28 May 2026
Until now, redeeming banknotes that will become worthless after 31 May 2026 has required physical attendance at one of Danmarks Nationalbank’s banknote exchange points. In recent days, the number of enquiries has risen markedly, and to ensure that everyone can have their claims registered before the deadline, Danmarks Nationalbank will also offer online registration from Friday at 12:00.
This means that citizens who hold banknotes that will become worthless can now also register their claims via Danmarks Nationalbank’s website. This does not require physical attendance and can be done from home. Citizens will then be contacted by FOREX over the coming months regarding submission of the banknotes together with the required documentation. Claims registered physically at a branch or online via Danmarks Nationalbank’s website before the deadline will be processed.
"In recent days, we have had to acknowledge that there are still a great many citizens who, at the last minute, wish to hand in banknotes that will become worthless after 31 May 2026. This has, among other things, resulted in very long queues, especially at FOREX by Nørreport Station in Copenhagen. On some days, we have therefore had to close access to the queue earlier so that we could process everyone already waiting. To ensure that all citizens can have their claims registered before the deadline, we are now opening online registration via Danmarks Nationalbank’s website from Friday at 12:00 until and including Sunday 31 May. Claims registered before the deadline will be processed," says Niels Kaas, Chief Cashier at Danmarks Nationalbank.
Heavy demand ahead of the deadline despite ongoing communication
The decision was announced at the end of 2023, and until May 2025 it was possible to deposit the banknotes in banks or use them in shops after which they became invalid as means of payment. The banknote exchange points have been open for the past year and a half, during which there was a long period of time a relatively low number of weekly transactions.
In recent weeks, Danmarks Nationalbank has experienced a marked increase in pressure on the banknote exchange points. Extra staff have therefore been deployed, more counters have been opened, and it has been possible to register in person and return later at an agreed time. However, following the further increase in the number of enquiries over the past few days, an additional measure is now being introduced to ensure that all cases can be registered before the deadline.
The number of transactions at the three banknote exchange points will soon reach 50,000, and banknotes worth more than kr. 200 million have been handed in. The massive queues and long waiting times have mainly been seen in Copenhagen, while despite the heavy demand in Aarhus and Odense it has been possible to process cases with shorter waiting times.
Online registration opens on Friday 29 May at 12:00 on this page: nationalbanken.dk/en/digitalregistration.
More information about handing in banknotes is available at nationalbanken.dk/en/invalidbanknotes.
For press enquiries, please contact Peter Levring, Communications and Press Adviser, on +45 2620 1809 or by email at pnbl@nationalbanken.dk.