Circular Letter No. CC/2026/00000016

Mod. 40000375/T – 01/14

Subject: Admissibility of reprocessing banknotes suspected of being counterfeit

Decision (EU) 2025/2182 of the European Central Bank of 16 October 2025 (ECB/2025/36), amending Decision ECB/2010/14 on the verification of the authenticity and quality of euro banknotes and their recirculation, has been published.

The amendments reflected in Annexes II-A and II-B expressly refer to the possibility of reprocessing banknotes suspected of being counterfeit, identified during their processing as category 21, by entities operating with cash, under the terms authorized by the national central bank, after consultation with the national competent authority in the analysis of counterfeiting.

Thus, the Bank of Portugal, with the agreement of the Judicial Police, communicates the admissibility of the reprocessing of banknotes suspected of being counterfeit identified as category 2, in accordance with the following conditions, defined in point 4, of tables 1 and 2 of Annex II-A of Decision ECB/2010/14 of the European Central Bank of 16 September 2010 on the verification of authenticity and quality and the recirculation of euro banknotes:

• These banknotes may be reprocessed in any banknote processing machine that has been successfully tested, and must be processed according to the classification assigned by the second banknote processing machine;
• Banknotes initially classified as suspected of being counterfeit (category 2) that are subsequently classified as genuine, with or without quality, by the second machine, must be delivered to the Bank of Portugal immediately after their classification, and must not under any circumstances return to circulation.

1. In accordance with Annex II-A of Decision ECB/2010/14, the "classification and treatment of euro banknotes processed by machines operated by customers in which cash is deposited with customer identification":
   • Category 1 – Objects not recognized as euro banknotes;
   • Category 2 – Euro banknotes suspected of being counterfeit;
   • Category 3 – Euro banknotes that have not been unequivocally authenticated;
   • Category 4a – Euro banknotes recognized as genuine and fit for circulation;
   • Category 4b – Euro banknotes recognized as genuine and unfit for circulation.