Now you can pay with euros in Tallinn restaurants

| 2009.08.17

Despite that the only official currency in Estonia is the Estonian kroon, and the country could join the eurozone no earlier than in 2011, it is now possible to pay with euros in cafes and restaurants. Many of the catering facilities have already set up signs informing tourists about acceptance of euro banknotes. Also, if there is no such sign, foreign tourists will not have difficulties to pay for services in euro cash.

Under the law, the only settlement currency in Estonia is Estonian kroon, but on the basis of a free market principle the seller and the buyer can use other currencies or the euro. Illegal situation would be if the seller refused to accept the Estonian kroon.

Bank of Estonia believes that the settlements with the euro should not be handled by a separate law, and euro could be used in parallel, if it does not undermine the confidence to kroone, and if it applies to foreign travellers.

It should be noted that very recently the catering enterprises of Tallinn Old Town still had signs of accepting only the Estonian kroon.

Tallinn is a port city and a popular cruise ship pier, where a few ships ground only for a half-day, and in this case, tourists do not strive to change the money to the local currency as a result incomes will pass by Estonians. The new approach should improve the number of tourists in Estonian cafes and restaurants.