How to read EUR to GBP
EUR to GBP is the number of GBP (British Pound) that 1 EUR (Euro) buys. The opposite direction is GBP to EUR.
The European Central Bank publishes euro foreign exchange reference rates, each one quoting a currency against the euro, so EUR to GBP is the published figure itself. The rate for this pair is GBP per EUR, as published.
Who converts EUR to GBP
Euros to pounds sterling is the main currency pair between the euro area and the United Kingdom, which trade heavily with one another. It matters to travellers using the Channel and the Eurostar, to people who live in one place and work or own property in the other, to businesses with customers on both sides and to online shoppers. The ECB publishes sterling directly against the euro, so this pair is the published figure itself.
Facts about this pair
- EUR is ISO 4217 code 978 and GBP is code 826; the three letter codes are what the converter and the ECB use to tell currencies apart.
- Both currencies are written with 2 decimal places in ISO 4217, so a result in GBP is rounded to 2 decimal places.
- The reverse pair is the reciprocal: the GBP to EUR rate is 1 divided by the EUR to GBP rate, apart from rounding.
Travellers between the euro area and Britain often forget that the pound is divided into pence, and that small prices such as drinks or snacks are quoted in pounds and pence rather than whole units. When you convert a euro price to pounds, check the pence part of the result carefully so that small differences do not add up over a trip.
The Euro and the British Pound
| Detail | Euro | British Pound |
|---|---|---|
| ISO code | EUR | GBP |
| Symbol | € | £ |
| Central bank | The European Central Bank and the national central banks of the euro area (the Eurosystem) | The Bank of England |
| Minor unit | cent, 1/100 of the main unit | penny (plural pence), 1/100 of the main unit |
| Used in | The member states of the euro area, and a few European microstates and territories by agreement | The United Kingdom, plus the Crown Dependencies and some overseas territories |
The ECB reference rates used on this page are quoted against the euro, which is why the euro pairs are the most direct ones. Sterling is one of the oldest currencies still in use.
Getting a fair rate on EUR to GBP
After Brexit, goods sent between the UK and the euro area can carry import VAT and customs handling charges, which are separate from the exchange rate. Include those when you compare a euro price with a pound one.
When you buy something in pounds from a shop in the euro area, or the other way round, check whether the seller offers to charge you in your own currency. That option is convenient, but it uses the seller's conversion rate. Compare the amount with the figure from this page, and pay in the seller's currency if the difference looks large.
Euros to pounds typically gives a figure below one, because a euro has been worth less than a pound. If your result looks too small, check that you are converting from euros and not from pounds.
Where the rate comes from
The rate loads in your browser from Frankfurter, which republishes European Central Bank reference rates. They are published on working days for information only, and a bank is not obliged to deal at them. If the service cannot be reached the page shows no number, except a rate saved in your browser within six hours, marked as cached. How the rates work is explained on the currency pairs page. Nothing here is financial advice.
FAQ
What does EUR to GBP mean?
It is the number of British pounds you receive for one euro. Multiply a euro amount by the rate to get pounds.
Why is the figure below one?
The pound has been worth more than the euro, so one euro buys less than one pound. The exact number changes with the market and is shown live above.
Where does the euro to pound rate come from?
The ECB publishes the pound against the euro as one of its daily reference rates, and Frankfurter serves it with its publication date.
Will my bank give me this rate?
Usually it offers a little less, because it adds a margin to the mid-market rate. Use this page as the benchmark when you compare offers.
More currency pairs
Other pairs on this site, each with its own latest rate and notes:
- GBP to EUR: the same exchange read the other way.
- EUR to USD: another way to spend EUR.
- USD to GBP: another route into GBP.
- GBP to USD: a related pair.
- USD to EUR: a related pair.
- AUD to USD: another popular pair.
- CNY to USD: another popular pair.
- JPY to USD: another popular pair.
- All currency pairs: the full list.
- Currency converter: choose any two of the supported currencies.