Euro is the mutual currency of the Eurozone countries. On January 1, 1999, Euro was adopted by 11 EU member states: Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Italy, and Finland. Greece started using Euro on January 1, 2001, Slovenia on January 1, 2007, with Malta and Cyprus adopting the common currency on January 1, 2008.

Euro has seven banknotes with denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro, and eight coins with denominations of 1 euro, 2 Euro, as well as 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents

The banknotes are identical in the entire Eurozone. They do not have different national sides as is the case with Euro coins. They have been designed by Austrian artist Robert Kalina and portray architectural motives inspired by Europe's 'centuries' and styles.

Euro banknotes feature several security elements, such as gravure print, watermark, security strip, register mark, special foil with a hologram, an iridescent strip, and optically inconstant colour.

One side of Euro coins is the same with a European motive, the other side is 'national'. The common European side depicts three different maps of Europe. All coins are valid in all Eurozone member states, regardless of their issuing country.

The national (reverse) side of the Slovak Euro coins will feature the following motives: the double cross on the triple hill (on € 1 and € 2 coins), the Bratislava Castle (on 10-, 20- and 50-cent coins), the Kriváň mountain (on 1-, 2- and 5-cent coins), which have been selected in an anonymous public contest. Slovak Euro coins will be valid in all Eurozone countries, just like the coins from other Eurozone countries will be valid money in Slovakia.

The Eurozone is a geographic region of EU countries that share the common currency called Euro. Eurozone was established in 1999, when the European Central Bank (ECB) took over the responsibility for monetary policy from the national central banks of 11 EU member states.

All 15 member states had to meet convergence criteria in order to be able to enter the Eurozone. The same condition applies to other EU member states that are still preparing to adopt Euro. The convergent criteria (the so-called Maastricht criteria) determine economic and legal prerequisites for successful membership in the monetary union and common currency. All EU member states are members of the Economic and monetary union, but not all of them in fact take the advantage of adopting the common Euro currency.