The Uguiya (Ouguiya in French) is the official currency of Mauritania since its introduction in 1973 to replace the CFA franc. Its ISO 4217 code is MRO (MRU after renamed 2018). This currency is issued by the Bank of Mauritania.
The symbol of the Uguiya is UM and a Uguiya is divided into 5 Jums. That is, unlike most world currencies, each Uguiya is divided into five and not 10 Jums
Banknotes and coins of the Mauritanian ouguiya in use
Currently you can find coins of 1/5, 1, 5, 10, 20 Uguiyas that circulate in Mauritania. But the 1/5 Uguiya coin is almost out of circulation due to its very low value.
As for the Mauritanian banknotes, you can find them for 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000 Uguiyas. Since January 2018, 10 former Uglyans (MRO) are 1 Uguiya (MRU). This new monetary unit is divided into 5 Jums. All the new tickets are printed in plastic polymer with new security elements.
The color of the new 2018 banknotes is as follows: 50 uguiyas banknote (violet color); of 100 uguiyas (green color); of 200 Uguiyas (ocher color); of 500 Uguiyas (blue color) and 1,000 Uguiyas (brown color).
Did you know?
- The Uguiya together with the Ariary of Madagascar are the only coins in the world that do not have fractional coins based on multiples of ten.
- Since 2010 there is circulation in Mauritania of the new bimetallic coins of 20 and 50 Uguiyas that are minted in the Kremnica mint in Slovakia.
Why changing currency with us is better than with your bank?
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety of currencies | We have more than 70 currencies. We are specialists. | Only major currencies. Travel money is just a secondary business for banks. | ||
| Availability of currencies | Immediate availability of currencies in our branches. Click and collect or walk in to our stores. | The branch requests it from the head office and they can take a long time for having the currency available, or even not at all. | ||
| Expenses | Only the exchange rate, no commission, and if you book online you are guaranteed the best price. | The bank sets its own margin plus a commission. | ||
| Different denominations available | At Global Exchange, you’ll get a variety of banknotes with different values, adapted to all your payment needs. | No. Prepare for refusals and complaints in foreign languages when paying with «big» banknotes. | ||
| Delivery options | Order online to benefit from a price reduction and collect at the branch of your choice. | You’ll have to go first to your bank to order the currency you need, then wait for it to come and go back again to collect it. | ||
| Timetables | We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. | Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. | ||
| Anything else? | Airport collection on the day of your trip. All comfort. | Air-what? What miles are you talking about? No, sir. This is a bank, not an airline. |