Old banknotes become invalid: What Denmark holidaymakers should know now

Denmark vacationers, take note! If you have any leftover cash lying around at home from a previous trip to the kingdom, you should take a close look at your krone notes. Because at the end of May, many old Danish banknotes will become invalid. This means they only have a few days left to spend them in stores; and the soon-to-be-invalid banknotes can only be exchanged at the Danish National Bank for another year—until May 31, 2026.

In Denmark, banknotes in a wide variety of designs have been issued over the past decades. The most recent version dates from 2009 and features bridges on the front and ancient finds on the back. Banknotes in this design will remain legal tender after May 31, 2025 – with one exception: the 1,000-krone note will be discontinued at the end of the month. It features the Great Belt Bridge and the Trundholm Sun Chariot. The face value of the banknote is equivalent to approximately 135 euros.

The 2009 banknote series is the only one that will remain valid from June 2025. Except for the 1000-euro banknote, which will be discontinued at the end of May.

Source: Danmarks Nationalbank.

In addition, all older versions of Danish paper money will permanently lose their validity as official currency. Experts at the National Bank estimate that old krone notes worth the equivalent of around 350 million euros are still in circulation. This includes banknotes from the 1997 series, which feature portraits of famous Danes such as the nuclear physicist Niels Bohr and the composer Carl Nielsen on their fronts. The reverse of these notes depicts important religious art from the kingdom. A certain proportion is also likely to be from the 1972 series, which depicts cute animals – from squirrels to carp.

Anyone who still has old banknotes at home from previous trips to Denmark doesn't have many options. Banks in Germany generally no longer exchange old banknotes from the kingdom. Depending on the quantity, a rather spontaneous trip to the north might be worthwhile to spend the remaining stock in shops or restaurants before May 31st. Or you can keep the invalid notes as souvenirs and hope that they soon develop a collector's value far exceeding their original nominal value.

For one year, old banknotes can still be exchanged for new ones at three official exchange points in Copenhagen (Nørre Voldgade), Odense (Banegårdspladsen), and Aarhus (Rosengårdcentret). These will be set up in cooperation with the private Forex Bank , according to the Danish National Bank. Please note that private individuals can exchange a maximum of 5,000 kroner in cash due to anti-money laundering regulations. Valid ID must also be presented during the transaction.

Incidentally, a completely new series of banknotes will be produced in the coming years, featuring a new look and the latest security features. Its introduction is planned for 2028 or 2029. For a certain period of time, the new notes will be used alongside the 2009 series.

There will also be some changes this year to the coins that jingle in Danish wallets: Denmark's long-serving Queen Margrethe II abdicated in January 2024 – her son Frederik X has been head of state since then. Apart from a commemorative coin marking the change of throne, which features the portraits of both monarchs, all circulation coins currently continue to bear the face or monogram of Margrethe.

From autumn, King Frederik will also take on his official role as the kingdom's most distinguished figurehead on the coins: Denmark's National Bank announces that 1-, 2- and 5-krone coins with the king's monogram and 10- and 20-krone coins with his portrait will be put into circulation in the second half of the year.

However, there is no urgent need for action for all those who still have a few old coins from the kingdom: all currently valid coins from the reign of Margrethe II will remain valid means of payment in the foreseeable future, according to the central bank.