Polymer banknotes arebanknotes made from a syntheticpolymer such asbiaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). Such notes incorporate many security features not available in paper banknotes, including the use ofmetameric inks.[1] Polymer banknotes last significantly longer than paper notes, causing a decrease in environmental impact and a reduced cost of production and replacement.[2]DuPontTyvek polymer notes were experimentally issued by Haiti, Costa Rica, and The Isle of Man, from 1982.[3][4] Modern polymer banknotes were developed by theReserve Bank of Australia (RBA),Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) andThe University of Melbourne. They were first issued as currency in Australia during 1988 (coinciding with Australia's bicentennial year); by 1996, the Australian dollar was switched completely to polymer banknotes. Romania was the second country in Europe to issue a plastic note in 1999 and became the third country, after Australia and New Zealand, to fully convert to polymer by 2003.
Other currencies that have been switched completely to polymer banknotes include: theVietnamese đồng (2006) although this is only applied to banknotes with denominations above 5,000 đồng, theBrunei dollar (2006),the Nigerian Naira (2007), thePapua New Guinean kina (2008), theCanadian dollar (2013), theMaldivian rufiyaa (2017), theMauritanian ouguiya (2017), theNicaraguan córdoba (2017), theVanuatu vatu (2017), theEastern Caribbean dollar (2019), thepound sterling (2021) and theBarbadian dollar (2022). Several countries and regions have introduced polymer banknotes into commemorative or general circulation, including:Nigeria,Cape Verde,Chile,The Gambia,Trinidad and Tobago,Vietnam,Mexico,Taiwan,Singapore,Malaysia,Botswana,São Tomé and Príncipe,North Macedonia,Russia,Solomon Islands,Samoa,Morocco,Albania,Sri Lanka,Hong Kong,Israel,China,Kuwait,Mozambique,Saudi Arabia,Isle of Man,Guatemala,Haiti,Jamaica,Libya,Mauritius,Costa Rica,Honduras,Angola,Namibia,Lebanon,the Philippines,Egypt,the United Arab Emirates,Thailand andBermuda.
In 1959,DuPont discovered and developed a polymer they would patent and trademark asTyvek, and laterBradvek; the material is commonly used for envelopes, but was used, from 1982, for experimental bank note series in Haiti, Costa Rica, and the Isle of Man.[4][3] In the 1980s, Canadian engineering company AGRA Vadeko and US chemical company USMobil Chemical Company developed a polymer substrate trademarked as DuraNote. It had been tested by theBank of Canada in the 1980s and 1990s; testC$20 andC$50 banknotes were auctioned in October 2012.[5][6] It was also tested by theBureau of Engraving and Printing of theUnited States Department of the Treasury in 1997 and 1998, when 40,000 test banknotes were printed and evaluated; and was evaluated by thecentral banks of 28 countries.[5]
Polymer banknotes usually have three levels of security devices. Primary security devices are easily recognisable by consumers and may includeintaglio, metal strips, and the clear areas of the banknote. Secondary security devices are detectable by a machine. Tertiary security devices may only be detectable by the issuing authority when a banknote is returned.[7]
Modern polymer banknotes were first developed by theReserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation orCSIRO and first issued as currency in Australia during 1988, to coincide with Australia's bicentennial year.[8]
In August 2012,Nigeria's Central Bank attempted the switch back from polymer to paper banknotes,[9] saying there were "significant difficulties associated with the processing and destruction of the polymer banknotes" which had "constrained the realisation of the benefits expected from polymer banknotes over paper notes".[10] However, PresidentGoodluck Jonathan halted the process in September 2012.[11]
The polymer notes in the Republic of Mauritius are available in values of₨ 25,₨ 50,₨ 500 and₨ 2,000, Recently in December 2024, theBank of Mauritius has announced that there will be issues ofRs 100,Rs 200, andRs 1000 banknotes. The FijiFJ$5 was issued[12] in April 2013.
