Resources for Expats, Travelers, and Entrepreneurs Navigating Life and Trade in the Turks and Caicos Islands with the US dollar
What's in this Turks and Caicos Islands currency guide?
The official currency of the Turks and Caicos Islands (country code: TC) is the US dollar, with symbol $ and currency code USD.
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The domestic currency in the Turks and Caicos Islands is the US dollar.
The three letter currency code for the US dollar is USD — symbol is $.
It is the domestic currency in   United States, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands and Turks and Caicos Islands.
No, the US dollar is freely available and convertible. See guide: What is a closed currency?
Here are some popular conversion amounts for EUR to USD (Euro to US dollar)*.
*Converted at the current EURUSD interbank exchange rate. Calculate actual payout amounts for Send Money and Travel Money exchange rates.
Here are a few things you may want to know about the U.S. dollar:
The U.S. dollar is the official currency of several countries outside the United States, including:
The physical currency consists of coins and banknotes. The coins come in denominations of 1 cent (¢), 5 cents (nickel), 10 cents (dime), 25 cents (quarter), and 50 cents (half dollar). The banknotes come in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100.
The banknotes feature images of famous American historical figures, such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin. The design of the currency is constantly being updated, so the physical appearance of the coins and banknotes may vary slightly over time.
Using Wise for US dollar travel money is a smart choice for savvy travelers. With its competitive exchange rates and low fees, Wise allows you to convert and manage multiple currencies effortlessly.
Be careful when using your own bank's Debit/Credit Card, as your bank may also charge an extra 3% as an “Overseas Transaction Charge” plus “Overseas ATM” fees for withdrawing cash on top of the standard Visa/Mastercard 2.5% from market mid-rate.
For card purchases, if you are offered a choice of currencies always select to Pay in US dollar otherwise you will typically get much worst dynamic currency conversion (DCC) exchange rates.
If you really want US dollar cash before departure, you can save money by ordering online. You generally get better rates and can pick up the USD cash locally or even on travel day at the airport.
The Turks and Caicos are a chain of 40 islands that include Providenciales (the most populated island) as well as Grand Turk, Middle Caicos, South Caicos, and more. There are two airports—on Providenciales and Grand Turk—but most travelers fly in to Providenciales. For trips to the other islands, charter a boat or go with an operator like Silver Deep or Island Vibes. The Caicos Islands include some of the most popular tourist areas. The main destination for visitors is Providenciales, also known as Provo, which has the only 18-hole golf course on the islands and some laid-back casinos. Most hotels in Provo line the phenomenal Grace Bay.
The Turks Islands lie several miles southeast of the Caicos Islands. They are much smaller than the Caicos Islands, and more low-key. Grand Turk, home to the islands' capital, is a sleepy spot that offers plenty of island culture and history.
With the motto "Beautiful by Nature," its really no wonder why the islands' tourism marketing push centers on Turks and Caicos' quiet, natural beauty. Because of the islands' laid-back and slow-paced nature, you won't find nightlife comparable to Aruba or Barbados, but beach shacks and bars remain open for evening entertainment -- island-style.
Credit card acceptance in the Turks and Caicos varies by island and by type of business.The majority of establishments on the island of Providenciales that cater to tourism accept credit cards, especially vehicle rental companies, accommodations, and large tour and activity companies. Some of the smaller restaurants and shops only accept cash.
There are taxis on the island, but the best way to get around is by renting a car, which is available at the airport. The British Overseas Territory follows the U.K system and drives on the left side of the road. There are no public buses in the Turk and Caicos Islands. To rent a car, you need to be 25 or above, and hold a currently valid license. An International Driver Permit (IDP) is only required if your license is in a language other than English. The age limit is only 18 for scooters.
Taxis are available on all the inhabited islands. Cabs are unmetered and pricing is set (but not cheap): confirm the price before setting out. Prices from the airport to the major resorts on Providenciales are advertised on the wall outside the airport taxi rank.
The below interactive chart displays the USD/EUR change and UP📈 DOWN📉 trends over the past 1 Year.
To get a good (and fair) exchange rate when sending money to the Turks and Caicos Islands you need to find and compare exchange rates for International Money Transfers (IMTs).
The available FX rates for sending money abroad can be very different to the mid-market (wholesale) rate which you see reported online and in the News.
You should especially compare your own bank's exchange rates to those available from Money Transfer specialists to see how much you can save - we make that calculation easy in the below table.
When sending money to the Turks and Caicos Islands it’s important to compare your bank’s rates & fees with those we have negotiated with our partner money transfer providers. To get a better deal you should follow these 4 simple steps :
Use the above calculator to compare the exchange rates of FX specialist providers rates versus your bank's standard rates you can hopefully save around 5% and maybe more - end result is more US dollar deposited into the recipient bank account and less margins and fees kept by the banks!