Money, cards and ATMs by country

Baksheesh is a system, not a scam, and small notes are the tool you need. Egypt is cheap in pounds and it is a cash country outside the resorts.

Cards barely work outside a few Addis hotels, ATMs run dry, the black market is a criminal offence, and 3,000 birr is the most you may carry across the border.

The cedi. Mastercard is the card that mostly does not work here, ATMs thin out fast outside the big towns, and cash over 10,000 dollars is declarable.

M-Pesa first, cash second, cards third. Bring US dollars printed in 2013 or later for anything priced in dollars, because older notes are refused outright.

The Mauritian rupee, cards accepted in hotels and larger shops, and cash for buses, markets and taxis.

The dirham is a closed currency: you cannot buy it before you arrive and you cannot take more than 2,000 of them home. Plan the last day around spending or changing back what is left.

The naira. ATMs and the streets around banks are a named crime risk, card fraud is common, and carrying a lot of cash is exactly what you are told not to do.

A cash economy where cards work in Kigali hotels, some ATMs refuse foreign cards, and pre-2006 US banknotes are simply not accepted.

Cards work almost everywhere and the rand goes a long way. Use ATMs inside malls and bank branches only, decline the machine currency conversion, and keep cash for tips, car guards and petrol attendants.

Shillings for daily life, dollars for parks and lodges, and your dollar notes must be dated 2009 or later and physically perfect or they will be refused.

Importing and exporting dinars is prohibited outright, so you change money after you land and you change back before you fly. Anything left over is stuck.

Cheap, card-friendly in Yerevan and cash-only outside it.

Pegged to the dollar, cheap by European standards, and a country where the FCDO warns specifically about card fraud.

One of the strongest currencies in the world, divided into 1,000 fils - so prices carry three decimal places.

The taka. Bring what you like, but declare above 5,000 dollars on a form FMJ, and keep the copy or you cannot take the rest home.

Cambodia runs on US dollars with Cambodian riel as the small change, at a steady 4,000 KHR to the dollar. The catch that surprises everyone: a torn or grubby dollar note will simply be refused.

China is nearly cashless: pay through Alipay or WeChat Pay with a Visa/Mastercard linked to the app. Single transactions under 200 CNY are fee-free, above that both charge 3 % of the whole amount, and a UnionPay card is exempt entirely. Bank of China ATMs cap foreign-card withdrawals at 3,000 CNY a time.

Cards work across Tbilisi and Batumi, but marshrutkas, markets and mountain guesthouses are cash only. Use Bank of Georgia or TBC Bank machines, and expect a 3 to 10 GEL fee on a foreign card.

The Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the US dollar, cards are accepted almost everywhere, and the Octopus fills the gap where they are not.

Indian banks charge around 200 INR per foreign-card withdrawal and most ATMs cap you at 10,000 INR a time, so withdraw large and rarely. Decline dynamic currency conversion and take rupees. And check every note you are handed: Indian merchants refuse any rupee note that is damaged at all.

Indonesia runs on the rupiah and cash still matters outside hotels and tourist restaurants. Indonesian banks charge a per-withdrawal access fee on foreign cards - Mandiri added a 50,000 IDR one in February 2026 - and QRIS, the national QR standard, only works cross-border with Thai, Malaysian and Singaporean apps. Apple Pay is not available in Indonesia at all.

Japan still runs on cash at temples, ramen shops and small stores. Best foreign-card ATMs: Seven Bank (24/7, Mastercard free, 100,000 JPY limit), AEON, Japan Post, Lawson. Always refuse DCC and pay in JPY (4–5% markup); tipping does not exist.

The dinar is pegged to the dollar and does not move. Cards work in hotels and restaurants, cash runs everything else, and ATMs charge JOD 3 to JOD 5 a withdrawal.

Kaspi and Halyk ATMs in the terminals charge no local fee for foreign cards, with a limit of 100,000 to 200,000 KZT per withdrawal. Decline dynamic currency conversion and let your own bank set the rate.

One Kuwaiti dinar is worth over three US dollars, and it divides into 1,000 fils.

One of the cheapest countries in Asia, and cash everywhere once you leave Bishkek.

The kip is cash in practice, in notes no larger than 100,000 LAK. Every foreign-card withdrawal carries a Lao bank fee of 20,000 to 40,000 LAK on top of your own bank's, and BCEL has the widest ATM network.

