EUR
Euro
5
5
EUR banknote
5 EUR banknote · Classical gateway
About 5 dollars 40 cents
Netherlands
travel money guide
Money in the Netherlands
Meet the euro in its most Dutch rhythm: the king rides in your coin pocket, PIN is a verb, your bank card can be the train ticket and an empty bottle still has money inside it.
The Dutch wallet is almost weightless: a debit card pays for coffee, opens the railway gate and turns an empty can back into fifteen cents.
CurrencyEuro
Everyday paymentDebit card / PIN
Public transportTap in and out with OVpay
Can depositEUR 0.15
Best setupContactless debit + small euros
The quick answer
Should you carry cash in the Netherlands?
Bring one contactless debit card, a separate backup and EUR 30-60 in small notes and coins. Let the card handle the everyday flow, but keep spendable cash for market stalls, toilets, small businesses and the occasional card mismatch.
The Netherlands is strongly debit-led, not simply credit-card-led. Most counters are built around PIN payments, public transport accepts eligible contactless bank cards through OVpay, and the deposit logo turns cans and plastic bottles into small refundable values.
Let the debit card leadDutch counters are designed around bank-card payments. A contactless debit card or phone is the natural first choice.
Make one card the ticketOVpay lets an eligible bank card, phone or watch check in and out across train, bus, tram and metro.
Do not crush the small changeA deposit can or bottle needs its logo, readable barcode and recognizable shape before the return machine can turn it back into money.
Meet the EUR
Paper money
Euro notes follow an easy architectural colour ladder - grey €5, red €10, blue €20, orange €50, green €100 and yellow €200 - wherever you spend them in Europe.
EUR
Euro
10
10
EUR banknote
10 EUR banknote · Romanesque arch
About 11 dollars
EUR
Euro
20
20
EUR banknote
20 EUR banknote · Gothic windows
About 22 dollars
EUR
Euro
50
50
EUR banknote
50 EUR banknote · Renaissance window
About 54 dollars
EUR
Euro
100
100
EUR banknote
100 EUR banknote · Baroque gateway
About 108 dollars
EUR
Euro
200
200
EUR banknote
200 EUR banknote · Iron and glass
About 216 dollars
The euro banknote theme is imagined European architecture rather than real monuments: windows and gateways move from classical to modern styles, while bridges on the reverse suggest connection. Cash by Country artwork is an original, simplified interpretation and is not legal tender.
Shared currency guide One euro, many destinations See where the euro is used, what stays the same and why the coins change. Explore →
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Netherlands travel money guides
Dutch money is less about carrying a thick wallet and more about learning the local rhythm. Meet the king on the coins, understand PIN, tap through the country, reclaim the value in your empties and tip without turning every payment into a calculation.
01 Two monarchs, one valid pocket
The King in Your Pocket
Meet the shared euro notes, then turn over Dutch coins for Willem-Alexander, Beatrix and a message hidden around the EUR 2 edge.
Turn over the Dutch euro 02 The little Dutch payment verb
PIN Is a Verb
Understand why Dutch checkout culture is built around debit cards, and why a foreign credit card still deserves a backup plan.
Learn to pin 03 Your bank card becomes the ticket
Tap In, Tap Out
Ride Dutch trains, buses, trams and metros with OVpay while avoiding the one mistake that creates an incomplete journey.
Open the OV gate 04 Do not throw away fifteen cents
The Bottle Is Money
Read the statiegeld logo, keep the barcode intact and turn cans and plastic bottles back into spendable euros.
Return the small change 05 A thank-you, not a tax
The Quiet Fooi
Handle restaurants, cafes, taxis and card terminals with a relaxed Dutch approach to optional tipping.
Tip the Dutch way 04 One currency, many countries
Where Is the Euro Used?
Meet the euro-area members, agreement countries and de facto users, then see why the notes match while the coins can look local.
Explore the euro
Source desk
The Netherlands source desk
Sources include the ECB, Dutch Payments Association, OVpay, Statiegeld Nederland and the official Netherlands tourism board.