In the United Kingdom, the first polymer banknotes were issued by theNorthern Bank in Northern Ireland in 2000; these were a special commemorative issue bearing an image of theSpace Shuttle.[Note 1] In March 2015, theClydesdale Bank in Scotland began to issue polymer Sterling £5 notes marking the 125th anniversary of the building of theForth Bridge.[13] These were the first polymer notes to enter general circulation in the UK.[14] TheRoyal Bank of Scotland followed in 2016 with a new issue of plastic £5 notes illustrated with a picture of authorNan Shepherd.[15] In September 2016, theBank of England began to issue £5 polymer notes with a picture ofWinston Churchill; and in 2017 a polymer £10 began replacing its paper equivalent, featuring a picture of the authorJane Austen. A polymer £20 was issued in 2020 with a picture ofJ.M.W. Turner, and the £50 note was released in 2021, featuringAlan Turing. Although the polymer Bank of England notes are 15% smaller than the older, paper issue, they bear a similar design.[16][17] Some businesses operating in the UK cash industry have opposed the switch to polymer, citing a lack of research into the cost impact of its introduction.[18] In December 2022, following the death ofQueen Elizabeth II, the Bank of England unveiled the design of a new series of banknotes featuringKing Charles III. The rest of the design, however, is unchanged, with the exception of a slight alteration in colour.[19]
In the Philippines, it was proposed in 2009 to shift to the usage of polymer forPhilippine peso banknotes. This did not push through due to concern the shift would have over the impact to country'sabaca industry. The proposal was revived in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic since the polymer banknotes can be sanitized with less damage compared to paper banknotes, as well as other reasons such as durability, lesser average issue cost, and lesser susceptibility to counterfeiting. In April 2022, TheBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas officially released the 1000 peso bill polymer bank note into circulation.[20] In December 2024, theBSP (Central Bank of the Philippines) has announced that they will be issuing polymer notes in the denominations of 500, 100, and 50 pesos in the first quarter of 2025.
Despite having the updated logo and the updated signature of thecurrent president, there are no plans for a 20 peso polymer note due to it being slowly shifted into becoming a coin. There are also no plans for a 200 peso polymer banknote due to low demand.[21]
| Country | Date of first introduction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | Early 1980s | An alternative polymer of polyethylene fibres marketed asTyvek byDuPont was developed for use as currency by theAmerican Bank Note Company in the early 1980s. |
 Haiti | 1982 | Haiti released Tyvek-madeGourde banknotes in denominations of 1, 2, 50, 100, 250 & 500. The same denominations and a 5 Gourdes banknote were also released on paper.[4] |
 Costa Rica | 1983 | Costa Rica issued a 20Colones Tyvek banknote. |
 Isle of Man | 1983 | TheIsle of Man issued a 1Pound banknote, this time calledBradvek and printed byBradbury Wilkinson.[3] |
| N/A | Late 1980s | Tyvek did not perform well in trials; smudging of ink and fragility were reported as problems, so production of Tyvek banknotes was discontinued.[22] |
 Australia | 1988 | Australia introduced theten-dollar note to celebrate its bicentennial. This was the world's first true polymer banknote.[23] It was only printed during that year.[24][25] |
 Singapore | 1990 | Singapore issued aS$50 in polymer substrate to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Independence. |
 Papua New Guinea | 1991 | Papua New Guinea issued its first 2Kinas banknote in polymer substrate to commemorate the 9thSouth Pacific Games held in the country.[26] |
| Australia | 1992 | Australia begins its transition away from paper money to polymer banknotes.[27][28][29] |
 Indonesia | 1993 | Indonesia issued aRp 50,000 commemorative banknote in conjunction with the 25 Years of Development by PresidentSoeharto which is the first polymer banknote issued byBank Indonesia. But polymer banknotes are never issued again in the later series.[30] |
 Brunei | 1996 | Brunei introduced its first polymer banknotes in denominations of 1, 5, 10dollars.[31] |
