What was the currency in Slovakia before the euro? The national monetary currency of the Slovaks was the Slovak koruna. One crown consisted of 100 heller coins. This currency has been assigned an international bank code SKK. There are coins of 10, 20 and 50 hellers in circulation, as well as 1, 2, 5, 10 crowns. As for the banknotes, in circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Slovak crowns. Coins are minted at the Kremnica mint.
The main money of Slovakia is euro
On January 1, 2009, the Slovak government officially confirmed the replacement of the Slovak koruna with the common European currency - the euro. Currency is issued and managed by the independent European Central Bank.
What currency to take to Slovakia?
Since the Slovak crown no longer runs in the country, the euro will be the only correct option for guests of Slovakia. Like other EU countries, the dollar is not accepted anywhere as payment, and it is also not favored at state currency exchange offices.
Almost any credit card can be used. Terminals for payment with "plastic" are ubiquitous. You can pay by card at a gas station, hotel, cafe, shop, restaurant.
Currency exchange in Slovakia
The country's banks are open 6 days a week, excluding Sunday. Most of them open at 9:00 am on weekdays and close at 4:00 pm. Do not forget about the break from 11 to 14 hours. On Saturdays, the working day lasts only three hours: from 9:00 to 12:00.
Speaking of exchange offices, on weekdays, their working day lasts from 8 (less often from 7) hours to 17: 00-19: 00, an hour in the middle of the day is set aside for lunch. On weekends, currency exchange at the appropriate point is possible from 8 to 12-15 hours.
The bank exchange rate and the rate offered by exchange offices differ significantly. In addition to official banking institutions and specialized exchangers, foreign exchange is carried out in hotels, transport agencies, border points and post offices. The commission for the operation is very different, so you should be careful when choosing an exchange office.
Import of currency into Slovakia
It is better to exchange the national currency of your native country for the Slovak currency before departure, this is due to the fact that the exchange rate of the CIS countries is very underestimated here, so exchanging rubles or hryvnias for euros directly in Slovakia does not bode well. Moreover, this advice is relevant now that Slovakia is part of the European Union. In accordance with its laws, the import of currencies into the EU countries is not limited by anything. It should only be remembered that amounts exceeding 10,000 euros must be declared.
However, as noted earlier, you can refuse the exchange and just pay with a bank card, since they are accepted everywhere. It should be noted that if the card issuer is a bank that operates in Slovakia (for example, Raiffeisen), then when cashing out funds in local currency, conversion losses will be minimal.
