10 notes are polymer not paper. The £20 is still paper but will begin conversion to the polymer note sometime in 2020. Unfortunately, the old £1 coins are worthless and cannot be exchanged. I got lucky last November and found a bank that exchanged the few I had, but that transition period for the coins ended last October.
No problem with your €uros.
The previous design to the current 'Europa' series will be withdrawn at some stage; this was announced back in 2013. This hasn't started yet. Like the Bank of England though they will always be exchangeable via National Central Banks.
