Issuance of €500 banknotes to end

On 4 May 2016 the Governing Council of the ECB decided to permanently stop producing the €500 banknote, and to exclude it from the Europa series. At the same time it also announced that issuance of €500 banknotes would cease around the end of 2018.

Accordingly it was agreed at Eurosystem level  that the NCBs of the Eurosystem would end the issuance of €500 banknotes on 26 January 2019 (end of day), although other market participants (commercial banks, bureaux de change, etc.) may continue to recirculate these banknotes after this date.

After their issuance ends, €500 banknotes will remain legal tender, and can still be used as a means of payment and a store of value. The €500 banknote will retain its value, and can be exchanged at the Bank of Slovenia for an unlimited time.