Hong Kong dollars are taken everywhere at one to one, and the pataca is worth three percent more. Paying in the wrong one is a tax on the whole trip.

A single ATM withdrawal is usually capped at RM 1,500 to 3,000, and any local fee appears on screen before you confirm. Decline Dynamic Currency Conversion - the markup reaches 8 per cent. Street food needs cash or DuitNow QR, which Wise can pay if the code carries the Alipay+ logo. Tipping is not customary; a 10 per cent service charge is added for you.

The rufiyaa is pegged at about 15.42 MVR per USD and dollars are accepted almost everywhere in tourism. Bank of Maldives ATMs charge a fixed 10 USD per foreign-card withdrawal; always refuse DCC conversion. A 10% service charge replaces tipping; carry cash outside resorts.

A cash country. ATMs charge about NPR 500 a withdrawal and cap you near NPR 35,000, so take the maximum each time. Cards work in hotels and little else.

One of the highest-value currencies in the world, split into 1,000 baisa - so the small change has three decimal places.

The rupee, a lot of cash, and card fraud that both governments call common.

The currency is the Philippine peso (ECB indicative reference rate on 2026-07-16: 1 EUR = 70.667 PHP). Always pay and withdraw in PHP and refuse dynamic currency conversion; BDO charges ₱250 per ATM withdrawal on overseas-issued cards, Google Wallet is officially supported while Apple Pay does not list the Philippines for locally issued cards, and daily budgets run roughly ₱1,692 (budget) to ₱11,272 (luxury).

The riyal has been pinned to the dollar since 1980, so there is no rate to time. Cards work everywhere, tipping is discretionary, and the hotel bill grows after you agree to it.

The riyal is pegged to the dollar, cards work everywhere, and cash is almost unnecessary.

GST is 9 percent and refundable on shopping over S$100. Tipping is genuinely not expected, which visitors from the US find hard to believe.

Use ATMs marked Global ATM - Woori and KB Kookmin are the cheapest, and the Korean-side fee is a flat charge of roughly 2,000 to 4,500 KRW per withdrawal, not a percentage. Decline dynamic currency conversion. Korea is close to cashless, but markets and street food still want won, and nobody tips.

Sri Lanka is largely a cash economy: 1 EUR ≈ 383 LKR, 1 USD ≈ 330 LKR. ATMs of BOC, Commercial Bank, HNB and Sampath accept foreign cards with a 200–300 LKR fee and 40,000–60,000 LKR limits; always refuse DCC conversion. Exchange cash at airport bank counters and expect a 10% service charge in restaurants.

Most Taiwanese ATMs charge NTD 100 to 200 per foreign-card withdrawal and cap it at NTD 20,000. Cathay United Bank machines, in most 7-Elevens, are the long-standing exception and charge nothing. Always settle in New Taiwan dollars and decline the conversion the terminal offers.

Thailand's currency is the baht (ECB reference approx. 38.489 THB per EUR as of 16 Jul 2026); always pay in THB and refuse DCC. Cards work in hotels, malls, and chains, but cash and Thai QR dominate smaller venues; ATM fees run about 220–250 THB per withdrawal, and KBank's PAY & TOUR wallet bridges cards and local QR payments.

Inflation was 31.75 percent in July 2026 and the lira has lost 17 percent against the dollar in a year. Any price you read online is out of date.

The dirham is pegged to the dollar so the rate never moves. VAT is 5 percent and refundable, and hotels add a nightly Tourism Dirham on top.

This is a cash country. Uzcard and Humo run the card system, a foreign Visa works in some Tashkent hotels and almost nowhere else, and the black market is a criminal offence rather than a bargain.

Vietnam runs on the dong (VND) and cash still matters, though Visa/Mastercard are widely accepted at hotels, larger restaurants and supermarkets. Always pay and withdraw in VND and refuse dynamic currency conversion, prefer bank ATMs and check fees before confirming; Apple Pay and Google Wallet are supported but adoption is uneven.

The lek, and a habit of quoting prices in "old lek" that makes figures look ten times too high.

The euro without the eurozone, no VAT to speak of, and an outbound customs allowance you should actually read.

The euro, but a stubbornly cash-loving country. Use a bank Bankomat rather than a Euronet machine and always refuse conversion into your home currency.

Euro, cards everywhere, and a card network of its own that occasionally refuses foreign cards in small shops.

The convertible mark is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate, so prices convert predictably - but pay in marks, not euros.

Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 - the lev is gone, and every price you have read in lev is now history.

Euros since 2023. If you have kuna coins left from an older trip they are now worthless: the exchange deadline passed on 31 December 2025.

The euro in the south, the Turkish lira in the north, and two currencies on one island.

The koruna is the only sensible currency to pay in - euros are accepted in central Prague at a deliberately poor rate. At every ATM and card terminal, decline the offer to be charged in your home currency; dynamic currency conversion costs 5 to 15 per cent.

Denmark keeps the krone and pegs it to the euro. Cards work everywhere, cash is legally accepted in daytime shops and rarely used, and euros are not.

The euro, and one of the most cashless countries in Europe - carrying notes here is close to pointless.

Cards work everywhere, cash barely exists, VAT is already in the price and tipping is not a thing. The euro means no exchange games.

Contactless works nearly everywhere including bakeries and transit gates. Withdraw at BNP Paribas, Societe Generale or Credit Agricole machines, avoid Euronet, and remember service is already included so tipping is optional.

Germany is far more cash-dependent than its neighbours: bakeries, Spaetis and street food often refuse cards. Withdraw at Sparkasse, Deutsche Bank or Commerzbank machines and never at a Euronet.

Since August 2025 the four big Greek banks charge no local fee at their own ATMs, so withdraw at Piraeus, Alpha, Eurobank or National Bank machines. Euronet units in tourist areas charge EUR 4 to 12 and push DCC at an 8 to 13 per cent markup.

Forints, not euros, and Budapest is full of exchange booths and Euronet machines designed to take a chunk of your money on the way in.

Iceland is as close to cashless as any country gets - cards work for a 600 ISK hot dog and a rural toilet. Withdraw at Arion or Islandsbanki machines if you need notes at all, always decline conversion to your own currency, and do not tip.

Euro, cards everywhere, contactless capped at EUR 50 without a PIN. Carry EUR 30 to EUR 50 in cash for the handful of places that still want it. Dublin is expensive and the pint is the fastest way to find that out.

Italy utilizes the Euro € currency.

The euro, cards nearly everywhere, and a strong Riga tradition of inflated bar bills aimed at visitors.

Swiss francs, not euros, and Swiss prices to match.

The euro, cards nearly everywhere, and one of the cheapest capitals in the eurozone once you leave the old town square.

The euro, cards everywhere, and one of the most expensive countries in Europe for everything except transport.

The euro, cards everywhere, and prices that have risen a long way in a decade.

The leu, cash outside Chisinau, and a separate currency in Transnistria that is worthless anywhere else.

The euro without the eurozone, and prices set by the people who live here.

Montenegro uses the euro without being in the eurozone, so there is nothing to change and nothing to calculate.

The Netherlands is close to cashless and much of it is worse than that: plenty of shops, including Albert Heijn branches, are pin only and will not take your banknotes at all. Withdraw from yellow Geldmaat machines, not Euronet.

The denar is effectively pegged to the euro, and prices here are among the lowest in Europe.

Cash has effectively stopped working here - under 4% of payments are made in notes and plenty of places refuse them outright. Bring a card, decline conversion to your own currency, and do not tip.

Contactless payment works essentially everywhere, down to public toilets and parking machines. Withdraw from a real bank's ATM rather than the Euronet network, and decline the DCC offer on every card transaction.

Use Multibanco ATMs, marked with the blue-white-red MB logo - no local fee, EUR 200 per withdrawal. Euronet and independent machines in tourist areas charge EUR 3.95 to 5.00 and push DCC at a 6 to 14 per cent markup.

Romania is in Schengen but not in the euro - the leu is the currency, and paying in euro is a markup rather than a convenience.

The euro, Italian prices, and coins and stamps that are the actual souvenir industry.

The dinar, not the euro - euro cash is accepted informally at a rate that favours the seller, so pay in dinars.

Slovakia uses the euro, cards work nearly everywhere, and the one thing to get right is refusing the ATM's own exchange rate.

The euro since 2007, cards everywhere, and prices closer to Austria than to the Balkans.

Use bank ATMs (Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank; fees 3–7 € per withdrawal) and avoid Euronet machines with DCC markups up to 12% - always choose to be charged in EUR. Contactless payment is universal, though Amex is often refused; tipping means rounding up with coins, 5–10% only for exceptional service.

Sweden is the closest thing to a cashless country on earth. Shops may legally refuse cash and many do. Bring two cards, because a card failure here is not an inconvenience, it is a dead stop.

