While electronic payments are commonly utilized in Poland, traveling around the country is always advisable to have some cash with you. Here's all you have to know about Poland's currency.

The Polish zloty 

Despite being a member of the European Union, Poland has yet to join the eurozone. The Polish zloty (symbol: z) is the country's official currency, and it is divisible into 100 groszy (symbol: gr). Currently, nine coin denominations (1 gr, 2 gr, 5 gr, 10 gr, 20 gr, 50 gr, 1 z, 2 z, 5 z) and six banknote denominations (10 z, 20 z, 50 z, 100 z, 200 z, and 500 z) are in circulation.

Polish banknotes, as you may have observed, come in various sizes (the larger the note, the greater the value) and contain images of renowned Polish rulers such as Mieszko I (the first historical ruler of Poland), King Boleslaw I the Brave (the first king of Poland), or King Wadysaw II Jagieo (the founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty). A geometric symbol (a square, circle, diamond, plus sign, or triangle) can be seen on the obverse side of each banknote, in the bottom left-hand corner; these tactile symbols enable blind and visually impaired individuals to discern denominations apart.

As a result of the redenomination procedure, the coins and banknotes used in Poland today were initially put into circulation in 1995. In the early 1990s, post-communist Poland was grappling with extremely high inflation rates, and many individuals jokingly referred to themselves as "millionaires" because the average monthly wage in 1994 was over PLN 5.3 million (while a loaf of bread cost around PLN 7,500!). The new zloty, the equal of 10,000 old zlotys, was created by the Polish parliament in 1995, and the old currency lost its monetary worth.

What are the current Polish Zloty (PLN) exchange rates?

*as of January 2021, Narodowy Bank Polski