At the Banco de Portugal’s cash offices, you can exchange damaged euro banknotes and change euro banknotes and coins.
If you cannot come to one of our cash offices to exchange damaged euro banknotes, you can send them by post to the Banco de Portugal.
In that case, you must use the registered delivery service for declared value items (correio registado com serviço especial de valor declarado),[1]available at any post office.
In order to send the banknotes by post, you will need two envelopes. Place the banknotes inside one of the envelopes. It must be marked with ‘contém numerário’ (contains cash) on the front, with a breakdown of the banknotes to be exchanged. Then, seal this envelope and place it inside the second envelope, which must also include a letter with:
1. your identification details:
- name, ID/passport number and issuing country for a natural person, or business name and Legal Person Identification Number (Número de Identificação de Pessoa Colectiva– NIPC) for a legal person;
- address, phone number and email address. If you provide us with an email address, we will acknowledge receipt of your request and provide you with the file number of the request by email.
2. your IBAN (International Bank Account Number) or – for accounts domiciled abroad – SWIFT CODE and other relevant bank information. It is vital that you send us this information, given that the amount in euros is transferred directly to the bank account provided.
Do not forget to include all requested items. If any of these identification details is missing, the exchange process cannot be initiated.
Prior to sealing the second envelope, confirm that all requested items are provided and then send it to:
Banco de Portugal
Departamento de Emissão e Tesouraria
Unidade Central de Operações com Numerário
Apartado 2001
1101-801 Lisboa
Requests are dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis. Response times depend on the volume and complexity of the processes under analysis. You will be notified as soon as the process is completed.