Eesti Pank issued 8.8 million banknotes into circulation in the third quarter with a total value of 292.5 million euros, and 3.7 million coins with a total value of 2.1 million euros. The central bank issued 5% fewer banknotes than in the second quarter and 33% fewer coins. The 50-euro banknote was the most commonly issued note, and the five-cent coin was the commonest coin.

The commercial banks returned 3 million circulation coins with a total value of 0.22 million euros to Eesti Pank in the third quarter. The coin returned most commonly was the one-cent coin, which accounted for half of all the coins returned. The total number of coins returned was 44% lower than in the second quarter. The introduction of the rounding rule at the start of the year meant that a lot more one and two-cent coins were returned than usual, but the number of coins returned to the central bank has since fallen steadily again from month to month. The number of coins returned had fallen back by the end of the third quarter to its average level of recent years of around 3.3 million coins each quarter. The Figure illustrates how the rounding rule has affected the volumes of circulation coins returned to Eesti Pank.

Coins can be paid into bank accounts using coin machines at banks at ten locations across Estonia. The joint coin exchange programme run by Eesti Pank and Omniva also allows coins to be exchanged until the end of 2025 in the Tallinn Rocca al Mare and Tartu Eeden post offices operated by Omniva.

There were 6.7 million banknotes with a total value of 234 million euros returned to Eesti Pank in the third quarter. The banknote returned most commonly was the 50-euro note, which accounted for 44% of all the banknotes returned. The total number of banknotes returned was 7% higher than in the second quarter. The cash sorting process saw the destruction of 1.44 million banknotes that were unfit for circulation, and the rest were returned to circulation.

Cash was withdrawn from ATMs on 5.5 million occasions in the third quarter, for a total value of 944 million euros. There were about 7% fewer withdrawals of cash than in the same period of last year. Cash deposits of 494 million euros were made in ATMs in the third quarter, which was 7% less than a year previously.

There were 662 ATMs in Estonia at the end of the third quarter, of which 224 accept cash depositing. Alongside the ATMs, cash transactions can be made in 17 bank offices. There are some 700 shop tills across Estonia from which cooperation between the banks and points of sale allows cash to be withdrawn.

Exchanging Estonian kroons for cash

Eesti Pank continues to exchange Estonian kroons in notes and coins for euros. There were 209 exchange transactions with kroons in the third quarter of 2025 at a value of 51,713 euros. There are still an estimated 28.4 million kroon banknotes, worth 36.7 million euros, and 319.4 million coins, worth 6.7 million euros, that have not been returned from circulation, making a total value of 43.4 million euros. Interest in exchanging kroons for euros has been very low in recent years.

Eesti Pank expert analysis of cash

Eesti Pank exchanges damaged euro banknotes and coins. Expert analysis of cash was carried out 75 times in the third quarter as 906 banknotes were examined for authenticity and were classed as damaged notes where appropriate. Banknotes are exchanged when more than half of them remains. Damaged banknotes are removed from circulation and are destroyed.

The Estonian Forensic Science Institute registered 126 counterfeit euro banknotes in Estonia in the third quarter, the majority of which were 20 and 50-euro notes. There were also 22 counterfeit coins discovered in the quarter. Eesti Pank recommends that all businesses and people that use cash should be careful and attentive when handling banknotes. It is also wise to be particularly careful when paying in cash while abroad.

• Estonian kroon banknotes and coins can be exchanged for euros at the shop of the Eesti Pank Museum during its opening hours from Tuesdays to Fridays 12.00-17.00 and Saturdays 11.00-16.00.
• Damaged banknotes can be submitted for expert analysis by contacting a bank or the Eesti Pank museum shop.

For further information:
Hanna Jürgenson
Communications officer
5692 0930
Email: [email protected]
Press enquiries: [email protected]