Money rarely changes its face. For over twenty years, the euro banknotes in wallets across the continent have looked essentially the same, even as the world around them transformed. That's about to change, and for the first time, the people who'll actually use these notes are being asked to help choose what they'll look like. The European Central Bank has pulled back the curtain on ten shortlisted designs for the next generation of euro banknotes, and then handed the decision-making power straight to the public.
The proposals fall under two competing visions: "European culture" and "Rivers and birds." Both are built around motifs the ECB selected back in early 2025, but how those motifs get translated into paper currency is where things get interesting. Some designers leaned into shared European heritage and identity, while others chose to celebrate the continent's natural landscapes and wildlife, a striking contrast between civic pride and environmental storytelling on a piece of currency nearly everyone in the eurozone will eventually carry in their wallet.
The design contest drew over 1,200 applications from graphic designers, of whom 25 were invited to create proposals for one or both themes. From that pool, an independent jury of 21 experts spanning graphic design, communication, neuroscience, and history, each nominated by a euro area central bank, narrowed the field down to ten finalists.
The ECB has launched a public survey on the ten shortlisted designs, open until 21 September 2026, and, in a nod to statistical rigor, an independent research company will simultaneously run the same survey among a representative sample of euro area citizens, ensuring the results reflect more than just self-selected online voters.
President Christine Lagarde framed the stakes in almost poetic terms, calling euro banknotes "more than a means of payment," but rather "one of the most tangible expressions of Europe" that will "reinforce our shared identity" through designs blending beauty and meaning.
The Governing Council is expected to make its final decision around the end of 2026, weighing the jury's conclusions, a technical assessment, and both survey results together. Once chosen, the winning design still faces further development and testing before entering production — meaning new banknotes won't reach circulation until subsequent years. Existing euro notes aren't going anywhere either; the current series will retain its value and keep circulating alongside the new one. europa + 2
This marks a genuine milestone: it's the first complete redesign of euro banknotes since they were first issued in 2002. Beyond aesthetics, ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone tied the redesign to a bigger mission, keeping cash "secure, efficient and relatable" while preserving citizens' access to public money and freedom of payment choice.
The new notes will also pack upgraded anti-counterfeiting features, improved accessibility for visually impaired users, and a smaller environmental footprint through more sustainable materials. For a continent whose currency has looked essentially the same for over two decades, this is the moment ordinary Europeans get to help decide what comes next.
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