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Banknotes and coins

Recall of banknotes from eighth series

The Swiss National Bank is recalling its eighth-series banknotes as of 30 April 2021.

The banknotes from the eighth series thereby lose their status as legal tender and can no longer be used for payment purposes. However, they retain their value and may be exchanged at any time and for an unlimited period.

This does not apply to the public cash offices of the Confederation (SBB/CFF, Swiss Post), which will continue to accept eighth-series banknotes until 30 October 2021.

Due to the revocation of the statutory exchange period on 1 January 2020, the banknotes can, for an unlimited period of time, be exchanged in person at the SNB counters in Berne and Zurich or at an SNB agency. Please note that certain agencies have limits with regard to such exchanges.

This unlimited exchange period also applies to banknotes from the sixth series. Further information is available in the Instruction sheet for exchanging recalled banknotes.

Mandate

The Swiss National Bank has the exclusive right to issue banknotes in Switzerland. It supplies the economy with banknotes that meet high standards with respect to quality and security. It is also charged by the Confederation with the task of coin distribution.

Requirements

Swiss banknotes are traditionally required to meet high standards of security, functionality and design. The Swiss National Bank wants to ensure that the new series also meets these requirements.

Security features

It is simple to check if banknotes are genuine thanks to easy-to-find security features on all denominations. This applies both to the current and the new banknote series.

Useful information

Find out which banknotes have been recalled but can still be exchanged, under which conditions the Swiss National Bank replaces damaged banknotes or coins and what has to be observed regarding the reproduction of banknotes. A list of all related instruction sheets can be found here.