Future euro banknote design proposals
Our euro banknotes are getting a new look! Designers from all over Europe have reimagined how they may look like, and one of their proposals is to become the next design of the euro banknotes.
Want to have a say on which designs are your favourites?
Browse through the shortlisted designs below
The design can be explained as a reflection on how culture is formed. The eyes represent observing, sensing and reflecting, while the mouth symbolises expression, dialogue and exchange. By focusing on these elements, the portraits move beyond individual identity towards a shared human capacity for cultural production. On the reverse, contemporary cultural spaces show people of different backgrounds and ages meeting and interacting. Together, the two sides connect individual perception and expression with collective exchange, inviting the public to see the banknotes as representations of culture as a living, shared process.
The "Rivers and birds" banknote series communicates its concept through a direct connection between visual elements and their meaning. Each banknote presents a specific bird species in relation to its habitat, linking biodiversity with European landscapes. Horizontal bar structures translate the individual sound of each bird into a visual form, while a vertical scale indicates its flight speed, enabling an intuitive reading of the information. Concise data on the front further contextualise the species. On the reverse, EU buildings and the map of Europe establish a connection between natural environments and shared cultural identity.
The design tells a simple story: Europe is a shared cultural space. Each banknote is instantly identifiable by its dominant colour and its own central motif; each portrays a personality whose life and work connects Europeans across centuries. The reverse pairs a map of Europe, lightly overlaid with the constellations that have long guided travellers, with a present-day scene of the cultural space the note represents – performing arts, music, schools, libraries, museums and public squares. People are rendered without specific features so that citizens can recognise themselves in them.