Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LEGAL MATTERS
Breaking the law can have severe consequences. For more information, see the Expats
chapter (
Click here
)
and consult your embassy.
MONEY
The unit of currency is the Yemeni riyal (YR), divided into 100 fils. Banknotes come in
denominations of YR10 (rare), YR20, YR50, YR100, YR200, YR500 and YR1000. Each
note is translated into English on one side. Only YR5 and YR10 coins remain, and though
both sides of these coins are in Arabic only, they are of different sizes (the YR10 coin is
the larger). Many people won't accept ripped or damaged banknotes.
Some midrange hotels, all top-end hotels and most travel agencies quote in US dollars
or, increasingly, in euros. Where appropriate Lonely Planet also quotes in these curren-
cies, but payment is always acceptable in the Yemeni riyals equivalent.
ATMs & Credit Cards
Most of the bigger bank branches in the large towns have ATMs that accept foreign cards.
Most will only allow you to withdraw the equivalent of US$200 per transaction up to a
daily limit of US$600. Problems with foreign cards are very common and you shouldn't
rely solely on them. There are several ATMs at Sanaʻa airport.
Credit cards (Visa commonly, MasterCard sometimes and Amex rarely) are accepted
for payment by airlines, some tour operators and some top-end hotels, but you'll incur a
steep 5% to 10% surcharge.
Cash
Cash is by far the simplest form of carrying your money and, as there is little petty theft,
carrying around big bundles of money is not a huge worry. US dollars and euros are the
currencies of choice.
Banks offer slightly lower rates for cash than foreign-exchange offices, but are more
likely to change travellers cheques. There's no black market, so there's no advantage to
changing money on the street.
Moneychangers
Numerous (and well-signposted) foreign-exchange offices are found in the cities and lar-
ger towns. They offer shorter queues than the banks, faster service, longer opening hours
(usually 9am to 9pm, except Friday) and almost always offer a better rate of exchange (at
least for cash). Check out a few first, as rates can vary slightly between offices. Commis-
sion is seldom charged, but check in advance.
Travellers Cheques
