Spain
Currency in Spain: what to use and how to exchange
Spain uses the euro (EUR, €). Pay almost everything by card or contactless phone, withdraw cash from a bank ATM only when you need it, and skip airport and street exchange desks unless the rate is clearly posted. Bring a small amount of euro cash for small bars and rural buses; changing a lot of dollars or pounds in Spain is rarely worth it.
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Key facts
- Currency
- Euro (EUR, €); 1 € = 100 cents
- Best way to pay
- Contactless card or phone for almost everything, including small amounts
- Cash still useful for
- Small bars, rural buses and taxis, market stalls, tips
- Best place to get cash
- Bank ATM (cajero) during opening hours; decline the ATM's own conversion
- Worst value
- Airport and street exchange desks, hotel front desks, dynamic currency conversion
- Cards accepted
- Visa and Mastercard widely; Amex less so in small places
- Notes in use
- €5, €10, €20, €50 common; €100 and €200 often refused
Details
Spain has used the euro since 2002, and it is the only legal tender for everyday purchases. Prices are shown with a comma as the decimal mark (1,50 € means one euro fifty), and thousands are separated with a dot, so 1.500 € is fifteen hundred euros. That trips up readers from the US and UK more often than the currency itself.
Cards work nearly everywhere: supermarkets, museums, train and metro ticket machines, restaurants, pharmacies and most taxis. Contactless is standard, and many terminals now accept phone wallets without a PIN under a low limit. A Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card covers you; American Express is accepted in hotels and larger chains but not in many small bars. If a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in euros — that is dynamic currency conversion, and it usually adds a few percent.
Cash has not disappeared. Keep €20–€50 in small notes and coins for a coffee at a bar counter, a rural bus, a market stall, a taxi that does not take cards, and small tips. Bars and restaurants are legally required to accept card payments in most cases, but a few small places still prefer cash.
For getting euros, a bank ATM (cajero) is the normal route. Use machines attached to a bank branch during opening hours so you have someone to talk to if the card is swallowed, and take the machine's own conversion only if you have compared it — usually the rate your own bank applies is better. Withdraw a larger amount less often, because fixed fees per withdrawal hurt more than the exchange rate on small sums. Airport exchange desks and street kiosks in tourist areas post wide spreads; hotel front desks are convenient but rarely cheap. If you arrive with dollars, pounds or other currencies, change a small amount at the airport for the first day and do the rest at a bank or ATM in town.
Before you travel, tell your bank you are going to Spain if it still requires it, and check the foreign transaction fee on each card. A card with no foreign fee plus a bank ATM is the cheapest combination for most readers. Carry a second card separately from the first in case one is blocked or lost.
| Method | Typical cost | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Contactless card or phone | No fee with a no-foreign-fee card; otherwise 0–3% per purchase (check) | Almost all purchases |
| Bank ATM withdrawal | Your bank's fee plus the local operator's fee, if any (check) | Cash for small places, once or twice per trip |
| Airport or street exchange desk | Wide spread, often several percent (check) | Only a small amount on arrival |
| Hotel front desk | Convenient, rate usually poor | Emergency only |
| Paying in your home currency at a terminal | Adds a conversion margin, often 3–6% (check) | Never, if you can choose euros |
Fees and spreads are 2026 estimates; check your own bank's terms before you fly.
Tips
- Pay in euros, not your home currency, whenever a terminal or ATM offers the choice.
- Use a bank ATM during branch hours; avoid standalone machines in bars and clubs.
- Keep a few €1 and €2 coins for buses, lockers and toilets.
- Round up or leave 5–10% for good table service; tipping is optional in Spain.
- Check your card's foreign transaction fee before the trip, not after.
- Carry a backup card in a different bag from your main one.
- Small shops may have a minimum card amount, often around €5–€10.
FAQ
Sources
Questions people ask
What currency is used in Spain?
The euro (EUR, €), divided into 100 cents. Spain has used it since 2002 and it is the only currency accepted for everyday purchases. Prices use a comma as the decimal mark, so 1,50 € is one euro fifty.
Where is the best place to exchange money in Spain?
A bank ATM (cajero) during branch opening hours is usually the cheapest way to get euros. Airport and street exchange desks and hotel front desks charge wider spreads. If you must change cash, compare the posted rate and fee before handing over notes.
Is it better to bring cash or use a card in Spain?
Use a card for almost everything, ideally one with no foreign transaction fee, and carry €20–€50 in small notes for bars, rural buses, markets and tips. Bring little foreign cash; get euros from a bank ATM instead of an exchange desk.
Should I pay in euros or my home currency?
Always choose euros. When a card terminal or ATM offers to convert the amount into your home currency, that is dynamic currency conversion and it usually adds a few percent to the cost.
Do I need cash for small purchases in Spain?
Not usually, but coins help at bar counters, on rural buses, at market stalls and for tips. A few small shops set a minimum card amount, often around €5–€10.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialEuropean Central Bank – Euro
- officialBanco de España – Banknotes and coins
- officialSpain – official tourism site
- secondaryWikivoyage – Spain