 Sri Lanka | 4 February 1998 | Sri Lanka issued aරු.200 commemorative banknote in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary ofIndependence which is so far the only polymer banknote issued by theCentral Bank of Sri Lanka.[32] |
| Australia | 1996 | Australia converted all of its denominations into polymer banknotes,[33][28] becoming the first country in the world to do so.[34] |
 Thailand | 18 August 1997 | Thailand issued its first polymer banknote, a 50Baht denomination. On 1 October 2004 it was replaced by a redesigned version printed on paper.[35] |
 Malaysia | 1998 | Malaysia issued aRM50 commemorative banknote in conjunction with theXVI Commonwealth Games, the first polymer banknote ever issued byBank Negara Malaysia.[36] |
 New Zealand | May 1999 | New Zealand converted all of its banknotes into polymer banknotes.[37] |
 Taiwan | June 1999 | Taiwan issued its first polymer banknote (NT$50) to commemorate 50 years of theNew Taiwan dollar's issuance.[38] |
 Romania | August 1999 | In celebration of thetotal solar eclipse of 11 August 1999, theNational Bank of Romania (BNR) decided to issue a commemorativetwo thousandRomanian leibanknote. Since it was the last eclipse of the millennium, the denomination was chosen to be2000 in respect to the upcoming year. These notes were issued as legal tender.[39] |
| Indonesia | 1 November 1999 | Bank Indonesia introduced aRp 100,000 polymer banknote in circulation, the first banknote of such value to be issued.[40] |
 Brazil | April 2000 | Brazil introduced aR$10 polymer banknote as a special edition issue commemorating the country's 500th anniversary.[41] |
 Bangladesh | January 2001 | Bangladesh introduced the 10taka polymer banknote, originally they were due to be issued onVictory Day, a day big for Bangladeshis, but were delayed.[42] |
 Nepal | February 2002 | TheKingdom of Nepal introduced a commemorative 10rupees polymer banknote, on the occasion ofKing Gyanendra's accession to the Nepalese throne after theNepalese royal massacre. It was rendered obsolete when theKingdom fell and was replaced by 2008.[43] |
 Mexico | September 2002 | Mexico switched the20peso denomination from paper to polymer banknotes.[44] and they issued a100 peso with vertical design polymer banknote in 2020.[45] |
| Romania | 2003 | Romania converted all of its denominations of the leu to polymer,[46] becoming the first European country to do so. |
 Zambia | 2003 | TheBank of Zambia introduces two polymer banknotes in denominations ofK500 and K1,000.[47] |
 Vietnam | December 2003 | Vietnam adopted polymer banknote in denominations of 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000đồng for general circulation.[48] |
| Malaysia | October 2004 | Bank Negara Malaysia introduces a 5ringgit polymer banknote into circulation, with the same design as the paper version. This was the first non-commemorative polymer banknote to be issued. Both polymer and paper versions were in circulation concurrently.[49] |
| Indonesia | November 2004 | Bank Indonesia switched itsRp100,000 polymer banknote into a paper banknote with a different design than the polymer version.[50] |
| Romania | July 2005 | Romania redenominated the leu, removing four zeroes and issuing a series of new denominations in polymer.[51] |
| Mexico | 2006 | Two more new polymer notes issued in 2006, for20-pesos (new design) and the50-pesos[44] and they issued a100 peso with vertical design polymer banknote in 2020.[45] |
| Brunei | 2006 | Brunei had adopted polymer banknotes for all of its banknote denominations. |
| Australia | 2006 | The Australian Government agencyCSIRO issued a non-legal tender polymer note to celebrate the 80th year of the formation of CSIRO. These notes were issued and distributed to staff members and at selected public events.[52] |
| Vietnam | August 2006 | Vietnam adopted polymer banknote in 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000đồng for general circulation.[48] |
| Romania | 1 December 2006 | TheNational Bank of Romania issued a new denomination,200lei.[53] |
 Hong Kong | 2007 | TheGovernment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region issued polymer banknotes for the first time. The banknotes are inHK$10.[54] |
 Nigeria | February 2007 | As part of the Nigerian economic reforms, the 20 naira note was issued for the first time in polymer substrate.[55] |
 Guatemala | August 2007 | Guatemala introduced polymer banknotes in denominations of 1quetzal and 5quetzales.[56] |
