IMBISA: The banknotes factory that guarantees cash in Spain and the Eurosystem

17/06/2025

Have you ever wondered how the bills you carry in your pocket are produced? Although we usually take it for granted, behind each ticket there is a complex process that ensures that cash is available throughout the euro zone. In Spain, IMBISA (Imprenta de Billetes S.A.) is the entity in charge of printing euro banknotes on behalf of the Banco de España with the highest standards of quality, safety and sustainability.

To produce euro banknotes, the Eurosystem, which consists of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the national central banks of countries using the euro, operates in a decentralised and pooled manner. This means that, once the total volume of banknotes to be produced is calculated, the production is distributed among the different national central banks according to their share of the ECB. Each is assigned the production of one or two denominations. Spain assumes the manufacture of approximately 12% of the total, not only for domestic consumption in Spain, but for the entire euro zone.

In order to print the tickets, each country can have its own printing press or call for tenders. Of course, all printing works must be approved by the ECB, for which they must comply with strict safety and quality standards. In the case of the Banco de España, the production allocated is entrusted to IMBISA, which is 80% owned by the Banco de España itself.

Until the end of 2023, IMBISA operated at the facilities of the Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre - Real Casa de la Moneda (FNMT-RCM) in Madrid. However, with the construction of a new plant, a step forward has been taken in the modernization of banknote production, incorporating state-of-the-art technology, laboratories to enhance the quality of production and the fight against counterfeiting, and a fully robotized security vault, which guarantees a large storage capacity. In addition, IMBISA adapts to different production processes and incorporates innovations for future banknote series.

This new plant not only meets the highest safety standards, but has also been designed to be efficient and sustainable. Its design has optimized the use of resources, reducing environmental impact and carbon footprint.

Each ticket printed by IMBISA (check if the first letter of the serial number of the ticket you have in the wallet is a V) is the result of innovation, planning and joint work at European level. So, the next time you use cash, remember that behind those tickets is a well-organized infrastructure that ensures their availability and security.

 

“Disclaimer: Please note that this is a translation of the original in Spanish that has been obtained using eTranslation (the machine translation tool provided by the European Commission), with the intention of giving you a basic idea of the content in English until a human translation becomes available. The Banco de España accepts no liability whatsoever in connection with this translation.”

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