abvius module

InforEuro: currency conversion at the official rate, with automatic audit supporting document

abvius’ currency conversion module automatically applies the official InforEuro exchange rates — published each month by the European Commission — to your foreign-currency expenses. For each conversion, a detailed supporting document is generated and archived in the operation’s file, ready to be presented during your donor audits. No spreadsheet, no screenshot of an exchange-rate website, no manual calculation.

What is the InforEuro exchange rate?

InforEuro is the European Commission’s official accounting exchange rate. Published every month, it sets the euro value of more than 150 currencies and is the mandatory reference for converting expenses on projects funded by the European Union — European Commission, ECHO, EuropeAid, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+… In practice: an expense paid in Kenyan shillings on an EU project must be converted into euros at the InforEuro rate of the relevant month — not at the market rate, not at your bank’s rate, not at an online converter’s rate. That is precisely the rate auditors check, line by line, during financial verifications.

The InforEuro rate applied automatically, month after month

abvius integrates the official monthly InforEuro exchange rates, the reference imposed by the European Commission for EU-funded projects. As soon as an expense is entered in a currency different from the project’s, the converter applies the rate of the relevant month and displays the converted amount, rounded to the 5th decimal — the precision required by European donors. You can select the month of the rate to apply: a March expense paid in Kenyan shillings is converted at the March InforEuro rate, even if you enter it in April. That is exactly what auditors check. The official rates are published by the European Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/funding-and-tenders/procedures-guidelines-tenders/information-contractors-and-beneficiaries/exchange-rate-inforeuro_en

More than 150 currencies, including field currencies

InforEuro covers more than 150 currencies, and abvius supports them all: CFA franc (XOF, XAF), Kenyan shilling (KES), Congolese franc (CDF), Ethiopian birr (ETB), South Sudanese pound (SSP), Haitian gourde (HTG)… Your field teams enter their expenses in the actual currency of payment; abvius takes care of the conversion, whatever the currency pair.

A conversion supporting document ready for audit

Each conversion automatically generates a detailed supporting document: original amount, source currency, target currency, applied rate, rate period (month and year) and generation date. It is archived in the operation’s file, alongside the invoice, receipts and proof of payment. On audit day, every converted amount is backed by its document: the rate used, its official source and its period are readable at a glance. No more screenshots of online converters and calculations to redo the day before a review.

Three currencies tracked on every expense

A humanitarian expense often lives in three currencies: the one paid in the field, the one of the project’s bank account, and the base currency in which your organization keeps its accounts. abvius records all three amounts on every operation — transaction currency, project account currency, organization base currency (configurable, euro by default). Your donor reports and your general accounting stay consistent, without double entry or reprocessing.

End-to-end coverage

InforEuro conversion applies everywhere a foreign currency appears: purchases, expenses, reimbursement requests, timesheets, travel expenses and payments. One mechanism, one source of rates, consistent supporting documents across all your projects.

An exchange-rate dashboard

Track the month’s InforEuro rates directly in abvius: select the currencies of your countries of intervention, view how they moved compared with the previous month and open the European Commission’s official source in one click. Everything you need to anticipate the impact of exchange-rate variations on your project budgets.

  • Official rates — InforEuro applied automatically, month after month, at the rate of the expense’s month.
  • Generated document — a traceable, archived supporting document for each conversion, with rate, period and date.
  • More than 150 currencies — including field currencies (XOF, XAF, KES, CDF, ETB…).
  • The whole expense chain — purchases, expenses, reimbursements, timesheets, travel expenses.
  • Donor compliance — ready for audits of EU- and ECHO-funded projects.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is the InforEuro rate?

InforEuro is the official monthly accounting exchange rate published by the European Commission. It is used to convert expenses on EU-funded projects (European Commission, ECHO, etc.) and serves as the reference during audits. abvius retrieves this monthly rate and applies it automatically to your foreign-currency expenses.

Why do European donors require the InforEuro rate?

Because it is unique, public and enforceable: all organizations in the same programme convert their expenses at the same monthly rate, which makes financial reports comparable and verifiable. Using a market rate or an online converter exposes you to discrepancies the auditor will have to question — or even to expenses being declared ineligible.

What is the difference between the InforEuro rate and the ECB rate?

The European Central Bank rate is a daily reference rate, which changes every business day. InforEuro is a monthly accounting rate, set by the European Commission for the entire month: it is the rate most often designated as applicable in European grant agreements. abvius uses InforEuro, the reference for EU-funded projects.

Can the rate of the expense’s month be applied?

Yes. The abvius converter lets you choose the month and year of the rate to apply. You can therefore convert each expense at the InforEuro rate of the month it was incurred, in line with the rules of your grant agreement — even if it is entered later.

Which currencies are covered?

All the currencies published by InforEuro — more than 150: from major international currencies (USD, GBP, CHF…) to the currencies of countries of intervention (XOF, XAF, KES, CDF, ETB, SSP, HTG…). Conversion works for any currency pair.

Is the conversion supporting document kept?

Yes. Each conversion supporting document is automatically archived in the operation’s file, together with the invoice and the other documents. It states the applied rate, its period (month/year) and its generation date, and remains available for your audits, even years later.

What happens if my base currency is not the euro?

Each organization sets its base currency in abvius. InforEuro conversions work between any currencies: an NGO that keeps its accounts in dollars or pounds sterling benefits from the same automation and the same supporting documents as an organization working in euros.

Are your teams still looking up the month’s InforEuro rate in a spreadsheet? abvius applies it automatically to every expense, audit supporting document included.