 Nicaragua | 2008 | An announcement from theCentral Bank of Nicaragua in 2008 stated that a new 200 Córdoba banknote would be in circulation.[57][58] |
 Israel | 13 April 2008 | Israel started to issue 20ILS banknotes, due to the high deterioration of 20 ILS paper banknotes. The Israeli polymer notes are printed byOrell Füssli Security Printing of Zürich, Switzerland.[59] |
| Romania | 1 December 2008 | TheNational Bank of Romania issued a revised10 lei banknote. |
| Nicaragua | 2009 | On 15 May, Nicaragua released new polymer ten and twentyNicaragua córdoba banknotes to replace their paper counterparts.[60] After an announcement from theCentral Bank of Nicaragua in 2008 stated that a new 200 Córdoba banknote would be in circulation, it took the country an additional year to prepare its new set of banknotes. A new polymer two hundred and a hundred córdoba banknote was first issued on the first of June 2009. In December 2009, a new 50 banknote was released, later followed by a new 500 banknote that was issued on 12 January 2010.[57][58] |
 Paraguay | August 2009 | TheCentral Bank of Paraguay introduces polymer₲2,000 banknotes.[61] |
 India | September 2009 | TheReserve Bank of India announced that it will introduce 1 billion 10-rupee notes.[62] |
 Chile | September 2009 | TheCentral Bank of Chile introduced a new series of theChilean peso, starting with the redesigned 5000 Pesos banknote.[63] |
| Nigeria | 30 September 2009 | Three Nigerian bank notes (₦50, ₦10 and ₦5) were converted to polymer substrate following the successful performance of the 20 naira (polymer) banknote.[55] |
 Honduras | 12 January 2010 | TheCentral Bank of Honduras introduces a polymerL20 banknote.[64] |
| Nicaragua | 12 January 2010 | Nicaragua released a new 500 banknote.[57][58] |
 Dominican Republic | June 2010 | TheCentral Bank of the Dominican Republic announced the introduction of a new polymer based 20pesos note.[65] |
| Chile | October 2010 | TheCentral Bank of Chile announced the redesigned 2000Pesos that went into circulation on 20 November, as a program to change the old designs and make them more secure.[66] |
 Canada | November 2011 | TheBank of Canada introduced theFrontier Series$100 polymer banknote to modernise its currency and reduce counterfeiting.[67] $50 banknotes were put into circulation in March 2012; the $20 note was put into circulation on 7 November 2012[68] with the $10 and $5 denominations released on 7 November 2013.[69][70] |
| Guatemala | November 2011 | Guatemala introduced new polymer banknote in denomination of 5quetzales.[71] |
| Malaysia | 16 July 2012 | Bank Negara Malaysia put newRM1 andRM5 polymer banknotes into circulation as part of a new banknote series.[72] |
 United Kingdom | 2013 | TheBank of England announced that it would adopt polymer notes.[73] |
 Fiji | 2 April 2013 | Fiji's first polymer banknote, a$5 banknote, enters circulation.[74] |
| India | April 2013 | TheReserve Bank of India introduced plastic/polymer currency note of₹ 10 on a field trial basis in five cities in India.[75] |
 Mauritius | 22 August 2013 | The Bank of Mauritius issued new 25-, 50-, and 500-rupee polymer banknotes which will circulate in parallel with the existing paper notes of the same denominations. The new polymer notes have almost the same design as the preceding paper banknotes, but contain numerous new security features such as transparent windows showing the image of the dodo, numbers printed with magnetic ink which become fluorescent under ultra violet light, and swing features printed in iridescent ink, which change to a different colour when observed in transparency or when tilted. The 25-, and 50-rupee notes are printed byOberthur Technologies on Innovia Security's Guardian substrate and the 500-rupee note is printed byDe La Rue on its Safeguard (formerly Flexycoin) substrate.[76] |
 Lebanon | 22 November 2013 | TheBanque du Liban issued a£L50,000 banknote in polymer to commemorate the country's 70th anniversary ofindependence.[77] |
| Lebanon | 2014 | TheBanque du Liban issued a£L50,000 banknote in polymer to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of theBanque du Liban.[78] |
 Vanuatu | 2014 | TheReserve Bank of Vanuatu introduced polymer banknotes in denominations of 200, 1,000, and 2,000vatu. Regular 10,000-vatu banknotes were also introduced that year to replace the commemorative versions, which were originally issued in 2010.[79] |
