Older versions of Czech banknotes expire at the end of this month

PSA: Older versions of Czech bank notes will no longer be valid from the end of this month. After June 30, 2022, notes featuring the old designs from between 1995 and 1999 in most denominations will be pulled from circulation.

If you still have older notes after June 30, they can be exchanged for valid notes at Czech National Bank offices and other financial institutions over the next two years, until June 30, 2024. Afterwards, only Czech National Bank offices will exchange the older notes for valid ones.

"From July 1, 2022 until June 30, 2024, banknotes can be exchanged at the cash desks of all financial institutions conducting cash operations and at the same time at all seven Czech National Bank regional offices (in Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Hradec Králové, České Budějovice, Plzeň, and Ústí nad Labem)," Czech National Bank spokesperson Petra Vodstrčilová states in a press release.

"After July 1, 2024, only the Czech National Bank's cash desks will make the exchange, but for an unlimited period of time."

Those who have cash savings dating back over a longer period of time are advised to check the validity of their bank notes.

The notes that will no longer be valid include denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 crowns featuring older designs from between 1995 and 1999. The lone exception to notes with an older design that will still be valid are those of 5,000 crown denomination.

While the design of the older notes dates back to the 1990s, they may have been printed up until five years ago. New versions of the 2,000 crown note went into circulation in 2007, the 1,000 in 2008, the 500 in 2009, and the 100 and 200 in 2018. The older notes can be easily identified by the metallic security strip that runs down the middle of the notes.

Older bank notes have a thinner security strip than those with a newer design, and it doesn't change color under light. The security strip on newer notes appears to change color from purple to green when tilted under light, while the strip on older notes remains silver. In the images below, the valid notes are on the right, and the withdrawn notes on the left:

The older bank notes are being withdrawn from circulation in order to reduce the number of variations of banknotes in circulation. This is intended to aid in identifying counterfeit notes, and reduce concerns about the validity of bank notes for both locals and foreign tourists.