Francs, not euros. Shops that accept euros give you a poor rate and hand back change in francs, and service is included by law so tipping is only rounding up.

The price on the label is the price you pay, which is a relief after North America. Tipping is modest and the service charge is usually already on the bill.

The euro, coins that never reach circulation, and a post office people genuinely queue for.

The Belize dollar is fixed at exactly two to the US dollar, and both circulate - so always ask which dollar a price is in.

Cards work everywhere and cash barely matters, but the price on the label is never the price you pay, and the tip screen has got aggressive.

Colones and US dollars both circulate. Pay small things in colones because dollar change is given at a rounded-down rate, and expect a 10% service charge already on the restaurant bill.

International Visa and Mastercard are no longer accepted anywhere in Cuba. Bring every peso you will spend, in cash.

Restaurant bills arrive with 28 percent already added, in two separate lines, and the 10 percent labelled as service usually does not reach your server.

The US dollar is the currency. Bitcoin stopped being legal tender in January 2025 and acceptance is now voluntary.

The quetzal is cash country outside the cities, and dollars are useful but not currency.

The lempira on the mainland, dollars on the islands, and cash for almost everything else.

Two currencies circulate and paying in US dollars costs you money. Hotel bills carry a lower tax than everything else, and that changes in 2027.

Cards work in restaurants and hotels, cash is compulsory for taquerias, markets and buses. Withdraw only from machines inside bank branches - street ATM skimming is the most common way visitors lose money here.

The cordoba slides against the dollar by design, dollars are accepted everywhere, and cards mostly are not.

Panama uses US dollars for notes and its own balboa coins, at exactly one to one. Both names mean the same money.

The Bahamian dollar sits at par with the US dollar, so American cash works and you can be handed change in either.

The price on the label is never the price you pay, and tipping has moved to 18 to 20 percent. Together these add roughly a third to a restaurant bill.

The blue dollar era is over. Since currency controls were lifted the official, MEP and blue rates sit within a few percent of each other, foreign cards settle at the MEP rate automatically, and hotels refund 21% VAT to foreign cards.

Bolivia runs on cash. Cards work only in good hotels and upmarket restaurants in La Paz and Santa Cruz. Banco Union ATMs are the cheapest, and withdrawal limits are low at 1,000 to 2,000 BOB.

Cards work at beach kiosks and street stalls, so you barely need cash. Withdraw inside bank branches at Banco do Brasil, Itau or Bradesco, and know that ATMs cut withdrawals to BRL 300 to BRL 500 between 22:00 and 06:00.

Cards work nearly everywhere and ATMs charge around CLP 5,000 a go. When the terminal asks about cuotas, the answer is one. And ask for the hotel tax exemption.

Foreign tourists are legally exempt from the 19% IVA on hotel rooms, which is worth real money over a two-week trip. The 10% tip on your restaurant bill is a cap, not an obligation, and the restaurant has to ask before adding it.

The country uses the US dollar, so there is nothing to convert. The problem is change: nobody can break a USD 20 note, and the Galapagos fee is cash only.

Cash still rules outside the smart districts. MultiRed ATMs charge no local fee and give up to S/ 2,000; commercial banks charge S/ 15 to S/ 35 and cap you at S/ 700. Check your change - counterfeit notes are handed back to tourists routinely.

Hotel nights are invoiced VAT-free for a foreign passport, and restaurants, car hire and events take nine points off the 22 per cent rate, but only on card.

Australia is heavily cashless; card surcharges (1–1.5%) disappear entirely on 1 October 2026. Big-four ATMs charge foreign cards a 2 AUD fee, independent ATMs 3–5 AUD. Always refuse DCC and pay in AUD; tipping is not expected.

Cards work at resorts, usually with a 3 per cent surcharge. ATMs cap out at FJD 2,000 a day. Buses, taxis, markets and small restaurants are cash.

Local ATM operators add their own fee - exactly NZD 3 at ANZ - on top of whatever your own bank charges. Always decline dynamic currency conversion and choose to be billed in NZD; the hidden markup is 4 to 8 per cent.

The kina is a cash currency outside international hotels and big supermarkets, and shops that do take cards add a 3 to 5 per cent surcharge. BSP runs the ATM network and charges PGK 15 to 20 per withdrawal on a foreign card.

Kosovo uses the euro without being in the eurozone - one of only two territories in the world to do so.