Mali is part of the French Monetary Area. Only currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (Bank of West African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro.
Credit cards:
Credit cards are very little used in Mali's cash economy - and are only accepted at major banks, airports, hotels and restaurants. Visa is the main card accepted; MasterCard and American Express can sometimes be used.
Travellers cheques:
Can be exchanged In Bamako. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars or Euros.
Banking hours:
Mon-Fri 0800-1630, Sat 0800-1400.
Currency restriction:
There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency, but amounts exceeding XOF25,000 should be declared.