💰 Quick Context: Faroese Notes, Danish Coins and Cards Everywhere
The Faroe Islands use the Faroese króna, a local version of the Danish krone at a fixed 1:1. Faroese banknotes circulate alongside Danish notes, and coins are Danish. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including contactless. The real costs are elsewhere: tolls of DKK 100 to 175 for the subsea tunnels, hiking fees of around DKK 200 charged by landowners on the famous trails, and expensive drinks, sold only in state shops. The islands are outside the EU.
🎧 Order Danish Kroner Before You Fly
Faroese notes are not sold abroad, but Danish kroner work the same here. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order DKK → CEI Currency ExchangeThe Faroese Króna: Danish Money With Local Pictures
One currency, two sets of notes. The Faroe Islands, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark, use the Faroese króna. It is not a separate currency in the usual sense: it is the Danish krone, issued as local banknotes by the Faroese authorities and fixed at exactly one to one. It has no ISO code of its own, and prices are shown as kr or DKK.
On the islands, both work. Faroese notes, with their watercolours of birds and landscapes, and Danish notes are used side by side, and your change may come in either. Coins are always Danish.
Off the islands, the Faroese notes do not. Shops in Denmark do not accept Faroese notes, although Danish banks exchange them. Spend them before you leave, or ask for change in Danish notes on your last day. Faroese notes are not sold by currency dealers abroad, so if you want cash before you fly, Danish kroner are the thing to bring.
Subsea Tunnel Tolls: What They Cost and How to Pay
Driving under the sea costs money. The islands are linked by bridges, causeways, ferries and four subsea tunnels, and the tunnels charge tolls. You will meet the first one minutes after leaving the airport.
The prices. Vágatunnilin, between the airport island of Vágar and Streymoy, and Norðoyatunnilin, to Klaksvík, each cost about DKK 100 for a return trip, charged in one direction. The newer Eysturoyartunnilin, with its lit underwater roundabout, and Sandoyartunnilin cost about DKK 175 each way. A week of driving can add several hundred kroner.
There are no booths. Cameras read your number plate. You pay at a petrol station, which takes cards, or online at tunnil.fo, within a few days of driving through; unpaid tolls are sent to the car's owner with a fee added. Many hire companies have a subscription for their cars and charge the tolls to your card afterwards. Ask at the desk which applies, so you do not pay twice.
Hiking Fees on Private Land
The famous views are on someone's farm. Most land on the Faroes is privately owned grazing, and after the islands' sudden popularity on social media, some landowners began to charge walkers. The fees are legitimate and fund paths, parking and toilets.
The main ones. The walk to Trælanípan, the cliff above the lake Sørvágsvatn that seems to hang over the ocean, costs around DKK 200 a person. The walk to the Kallur lighthouse on Kalsoy costs about the same, with a lower price for children. Mykines, the puffin island, charges a larger hiking fee on top of the ferry or helicopter, and some routes elsewhere are open only with a paid guide.
How to pay. Most fees can be paid online in advance by card, and there is usually a collection point at the trailhead. Check the current rules before setting off, because access changes with the season and the weather. Many other walks, and the roadside viewpoints such as the Múlafossur waterfall at Gásadalur, are free.
Cash vs. Card in the Faroe Islands
Close to cashless. Like Denmark, the Faroes pay by card for almost everything: supermarkets, petrol stations, cafes, buses, the ferry offices and most hiking-fee points. Visa and Mastercard work everywhere; contactless is standard. Locals use MobilePay, which visitors rarely can.
Where cash helps. An honesty box at a remote viewpoint or a farm selling dried fish and wool, a village cafe with a temperamental card machine, or a church asking for a donation. A few hundred kroner covers a week.
The alcohol monopoly. Supermarkets sell only light beer. Wine, spirits and normal beer are sold only in the state-owned Rúsdrekkasøla Landsins shops, which have limited hours and close on Sundays. They take cards. Restaurant and bar prices for alcohol are high, and many visitors buy duty-free when they fly in.
How to Get Kroner for Your Faroes Trip
For most visitors the answer is to bring a card and a little cash. Faroese notes are not sold abroad, and Danish kroner spend exactly the same.
Bring a small amount of Danish kroner
US travellers can have CEI Currency Exchange ship Danish kroner to a US address with insured 2 to 5 day delivery. DKK 300 to 500 is plenty for the whole trip.
Withdraw from a Faroese bank machine
Betri and Føroya Banki machines in Tórshavn, Klaksvík, Runavík and the other towns give kroner at the network rate. Our ATM fee calculator shows what your own bank adds.
The pay-in-dollars prompt
Hotels, boat tours and hire desks may offer to charge a foreign card in its home currency. On a hire car or a hotel bill in kroner, the markup is real money. Choose kroner.
