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Economy and Finance

Netherlands and the euro

The Netherlands is a founding member of the European Union and one of the first countries to adopt the euro on 1 January 1999.

Status

Euro-area member since 1 January 1999.

Fixed conversion rate

€1 = 2.20371 NLG

Adoption of the euro

The euro banknotes and coins were introduced in the Netherlands on 1 January 2002, after a transitional period of three years when the euro was the official currency but only existed as 'book money'. The dual circulation period – when both the guilder and the euro had legal tender status – ended on 28 January 2002.

Exchange of former national currency

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB, National Central Bank of the Netherlands) exchanged guilder coins until 1 January 2007 and will continue to exchange guilder banknotes until 1 January 2032.

Institutions