 Poland | 5 August 2014 | TheNational Bank of Poland issued 50,000 20 zł polymer banknotes to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formation of thePolish Legions.[80] |
 The Gambia | 20 July 2014 | TheCentral Bank of the Gambia issued a 20Dalasis banknote printed onDe La Rue's Safeguard polymer substrate. It commemorates "20 Years of Progress and Self-Reliance", coinciding with PresidentYahya Jammeh's 20 years in office as president.[81][82] |
 Mauritania | 28 November 2014 | TheCentral Bank of Mauritania issued a 1,000Ouguiya banknote on Innovia Security's Guardian substrate.[83] |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 15 December 2014 | TheCentral Bank of Trinidad and Tobago issued aTT$50 note printed on polymer to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of theCentral Bank of Trinidad & Tobago.[84] |
 Cape Verde | 23 December 2014 | TheBanco de Cabo Verde issued a new family ofescudo banknotes that honour Cape Verdean figures in the fields of literature, music, and politics. One note in the new series is the 200escudos banknote, now printed on polymer.[85] |
| New Zealand | 2015 | TheReserve Bank of New Zealand introduced a new family of notes with improved security features, with the 5 and 10 in October 2015, and the 20, 50 and 100dollar banknotes in April 2016.[86][87] |
 Scotland | 2015 | Clydesdale Bank issued two million £5notes, printed in polymer. It features a portrait of SirWilliam Arrol and an image of theForth Bridge.[88] |
| India | 2015 | TheReserve Bank of India announced plans to introduce polymer banknotes on a pilot basis and improve security features to defeat the efforts ofcounterfeiters.[89] |
| Lebanon | 2015 | TheBanque du Liban issued a£L50,000 banknote in polymer to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of theLebanese Army.[90] |
| Papua New Guinea | 2015 | TheBank of Papua New Guinea issued 10 and 20kina notes in polymer, one to commemorate theXV Pacific Games and the other to commemorate the 40th Anniversary ofPapua New Guinean independence.[91][92] |
 Maldives | 2015 | TheMaldives Authority Monetary introduced a new family of banknotes printed onDe La Rue's "Safeguard" polymer substrate. A commemorative 5,000Rufiyaa banknote was issued in July 2015, and followed by the 5-,10-, 20-, 50-, 100-, 500 and a new denomination of 1,000Rufiyaa in October 2015.[93][94][95] |
| Singapore | 2015 | TheMonetary Authority of Singapore issued a set of polymer banknotes to commemorate the nation's 50th Anniversary ofindependence. It consists of fiveS$10 notes and a commemorativeS$50 note.[96] |
| Nicaragua | 2015 | TheBanco Central de Nicaragua issued a new family of notes on 26 October 2015. They are printed in polymer, except for the 500cordobas banknote, which is printed on cotton paper substrate.[97][98] |
| Canada | 9 September 2015 | TheBank of Canada (Banque du Canada) issued aC$20 polymer banknote to commemorateQueen Elizabeth II's milestone as thelongest-reigning monarch in Canada's modern era. It is similar to the regular issue 20-dollarFrontier Series polymer note, but the notable features for the commemorative note are the metallic portrait of thequeen, based on a photograph taken by renowned Canadian photographerYousuf Karsh, the metallic symbol including the Queen's monogram surmounted by theSt. Edward's crown, surrounded by a garland of maple leaves and the text "A HISTORIC REIGN • UN RÈGNE HISTORIQUE" repeated at the top, center and bottom of the large window.[99] |
 Gibraltar | 2016 | TheGovernment of Gibraltar issued a£100 polymer banknote to commemorateSir Joshua Hassan's 22 years asChief Minister in the first half of 2016.[100] |
| Scotland | 2016 | TheRoyal Bank of Scotland issued£5 and £10 banknotes in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The notes were printed onDe La Rue's Safeguard polymer substrate.[101] |
| Australia | 1 September 2016 | TheReserve Bank of Australia issued aA$5 polymer note with improved security features and a tactile feature to assist those with visual impairments.[102] |
| United Kingdom | 13 September 2016 | TheBank of England began issuing the new polymer£5 note, the first to be issued inEngland and Wales.[103] |
| India | 17 March 2017 | TheReserve Bank of India announced that it will do trials of polymer₹10 notes at five locations in India.[104] |
