Banks, Currency & Tipping on Hydra Island
Copyright 2020 Willem Jan Smit
The currency used throughout Greece (and therefore Hydra) is Euros.
There are two banks on the harbour front, all offering currency transactions, mortgage & loan arrangements and international banking. They both have ATM's in their 24 hour access lobbies for cash withdrawals. You'll find English speaking staff in both. They open from 8:30 until 14:00, Mon-Fri but close over the weekend and for all of the many national holidays.
The Alpha Bank closed its Hydra branch, Feb 2021, but the ATM was moved to the back of the Rabias Supermarket in the west side of Hydra Town.
Alpha Bank ATM
Piraeus Bank
National Bank of Greece
On Hydra it is common for notes as large as €200 to be used daily. However any amount higher than that could cause a delay in getting change.
The maximum amount of cash you can bring into, or take out of Greece, without declaring it at customs, is €10,000. For amounts higher than €10,000, you will be required to provide evidence of where the cash came from. Generally, it is better policy and far quicker to deposit amounts via bank transfer.
Please also note that if you are using your ATM card at the banks, it will dispense Euros and will take 3 working days before it shows on your statement. You will get a printed receipt from all of the dispensing machines.
Please note that the banks on Hydra charge at least €3 - €5 per transaction, plus the currency conversion charge if you wish to exchange foreign currency for Euros when you are on the island. So it is normally more cost effective if you exchange before arrival.