Sudan’s central bank to withdraw old 500-pound notes by year-end
September 30, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Central Bank of Sudan said on Wednesday it will pull all older prints of the 500-pound banknote from circulation nationwide over a three-month period starting October 1.
The move marks the latest step in a phased currency overhaul launched in December 2024 to replace 1,000-pound and 500-pound notes, the central bank said in a statement.
Under the plan, notes printed in 2023 or earlier will cease to be legal tender on January 1, 2027, and can no longer be used to settle debts or conduct trade.
Holders of the targeted banknotes must deposit them at face value into accounts at commercial bank branches by the close of business on December 31, the regulator said.
The current phase primarily targets the conflict-hit western and central regions of Darfur and Kordofan, which earlier replacement phases bypassed because of insecurity.
The central bank completed a second phase of the program in mid-May, covering Khartoum, Gezira, and White Nile states.
Sudan’s financial authorities have struggled to maintain monetary control amid an ongoing civil war that broke out in April 2023.