Euro gets its first full redesign: Cash is not disappearing
The ECB has presented proposals themed around European culture and nature, and the head of the banknotes department says the digital euro will not replace cash.
The ECB has presented proposals themed around European culture and nature, and the head of the banknotes department says the digital euro will not replace cash.
The European Central Bank (ECB) is preparing the first complete visual redesign of euro banknotes since their introduction in 2002. The new design proposals, released in July 2026, feature recognizable imagery instead of the previous abstract motifs, stronger security features, and a design intended to feel closer to citizens. This is the first time the ECB has drawn such a visible line of discontinuity in the wallets of Europeans.
As Doris Schneeberger, the ECB's Director of Banknotes, told Euronews: "We are currently undertaking the first full visual redesign of euro banknotes, with new themes, motifs, and design, aiming to make future banknotes even closer to Europeans."
Among the finalist proposals, two main themes stood out. The first suggests featuring individuals who have marked the history of art, music, science, and literature. The second draws on rivers and birds, i.e., the richness of nature.
Schneeberger explained that previous euro banknotes depicted abstract monuments that do not actually exist. "With the design proposals, we now have the opportunity to make banknotes more relatable by showing real people, real birds, and real buildings," she said.
According to the ECB, all proposals are available for public viewing on the official website, with the goal of making banknotes more relatable to European citizens.
The ECB has launched a public survey for citizens to choose the final option. Schneeberger told Euronews that the survey has already attracted responses from "millions of Europeans." The winner will be announced in December 2026.
The introduction of the new banknotes into circulation will take several years. A source from the banking sector told Euronews that the new banknotes might only be introduced in 2029.
At a time when payments are increasingly moving to cashless methods, the ECB wants to strengthen the role of banknotes as the primary form of "public money" available to citizens. In parallel with the introduction of the digital euro, which could potentially be available from 2029, the bank aims to counter inaccurate claims about the disappearance of cash.
"No one would renovate a house that is slated for demolition in the near future," Schneeberger said, drawing a parallel with the new banknote design.
She added: "We are committed to ensuring that paying with public money always remains an option, whether in cash or with the digital euro. The digital euro would complement cash, not replace it. All Europeans will continue to have the freedom to choose how to pay-whether with cash, the digital euro, or other means of payment."
The digital euro represents a new electronic form of public money that could potentially be available from 2029, and the ECB emphasizes that it should complement cash.
Euro banknotes have changed only once since the currency's inception, and the overall design has largely remained the same. "Since the first issuance in 2002, the theme of euro banknotes has been 'Ages and Styles,' symbolized by windows, doorways, and bridges. Although they received a refreshed design with the Europa series, first issued from 2013 to 2019, the overall visual approach remained similar," Schneeberger explained.
