A practical foreign exchange and currency guide to Finland
What’s in this Finland currency guide:
The official currency of Finland is the euro, with symbol € and currency code EUR.
The euro (ISO: EUR) is involved in slightly more than 30% of all foreign exchange deals, and as such, is the world’s second most traded currency, behind the US dollar.
The euro is the currency of the eurozone (officially called the ‘euro area’), which consists of 19 of the 28 member states of the European Union, and is used by almost 350 million Europeans. It was introduced in January 1999.
Of all the thousands of exchange rates that exist in the world, the euro-to-US dollar exchange rate is the most actively traded, or most ‘liquid’.
Since its introduction, the euro’s lowest value against the dollar came in October 2000 when EUR/USD hit lows of 0.8231. The currency was strongest in July 2008, shortly before the worst stage of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, when EUR/USD reached 1.6038.
There are currently more than twenty nations and territories which peg their currencies to the euro, the largest of which is Denmark.
As the tragic Ukraine war continues USD/EUR is near 0.95, a 5 year high.
Due to the Eurozone’s reliance on gas from Russia, the euro is very vulnerable to the events in Ukraine with EUR/USD dropping to around 1.06 by the end of April whereas it had been approaching 1.15 in early February.
At the start of the tragic Russian invasion of Ukraine the euro sank to parity against the safe-haven Swiss franc hitting 0.9985 francs per euro on March 7th, the lowest since January 2015.
By the end of April the euro fell to a 5-Year low around 1.05 against the US dollar and the short term news for the single currency is all negative. Global bans against Russian oil and gas and uncertainty over ECB interest rate plans have prompted predictions in the currency markets for parity for the euro against the greenback this year.
Date | EUR/USD | Change | Period |
---|---|---|---|
05 May 2022 | 1.0540 | 0.4% ▲ | 2 Week |
18 Feb 2022 | 1.1322 | 6.5% ▼ | 3 Month |
19 May 2021 | 1.2171 | 13% ▼ | 1 Year |
20 May 2017 | 1.1208 | 5.5% ▼ | 5 Year |
21 May 2012 | 1.2788 | 17.2% ▼ | 10 Year |
24 May 2002 | 0.9210 | 14.9% ▲ | 20 Year |
The below comparison table makes it easy to find the best exchange rates and lowest fees when you want to make a Transfer or Spend Euro.
Loading rates...
Provider | Amounts | Rate | Cost | |
---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
According to the annual World Happiness Report 2018, Finland is the happiest country in the world. What better reason to visit a place than to meet its happy inhabitants in hope that some of it rubs off. Perhaps the happiness is due to the fabled merry inhabitant of Finnish Lapland, Santa, who shares the land which is also famed to be the best place to view the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis.
Helsinki, Finland’s capital is one of the greenest cities in Europe, with the authorities targeting 2025 as the year that motor vehicle ownership will become obsolete boasting 2,400 miles of cycle lanes to show their commitment. With so few cars on the road, it’s no wonder that Finland is also considered to be one of the safest countries in the world.
Although known for advancements in technology and progressive urban solutions, most Finns spend their free time in touch with Mother Nature. With almost 200 000 lakes and half a million summer cottages in the country, there’s a lot of room to retreat to the countryside and get away from it all. Hiking, trekking, Nordic walking and cross-country skiing are considered fun.
The currency here is the Euro, Finns use less physical cash in their transactions than any other nation, but ATMs for cash withdrawal are fairly widespread and marked by the sign OTTO. Most major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard and EuroCard can be used for payment in most shops and restaurants. Thanks to EU rules, withdrawing euro from a cash machine costs you the same anywhere in the EU as it does in your own country from a cash machine that does not belong to your bank.
Finland is as bicycle-friendly as any country you’ll find, with plenty of paths and few hills. Bikes can be taken on most trains, buses and ferries. Åland is particularly good for cycling. Helmets are recommended but no longer required by law. You can hire a bike in nearly every Finnish town. Most campgrounds and many urban hotels offer bikes for a small fee or for free, but these are made for cycling around town, not for ambitious road trips.
Finish public transport is generally efficient, reliable and safe. There are many options for getting around including bus, tram, train, city bikes and ferries. Bus is the main form of long-distance transport in Finland, with a far more comprehensive network than the train system. Buses run on time and are rarely full.
Lake boats were once important summer transport. These services are now largely kept on as cruises, and make a great, leisurely way to journey between towns. The most popular routes are Tampere–Hämeenlinna, Tampere–Virrat, Savonlinna–Kuopio and Lahti–Jyväskylä. Finland’s road network is excellent, although there are few motorways. When approaching a town or city, keskusta on signs indicates the town centre. There are no road tolls but lots of speed cameras.
Travellers planning a trip across the border to Russia must have a visa. It is advisable to get it at the Embassy of Russia in the traveller’s country of origin, because it takes at least eight weekdays to obtain a visa in Helsinki. Eighty percent of the water in Finland is classed as being exceptionally clean.