The euro outside Europe
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank of the European Union countries which have adopted the euro. Our main task is to maintain price stability in the euro area and so preserve the purchasing power of the single currency.
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European Central Bank
Canary Islands (Spain)

The Canary Islands are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous community of Spain. As an “outermost region” of the EU, the islands are part of the euro area even though they do not belong to Europe geographically.

Ceuta and Melilla (Spain)

Ceuta and Melilla are two autonomous Spanish cities located on the northern coast of Africa. They are separated from the Spanish mainland by the Mediterranean Sea. As parts of Spain, they belong to the EU and their inhabitants pay with euros.

Azores and Madeira (Portugal)

The Azores and Madeira are two archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean that comprise the two Autonomous Regions of Portugal. Like the Canary Islands, they are outermost regions of the EU and part of the euro area.

Mayotte and Réunion (France)

Mayotte and Réunion are two islands located in the Indian Ocean, to the west and east of Madagascar. Both are “overseas departments” of France and outermost regions of the EU. People who live there pay with euros.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon form an archipelago off the eastern coast of Canada and make up an “overseas collectivity” of France. This means that they are part of France, but not part of the EU. The islands have signed an agreement with the EU to use the euro.

French Guiana

French Guiana is an overseas department of France located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. As part of France, French Guiana forms an outermost region of the EU and therefore belongs to the euro area.

French islands in the Caribbean

The Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique are French overseas departments and therefore part of the EU. Saint Martin became an overseas collectivity of France in 2007, but remains in the EU. The overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy, which is not part of the EU, has signed a monetary agreement with the EU to use the euro.

Microstates in Europe

The European microstates of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are not part of the EU. However, they have signed monetary agreements with the EU. This means that people living in these states use the euro as their official currency. The four states are also allowed to issue a limited quantity of coins with their own designs.

Kosovo and Montenegro

Kosovo and Montenegro in the Western Balkans are not members of the EU. They do not issue a domestic currency and have used the euro since 2002. Before that, they used the Deutsche Mark.