Today, we’re talking about currencies that you can use to pay in Romania. I have received many emails on the matter, so I’ll go straight to the answer, although things are a bit more nuanced, so read the entire article below.
But to answer the question regarding whether or not you can pay in Euros or US Dollars. No, you generally can’t pay with Euros or other currency than the Romanian Leu in shops, restaurants or anywhere in the country.
The Romanian Leu (Lion) is the country’s official currency and plans for the country to switch to using Euros have been constantly delayed.
So even though Romania is in the EU, its official currency is not the Euro and the vat majority of places won’t accept it as a payment option – nor will they accept US Dollars. Generally.
Will Romanian stores accept Euros?
The situation is a bit more complex than most of foreigners traveling to the country would probably like it to be.
However, it would be safest to assume that you won’t be able to pay using Euros anywhere in Romania.
There are indeed places where they might accept Euros – from stores to restaurants and attractions in the more touristy places. But even if they do, the rates that you would get would be absolutely horrible, so you’d end up paying a lot more than you should.
So you would save a lot of money if you exchanged your Euros into Romanian Lei and used those to pay. Or use a card with a good exchange rate or ideally with multiple currencies, like Wise or Revolut.
While cash is still considered king in Romania, you will be able to pay with a card in most places – although there are still exceptions. Ask before making a purchase if you can pay by card.
To make things even more confusing for travelers, some prices might be listed in Euros in Romania, although you are still expected to pay in Lei (the national currency).
We’re talking about real estate (renting or buying), larger items (cars) and even mobile phone plans will usually have their prices listed in Euros. But remember – you are still expected to pay in Romanian Leu.
In conclusion, remember that Romania is still a very cash-friendly country and the farther away you get from the larger cities, the more difficult it might be to pay using your card.
It will be even more difficult to pay using Euros, so it’s best to find an exchange firm with 0% commission and a good exchange rate and always have some Lei on you.
Will Romanian stores accept US Dollars?
While you might be able to pay in Euros here and there throughout Romania, chances of anybody accepting US Dollars are slim to none.
Some more touristy places might accept your dollar bills – I know none that do, though – but if they do, the exchange rate they’ll offer will be horrible.
Also, using your US Dollar card to make purchases wherever that’s possible will probably cost you a lot in commissions and fees.
So my recommendation for those who only have USD on them is to exchange them in cash and use the cash to pay for all services in order to save money where card payments are available (because paying with US Dollars in cash is virtually impossible throughout the country).
Conclusion
I hope that these answers make it easier for you to plan your finances and how to handle money when you travel to Romania.
Basically, expect to only pay in Romanian leu, even if some of the prices might be listed in Euros. Have a card with low fees or one that allows you to keep the local currency or find an exchange with 0% commission as cash is king in Romania.
If you have additional questions about this, don’t hesitate to let me know by commenting below.
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Dear Romaniaexperience.com,
I am a U.S. citizen living in Bucharest. Your article about paying in Leu, Euros or U.S. dollars is pretty spot on with the exception of one note. I have a U.S. credit card from CapitalOne- a financial institution based in the U.S. It is a Visa card and I use it daily in Romania at all pay counters that have a POS. Now, the thing about this credit card which makes it a financial boon is that they CHARGE NO INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTION FEE, as do all other credit cards, that I am aware of, which charge a 1% to 3% added fee to every international transaction that goes through their card. FURTHERMORE, CapitalOne gives the ROMANIAN BNR RATE in effect for the Leu/U.S$ exchange rate at the time of the purchase made…It is an exceptional credit card and has saved me thousands of U.S. dollars since I have been here. Your article, otherwise, is pretty savvy…Cheers!
Thank you for adding that! This is really useful information indeed. I did believe that some banks offer nice incentives (I know that some US banks pay back the fees for example), but it’s always good to have confirmation!
I have also heard Charles Schwab highly praised along with CapitalOne in several YouTubes made by expatriates. I believe they reimburse any ATM fees you might pay overseas. I unfortunately cannot take advantage of any of these accounts thanks to the Patriot Act which treats many Americans living overseas like myself as terrorists or drug money launderers. Unless you have an American address and all kinds of IDs, you cannot open a checking account at any American bank. Charles Schwab told me no. CapitalOne told me no. I am stuck with a terrible checking account I had when I left the USA. It charges me $5 for out-of-network ATMs plus an international exchange fee that is a percent of the total amount. My investment fund company used to have an ATM card with no such exchange fee but they announced they were discontinuing the service last year. I am now stuck doing international wires from my investment company at $10 a pop and getting a bad exchange rate from my local Japanese bank. But at least I can transfer a larger amount at a time unlike my checking account ATM card. This week American expatriates are also experiencing the “joy” of a weakening US Dollar. It has descended from the usual 109 Yen to the $ to just 104.5 Yen which means I will get about 99,000 less Yen on the $22,000 I am transferring. That’s almost $950 out the window. Yes, exchange rate fluctuations over time can sink many a retirement plan.
Great info as well! I head about banks that repay the ATM fees, but I didn’t know any. Thanks for sharing this additional detail, it’s more than welcome!
I know that I had to make some payments in USD as well and it was horrible fees-wise. I guess that banks need to make some money too, right? And with the fees here being low to none for EUR transfers, they rip off other currencies. And it seems that happens everywhere in the world, not just here in Romania.
My favorite thing to do when l travel is to use the ATM to withdraw in the local currency. So much better rates than what you get with the currency exchange places. We have a Schwab card but stopped using it eons ago. In Nigeria, peopel welcome U.S dollars or English pounds. In fact, most airlines will only accept those currencies which suck as the banks don’t change currency. You can only exchange money on the black market. So wrong in so many ways.
Yes, I remember the days when the black market was flourishing here as well, but fortunately (or at least as far as I know) it died a long while ago.
With Romanian banks, I saw that most exchanges offer better rates – which is surprising. But then again, Romania is not as touristy as other places, so the ones exchanging money are the locals who can do the research for the best rates easier.