--- title: "Euro at all-time high: NBU sets rate for August 21 and reminds what to do with damaged banknotes" description: "On August 21, 2026, the NBU set the euro rate at a historical high of 52.13 UAH, while the dollar dropped to 44.61 UAH. The regulator also reminded that damaged foreign banknotes can be submitted for cashing at any bank." date: 2026-08-20T13:34:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/currency-rate-nbu-august-21-euro-historical-maximum tags: [uah, exchange-rate, nbu, euro, dollar, ukraine-economy] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Euro at all-time high: NBU sets rate for August 21 and reminds what to do with damaged banknotes ![Collage of a leather wallet with dollars, a euro banknote and a stack of hryvnia on crumpled paper — illustration of the NBU exchange rate and damaged banknotes](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/21/kurs-valut-nbu-21-avgusta-evro-istoricheskii-maksimum/kurs-valut-nbu-21-avgusta-evro-istoricheskii-maksimum-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Official dollar rate on August 21, 2026 — 44.61 UAH, a decrease of 9 kopecks compared to the previous day. - Euro rate updated the historical maximum, reaching 52.13 UAH (+27 kopecks). - Damaged foreign banknotes can be submitted for cashing at any Ukrainian bank working with that currency. The National Bank of Ukraine updated official exchange rates for Friday, August 21, 2026. The key event of the day was the update of the historical maximum for the European currency: the euro rose to 52.13 hryvnias, while the US dollar, conversely, continued to decline, dropping to 44.61 hryvnias. Thus, at the official level, diverging dynamics of the two main currencies were fixed: the euro is strengthening, the dollar is weakening. ### Dollar and Euro exchange rate on August 21 According to the NBU, the official dollar rate on August 21 was set at 44.61 UAH. The previous day, August 20, the American currency cost 44.70 UAH, which means a daily drop of 9 kopecks. The European currency, conversely, increased: the euro rate was 52.13 UAH against 51.86 UAH on Thursday, that is, a growth of 27 kopecks in a day. It was precisely this movement that pushed the euro to a new mark of the historical maximum according to the regulator's official rate. ### Euro historical maximum and context of currency movement The update of the euro record against the background of the dollar's decline reflects the redistribution of exchange positions of the two currencies relative to the hryvnia. For euro holders, this means that when cashing in and exchanging at the official rate, the European currency brings more hryvnias than before, while the dollar gradually loses positions. Expert and news materials, citing NBU data, unanimously emphasize that it is the euro that became the leader in growth among major currencies on this day. ### What to do with damaged foreign banknotes In addition to exchange rate data, the NBU reminded of the procedure for handling worn and damaged foreign banknotes. If the banknote has inscriptions, stains, tears or cuts, it can be submitted for cashing. To do this, it is enough to contact any Ukrainian bank that performs operations with the corresponding foreign currency. Banks accept such damaged banknotes, after which they transfer them to the country of origin, where they are exchanged for valid banknotes. This is important to consider for those who keep foreign currency in cash and plan to exchange it. ### Contradictory data When comparing the headlines of various publications, an inconsistency was found in the wording regarding the date of reaching the maximum. The main text and a number of sources indicate that the euro rate of 52.13 UAH has already been set by the NBU on Friday, August 21, as a fact. At the same time, headlines of some publications use the future tense — 'tomorrow it will already reach 52.13 UAH' and 'will reach 52.13 hryvnias', which creates the impression of a forecast for the subsequent date, rather than a fixed value. Essentially, it is about the same figure of 52.13 UAH, however, the discrepancy in grammatical tense and date attachment may mislead the reader as to whether the maximum is an established fact or an expected event. In this material, the figure of 52.13 UAH is given as the official rate set by the NBU on August 21, 2026. The result of the day on the Ukrainian currency market was the consolidation of the euro at a historical maximum of 52.13 UAH against a simultaneous decline of the dollar to 44.61 UAH. The regulator also drew attention to the mechanism of cashing damaged foreign banknotes, which is particularly relevant for citizens who keep cash currency and plan to exchange it in Ukrainian banks. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Euro updated historical maximum: NBU rate on August 21 and what to do with damaged banknotes](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/evro-onoviv-istorichniy-maksimum-kurs-nbu-1787232638.html) - Базовый источник: курс доллара 44,61 грн, евро 52,13 грн, порядок инкассо повреждённых банкнот. - [Euro set a new historical maximum and will already reach 52.13 UAH tomorrow](https://unn.ua/ru/news/yevro-ustanovil-novii-istoricheskii-maksimum-i-uzhe-zavtra-dostignet-5213-grn) - Подтверждает цифру 52,13 грн, но заголовок использует будущее время, что создаёт нестыжку с датой установления курса. - [Euro shows growth: what official currency rate did the NBU set on August 21](https://financy.24tv.ua/ru/kurs-evro-vyros-kakoj-kurs-valjut-ustanovil-nbu-na-21-avgusta_n3127034) - Подтверждает рост евро и курс на 21 августа. - [Euro hits historical record again: NBU rate on August 21 will reach 52.13 hryvnias](https://1kr.ua/news-113491.html) - Подтверждает рекорд 52,13 грн, однако формулировка «достигнет» вводит неопределённость по дате. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What is the official dollar rate set by the NBU on August 21, 2026? **A:** The official dollar rate on August 21, 2026 is 44.61 UAH, which is 9 kopecks lower than the previous day's figure (44.70 UAH). ### Q: What is the euro rate on August 21, 2026 and is it a record? **A:** The euro rate is set at 52.13 UAH, which is 27 kopecks higher than Thursday (51.86 UAH) and represents a historical maximum according to the NBU official rate. ### Q: What to do with a damaged foreign banknote? **A:** A banknote with inscriptions, stains, tears or cuts can be submitted for cashing at any Ukrainian bank working with that currency. The bank will accept it and transfer it to the country of origin for exchange for a valid banknote.