| Canada | 1 June 2017 | TheBank of Canada (Banque du Canada) unveiled aC$10 polymer banknote to commemorate the 150th anniversary ofconfederation.[105] |
| Vanuatu | 28 July 2017 | According to an article in the Vanuatu Daily Post, theReserve Bank of Vanuatu issued a new version of the 5,000-vatu banknote, with the 500-vatu issued just a few months later to complete the new banknote series which were introduced back in 2014.[106] |
| United Kingdom | September 2017 | TheBank of England issued a new polymer£10 note.[107] |
| Romania | 1 January 2018 | TheNational Bank of Romania issued all denominations with the new (revised)coat of arms of Romania. All the other features remained unchanged for all the denominations.[108] |
 São Tomé and Príncipe | 1 January 2018 | TheBanco Central de Sao Tome and Principe issued polymer banknotes in denominations of 5 and 10dobras.[109] |
 Botswana | February 2018 | TheBank of Botswana introduced a new 10-pula banknote printed on polymer to express the concern of the poor quality of the paper used in the printing of this denomination of banknote.[110] |
 North Macedonia | May 2018 | TheNational Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia issued 10- and 50-denari polymer banknotes as part of a new series.[111] |
 Russia | 22 May 2018 | TheCentral Bank of Russia issued a₽100 banknote to commemorate the2018 FIFA World Cup.[112] |
 Uruguay | September 2018 | TheCentral Bank of Uruguay (BCU) printed a special and experimental edition of polymer banknotes with a value of 50UYU to test reception and to celebrate the bank's 50th anniversary, that was in 2017, producing 10,000,000 units.[113] |
| Mauritius | December 2018 | TheBank of Mauritius has issued a 2,000-rupees banknote printed on polymer substrate and with revised security features, while at the same time all previous versions of the 2,000-rupees paper banknote ceased being legal tender by the end of January 2019.[114] |
 Morocco | 2019 | TheCentral bank of Morocco introduced a 20dirham polymer banknote to mark 20 years of enthronement ofMohammed VI.[115] |
 Albania | 2019 | TheBank of Albania introduced a new 200Lek polymer banknote on 30 September 2019.[116] |
 Libya | 17 February 2019 | TheCentral Bank of Libya has issued a 1Dinar banknote on 17 February 2019, in commemoration of the 8th Anniversary of theLibyan Revolution of 2011.[117] |
| Northern Ireland | 27 February 2019 | Bank of Ireland,Danske Bank andUlster Bank, commercial banks in Northern Ireland, each issued anew series of pound banknotes on polymer substrate for general use in Northern Ireland on 27 February 2019.[118] |
 Solomon Islands | 2 May 2019 | TheCentral Bank of Solomon Islands introduced a new design of theSI$5 banknote, which was issued in conjunction of World Tuna Day.[119] |
 Samoa | June 2019 | TheCentral Bank of Samoa announced the release of a new 10Tala polymer banknote in June 2019, to commemorate theXVI Pacific Games 2019 which were held in Samoa from 7 July 2019. The 10Tala banknote will be the second polymer banknote issued in Samoa and the firstcarbon offset banknote created from the polymer substrate. The new banknote is one of a kind for Samoa as it will have a horizontal front and a vertical back. The banknote will feature a see through window depicting thePacific Games logo, and a tactile embossed feature to assist the visually impaired, both are unique features of polymer banknotes. The standard banknote prefix has been replaced with the specialPG/XVI prefix denoting "XVI Pacific Game". Issuance of the new 10Tala note will commence the last week of June 2019, and will co-circulate together with the existing 10tala banknotes which will remain legal tender.[120] |
| Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States | Mid-2019 | TheEastern Caribbean Central Bank started issuing a new family of banknotes from theEC$5 to theEC$100, all printed on polymer, a plan which has been announced since 5 September 2018. |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 9 December 2019 | TheCentral Bank of Trinidad and Tobago issued aTT$100 polymer banknote for circulation on 9 December 2019, while announcing that all versions of the paperTT$100 banknotes will be demonetized and withdrawn from circulation on 31 December 2019.[121] |
| United Kingdom | 20 February 2020 | TheBank of England issued a£20 polymer banknote. This the third banknote in the new series.[122] |
