The Venezuelan unit of currency is the Bolívar Fuerte.

We recommend that you bring your spending money in Euros and US$ cash, and that you use your credit card in few cases (do not expect this to be your main means of payment, as they are not universally accepted because of the high commissions charged within Venezuela). Forms of currency other than the US$ might be more difficult to change outside of the official change bureaus. Please keep in mind that in Venezuela that there have been currency exchange restrictions since 2003; a black market has also existed since then.

We recommend you only change a small amount (US$50) of your spending money upon arrival in Venezuela at the Bureau de Change in Caracas airport (airside – just opposite the immigration desks and before the baggage reclaim area).

In major towns and cities it is possible to obtain Bolívares Fuertes using your credit card at automatic cash dispensers (you will need to know your PIN number). If you forget your PIN, you can usually still obtain money at a Bank.

The Bolivar Fuerte has been in circulation since 2008 and the old currency, the Bolivar, is still in circulation as well. Please feel free to ask your tour guide about the differences between the two currencies.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 4:31 pm and is filed under Before the trip, Tips for travelers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.