For a side-by-side comparison of every method, see our complete Getting Currency guide →.
Best ATMs to Use in the Faroe Islands
The islands have a handful of local banks, and their machines are the ones to use. There is no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner here, as in Denmark.
Betri Banki
The largest Faroese bank, formed from the islands' savings banks, with branches and machines in Tórshavn and the larger towns. Reliable with foreign Visa and Mastercard; any fee is shown before you confirm.
Top Pick
Føroya Banki
The islands' oldest bank, which traded as BankNordik for years before returning to its original name. Machines in Tórshavn, Klaksvík and other towns.
RecommendedSmaller savings banks, Norðoya Sparikassi in Klaksvík and Suðuroyar Sparikassi on Suðuroy, have machines in their home towns. There is a machine in the arrivals area at Vágar Airport; see our Vágar Airport guide.
Ferries, Helicopters and Hire Cars
Hire a car. Outside Tórshavn, a car is close to essential. Hire desks take a credit card for the deposit. Fuel is expensive, the roads are good, and sheep have right of way. Add the tunnel tolls to your budget.
Ferries. The state operator, Strandfaraskip Landsins, runs ferries to the outer islands, including the big car ferry to Suðuroy and the small boat to Mykines. Fares are low, sold by card at the terminals or on board. Mykines tickets sell out in summer; book ahead.
Helicopters. Subsidised helicopter flights link Tórshavn and Vágar with the small islands at fares far below what they cost to run. Seats are limited and some routes are one-way only for visitors, but they are one of the cheapest scenic flights anywhere.
Buses. The blue Bygdaleiðir buses connect the main villages, and Tórshavn's red city buses are free. Long-distance fares are paid by card on board or with a travel card.
Tipping in the Faroe Islands
Not expected. As in Denmark, service is included in prices and wages are high. Rounding up at a restaurant or leaving a few kroner for very good service is appreciated but unusual. Boat skippers and guides do not expect a tip. If a card terminal offers a tip screen, skipping it is normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What currency is used in the Faroe Islands?
The Faroese krona, which is the Danish krone in local banknotes, fixed at one to one. Faroese and Danish notes are used interchangeably on the islands, and coins are Danish. Prices are written in kr or DKK. Faroese notes are not accepted in shops in Denmark, though Danish banks will exchange them.
Do I need cash in the Faroe Islands?
Very little. Shops, petrol stations, restaurants, hotels, buses and even most hiking-fee collection points take cards. Keep a few hundred kroner for remote cafes, honesty boxes at viewpoints and parking, and the odd landowner who collects in person.
How much are the tunnel tolls in the Faroe Islands?
The two older subsea tunnels, Vagatunnilin from the airport island of Vagar and Nordoyatunnilin to Klaksvik, cost about DKK 100 for a return trip. The newer Eysturoyartunnilin and Sandoyartunnilin cost about DKK 175 each way. Pay at a petrol station or online at tunnil.fo within a few days, or check whether your hire car's subscription covers them.
Do you have to pay to hike in the Faroe Islands?
On several famous trails, yes. Landowners charge around DKK 200 a person to walk to Traelanipan above the lake Sorvagsvatn and to the Kallur lighthouse on Kalsoy, and larger fees or guided-only access apply on Mykines and a few other routes. Pay online in advance or at the trailhead, usually by card.
Can I buy alcohol in Faroese supermarkets?
Only light beer. Wine, spirits and normal-strength beer are sold only in the state-run shops, Rusdrekkasola Landsins, which have limited opening hours and are closed on Sundays. Bars and restaurants serve alcohol at high prices. Many visitors buy duty-free on the way in.
Does Bank of America have an ATM partner in the Faroe Islands?
No. Denmark has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, and neither do the Faroe Islands. Faroese banks' machines show any fee for a foreign card before you confirm, and a card with no foreign transaction fee withdraws at the network rate.
Is the Faroe Islands expensive?
Yes, roughly in line with Denmark or Norway. Hotels, eating out and alcohol are the big costs, and car hire is close to essential outside Torshavn. Groceries from the Bonus and SMS supermarkets, the cheap subsidised ferries and helicopters, and free roadside viewpoints help keep a trip within budget.
Faroe Islands money toolkit
Deep-dive guides for specific banks, airports, and traveler nationalities in Faroe Islands. Each one builds on this overview with card-by-card fee math, exact ATM locations, or terminal-by-terminal directions.
Go deeper: the Faroes and the North Atlantic
The Faroe Islands are part of the Danish realm, so the Denmark guide covers the krone itself and how Danish cards and machines work. Greenland, the realm's other self-governing territory, uses Danish kroner too. Iceland, the other North Atlantic island stop, has its own currency and its own way of paying.
Hero photo: Gásadalur and the Múlafossur waterfall, Vágar, by DavideGorla, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.