 Namibia | 25 March 2020 | TheBank of Namibia issued a 30dollar polymer banknote to commemorate 30 years ofindependence.[123] |
 Angola | 7 July 2020 | National Bank of Angola issued 200, 500, 1000, 2000Kwanzas banknotes on polymer substrate.[124] |
| Costa Rica | 25 July 2020 | TheBanco Central de Costa Rica issued a new family of polymer banknote in denominations of 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 and 20,000colones.[125][126] |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 30 September 2020 | TheCentral Bank of Trinidad and Tobago issued a new polymer banknote family in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50dollars.[127] |
 Saudi Arabia | 4 October 2020 | TheSaudi Arabian Monetary Authority has announced the 5-riyal banknote will be switched to polymer, replacing the current paper banknote, without any announcement on the other banknotes. The banknote was said to feature more environmentally friendly materials and additional security features, in addition to a much longer lifespan.[128] |
| Uruguay | October 2020 | TheCentral Bank of Uruguay replaced the commemorative 50 UYU polymer note in 2020 with a standard bill using the same design as the previous cotton note, as well as printing a 20 UYU polymer note.[129] |
| Mexico | 21 November 2020 | TheBanco de Mexico released a 100peso polymer banknote as a part of the new Series G banknotes.[130] |
| Lebanon | 5 December 2020 | TheBanque du Liban released a£L100,000 polymer banknote in circulation to commemorate the centenary of the establishment ofGreater Lebanon.[131] |
| Cape Verde | 8 January 2021 | TheBank of Cape Verde introduced a new 200-escudo note like the preceding issue printed in polymer, but printed on cotton paper.[132] |
| Botswana | 22 February 2021 | TheBank of Botswana printed a new version of the polymer 10-pula banknote, but this time featuring presidentMokgweetsi Masisi.[133] |
| United Kingdom | 23 June 2021 | TheBank of England issued a£50 polymer banknote, completing sterling's transition from paper to polymer notes. This the fourth and final Series G banknote to be issued.[134] |
 Cook Islands | 3 August 2021 | TheCook Islands introduces a polymer$3 banknote featuring an illustration of "Ina and the Shark".[135] |
| Romania | 1 December 2021 | TheNational bank of Romania introduced a new20 lei banknote, depictingWorld War I heroEcaterina Teodoroiu.[136] |
 United Arab Emirates | 7 December 2021 | TheCentral Bank of the United Arab Emirates introduced the country's first polymer banknote – a redesigned Dh50 note to commemorate the golden jubilee of the country on 2 December 2021.[137] |
 China | 21 December 2021 | ThePeople's Bank of China releases acommemorative¥20 banknote for the2022 Winter Olympics.[138] |
 Barbados | 21 March 2022 | TheCentral Bank of Barbados announced its intent to replace the current paper banknotes with a newly designed polymer version by the end of the year.[139] The new designs of the polymer banknotes were revealed on 4 May 2022 and the notes were rolled out 5 December 2022 as scheduled.[140][141] |
| Thailand | 24 March 2022 | TheBank of Thailand started issuing฿20 polymer banknotes bearing the image of Rama X. It is done to improve its quality as it is the most widely used banknote and hence it is prone to sustained damage.[142] |
 Philippines | 18 April 2022 | TheBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas started issuing the 1000-piso polymer banknote, the country's first polymer banknote. These banknotes began the phased issuance to banks, with the release of a limited quantity.[143] |
| United Arab Emirates | 21 and 26 April 2022 | TheCentral Bank of the United Arab Emirates started issuing new, redesignedDh5 andDh10 polymer currency notes. The 10-dirham banknote entered circulation on Thursday 21 April and the 5-dirham banknote entered circulation on Tuesday 26 April.[144] Following that, it was announced that theDh1000 note will also be replaced and circulation will start on the first half of 2023.[145] |
 Egypt | 6 July 2022 | TheCentral Bank of Egypt started issuing the newLE10 banknote which has been planned since the year 2020. The existing version of the LE10 banknote printed on paper will continue to circulate in parallel with the new polymer banknotes.[146][147] |
 Qatar | 9 November 2022 | TheQatar Central Bank announced a new 22-riyal banknote in commemoration of the2022 FIFA World Cup, the first one ever held in the country and the Middle Eastern region as a whole.[148] |
