The redesign process
In December 2021 weannounced plans to redesign our euro banknotes, which is part of the process of developing new ones. We want to ensure euro banknotes remain available and accessible and continue to be a secure and efficient means of payment.
We also want euro banknotes to bemore sustainable and more environmentally friendly. This is why we are looking at their environmental footprint to identify opportunities to reduce their impact on the environment via new materials and processes. The redesign process is also an opportunity to make the banknotes more inclusive.
The Governing Council’s decision on the new theme and designs will take into account opinions gathered from the public in surveys and advice from expert groups. Our aim is to ensure the theme and designs selected are relatable for all Europeans.
There are two major milestones in the process:
- the selection of possible future themes and associated motifs;
- the selection of a design following a design contest.
Main steps in the redesign process
On 30 November 2023 the ECB’s Governing Council decided to move to the next phase of the redesign process for euro banknotes with two possible themes – “European culture” and “Rivers and birds” – and their associated motifs.
Theme: European culture
Europe’s rich cultural heritage and dynamic cultural and creative sectors strengthen our European identity, forging a shared sense of belonging. Culture promotes common values, inclusion and dialogue in Europe and across the globe. It brings people together.
Story behind the motifs: shared cultural spaces
The theme of “European culture” celebrates the shared cultural spaces that have shaped our European identity over the centuries. The motifs for this theme depict various cultural activities and spaces, as well as iconic European personalities who have contributed to Europe’s cultural heritage.
Front | Reverse | |
| €5 Performing arts | Maria Callas | Street performers (music/dance/theatre) entertaining passers-by. |
| €10 Music | Ludwig van Beethoven | A song festival with a choir of children and young adults singing. |
| €20 Universities and schools | Marie Curie (born Skłodowska) | A school or university with a female teacher and young students. There are notebooks and books on the tables. |
| €50 Libraries | Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra | A library with some adults reading paper and digital books. A little boy and girl in front of a bookcase trying to get a book. |
| €100 Museums and exhibitions | Leonardo da Vinci | Adults and children admiring some examples of street art, contemporary art, etc. |
| €200 Public squares | Bertha von Suttner | A tree-covered square allowing people to come together, with adults and children talking, walking, playing, etc. |
Theme: Rivers and birds
Rivers and birds recognise no borders, symbolising freedom and unity among Europeans and our connection to nature. Europe boasts a wide variety of rivers and birds that inspire us and remind us of our responsibility to protect the environment.
Story behind the motifs: resilience in diversity
The theme “Rivers and birds” highlights the resilience and diversity of Europe’s natural ecosystems by showcasing different stages of rivers and various bird species, emphasising the importance of nature and environmental protection. The European institutions also featured on the banknotes remind us of the fundamental values of the European project, which include protecting the environment.
Front | Reverse | |
| €5 | Mountain spring Wallcreeper next to a mountain landscape | European Parliament |
€10 | Waterfall | European Commission |
€20 | Confined river valley Bee-eater colony in a sand wall on the side of a large, confined river valley along a riverbank | European Central Bank |
€50 | Meandering river White stork flying over a meandering river in an unconfined river valley | Court of Justice of the European Union |
€100 | River mouth | European Council and Council of the European Union |
| €200 | Seascape Northern gannet flying over big ocean waves | European Court of Auditors |
On 15 July 2025 the ECB officially launched its design contest for future euro banknotes, inviting all graphic designers residing in the European Union to participate. The contest focused on the two chosen themes: “European culture” and “Rivers and birds”.
Application phase
The application window – 15 July to 18 August 2025 – is now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied! The ECB will review all submissions and select up to 40 designers (20 per theme) to move on to the next phase. We’ll be in touch with all applicants once the selection process is complete.
Design proposal phase
The selected designers will receive a detailed brief and will have until the end of March 2026 to submit their design proposals for one or both of the themes. All proposals will be assessed by the Design Contest Jury, a panel of independent experts. The Jury will choose up to ten design proposals (five per theme) for the Governing Council’s consideration.
For more information about the design contest, head to the ECB’sprocurement archive.
Please refer toDesign Contest Notice: ECB - Design Contest for the future euro banknotes (461742-2025).
What’s next?
The design contest is expected to be concluded in June 2026, and all participating designers will be informed of the results. After this, the ECB will conduct a public survey to hear people’s views on the design proposals that made it to the final stage. The Governing Council will take this feedback into account before announcing the final design proposal for the future euro banknotes, expected by the end of 2026.
Once the final design proposal is chosen, the Governing Council will decide when to start producing and issuing the new euro banknotes. There’s no set date yet for when the new banknotes will enter into circulation, so it will still take several years before they make their way into your wallet.
Public and expert input
Listening to Europeans
We have already consulted the European public twice since the start of the redesign process. Before the Governing Council makes its final selection, we will reach out to the public once more to ask for their views on a number of possible future designs.
Between December 2021 and March 2022, we asked people in all euro area countries, as well as Croatia and Bulgaria, to give us their opinions on possible themes for the future euro banknotes.
Take a look at thereport on the qualitative study on new themes for euro banknotes or theexecutive summary.
Between July and August 2023, we conducted an online survey asking people which of the seven shortlisted themes they preferred, and more than 365,000 responded. To ensure a representative sample, we also commissioned an independent research company to conduct a similar multi-country survey in parallel with our online survey.
Read thereport or executive summary to find out more about the survey results.
Consulting the experts
Since the launch of the redesign process, we have sought the advice of three independent expert groups on the themes, motifs and, finally, designs of the future euro banknotes.
TheTheme Advisory Group proposed a shortlist of six themes at the end of 2021. The ECB’s Governing Council then carefully considered whether the shortlisted themes were relatable to Europeans and represent European life and values, and decided to add a seventh theme, “European culture”. Read more about the seven shortlisted themes.
Find out more from thereport on the work of the Theme Advisory Group or the executive summary.
In 2024, after “European culture” and “Rivers and birds” were selected as possible themes for the future banknotes, another independent expert group, theMotifs Advisory Group, was asked to propose possible motifs to illustrate the two themes.
At the beginning of 2025 the Governing Council discussed and further developed the set of possible motifs for each theme and decided to launch the design contest with both of the themes and their associated motifs. Read more about the work of the Motifs Advisory Group in thefull report or theexecutive summary.
TheDesign Contest Jury (an independent panel of experts) will play an important role in supporting the Governing Council in the selection process. The Jury will assess the designs submitted by the designers and select proposals to put before the Governing Council for its consideration.