| Australia | February 2023 | According to a press release dated 2 February 2023, theReserve Bank of Australia has decided to replace the portrait of the lateQueen Elizabeth II on theA$5 banknote with a design celebrating the First Australians instead of a portrait ofKing Charles III.[149] |
| Poland | 9 February 2023 | TheNational Bank of Poland issued 100,000 20zł. banknotes to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the birth of scientistNicolaus Copernicus.[150] |
| Egypt | 21 June 2023 | Almost one year after the release of the new LE10 polymer banknote, the Central Bank of Egypt issued the newLE20 polymer banknotes. Just like the paper LE10 notes, the paper versions of the LE20 note will co-circulate with the new polymer version.[151] |
 Jamaica | 18 July 2023 | TheBank of Jamaica officially released a new banknote series that had been planned since the end of May 2022, and the new polymer series includes a$2000 note. This introduction of the new denomination is done to bridge the gap between the $1000 and $5000 denominations, reduce the number of notes needed for multi-thousand-dollar transactions, and eventually reduce costs for the central bank, due to a lower reliance on the $1000 note.[152][153][154][155][156][157][158] |
| Solomon Islands | 27 October 2023 | According to a press release, theCentral Bank of Solomon Islands announced the release of a newSI$10 banknote to commemorate the2023 Pacific Games held in Honiara, which was the first time the country hosted the Pacific Games, held from 19 November to 2 December 2023.[159] |
| United Arab Emirates | 30 November 2023 | TheCentral Bank of the United Arab Emirates started issuing a new polymer version of theDh500 banknote.[160] |
 Tonga | 4 December 2023 | TheNational Reserve Bank of Tonga released a new family of six banknotes (ranging from 2 to 100paʻanga), with the 5- and 10- paʻanga being polymer. This new series was released on 4 December, the birthday ofKing Tupou I.[161][162] |
| Samoa | December 2023 | TheCentral Bank of Samoa started issuing new polymer versions of their 5-, 10-, and 20-tālā banknotes.[163][164][165] |
| United Kingdom | 5 June 2024 | After the passing ofQueen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, theBank of England announced in November the same year that new banknotes featuring the portrait ofKing Charles III would be issued in mid-2024. Those notes were issued for circulation on 5 June 2024.[166][167][168][169] |
 Mozambique | 16 June 2024 | TheBank of Mozambique announced that new 20-, 50-, and 100-metical banknotes would be issued to replace those which have been in circulation since 2011. |
| Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States | June 2024 | According to an announcement by theEastern Caribbean Central Bank in February 2024, a newEC$50 banknote would be released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Grenada's independence from the United Kingdom in June 2024.[170] |
| Thailand | 23 July 2024 | TheBank of Thailand issued 10,000,000 commemorative฿100 banknotes to celebrate the 72nd birthday ofKing Rama X.[171] |
 Bermuda | Fall 2024 | Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, theBermuda Monetary Authority announced that new banknotes featuring the effigy of King Charles III would enter circulation. However, for the redesigned series, only 2- and 5-dollar notes would enter circulation in Fall 2024. The new notes would retain the familiar design of the circulating banknotes.[172][173] |
| Philippines | 19 December 2024 | TheBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas revealed the designs for the 50, 100 and 500 piso polymerBanknotes of the Philippine peso during a presentation to PresidentBongbong Marcos, who led the unveilingceremony in Malacañang.[174] |
 Falkland Islands | 14 August 2025 | OnFalklands Day 2025, thegovernment of the Falkland Islands released a new series of banknotes (£5, £10 and £20) made from polymer, featuringCharles III.[175][176] |
| Thailand | 21 November 2025 | TheBank of Thailand started issuing฿50 and ฿100 polymer banknotes bearing the image of Rama X. It is done to improve its quality as it is the most widely used banknote and hence it is prone to sustained damage, similar to ฿20 polymer banknote. |
 Guernsey | 2027 | Guernsey is expected to release a series of £1, £5, £10 and £20 notes in 2027.[177] |
