How to Open a Semicolon-Delimiter CSV in Excel (European CSV)

To open a semicolon-delimiter CSV in Excel, import it deliberately instead of double-clicking: in Data > Get Data > From Text/CSV, set the delimiter to Semicolon, then load. If the file is already open with everything crammed into one column, re-import it with the semicolon delimiter — changing the delimiter after loading will not re-split the data.

A semicolon CSV looks like a normal CSV, but it uses ; where you expect ,. It is common in much of Europe and in any system where the comma already means something else. Excel can open it perfectly — but only if you tell Excel which delimiter the file uses.

Why Some CSV Files Use Semicolons

CSV stands for comma-separated values, but the comma is not universal. In many countries, the comma is the decimal separator: the number we write as 3.14 is written as 3,14. If a CSV used commas as delimiters in those locales, a single number would look like two fields. To avoid that ambiguity, exports from those locales use a semicolon as the delimiter instead.

You will meet semicolon CSV files from:

• European accounting and banking exports. Bank statements, tax software, and ERP exports from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and many other countries commonly use semicolons.
• Systems set to a European locale. Any program that follows the operating system's list separator will export semicolons when the system locale uses a comma decimal separator.
• Software with a locale setting. Some tools let the user choose the delimiter, and European users often choose semicolon for compatibility with their Excel.

The file may still be called .csv, and it may still look like a CSV when you open it in a text editor. The only difference is the delimiter character. If you open such a file in a text editor, you will see lines like:

Name;Date;Amount
Anna Müller;03.04.2026;1.234,56

Notice two things: semicolons separate the fields, and the amount uses a comma as the decimal separator with a dot as the thousands separator. Both are locale conventions, and both need handling during import.

Diagnose First: Is Your File Semicolon-Delimited?

Before fixing, confirm the delimiter:

1. Open the CSV in a plain text editor such as Notepad. Look at the first two lines. If you see semicolons between values and few or no commas acting as separators, the file is semicolon-delimited.
2. Check the open workbook. If you already opened the file in Excel and all the data sits in column A with semicolons visible inside the cells, the delimiter was wrong. Excel treated the whole line as one field because it split on commas and found none.
3. Check the numbers. If amounts look like 1.234,56, the file uses a European number format: dot for thousands, comma for decimals. You will need to handle that as well as the delimiter — see the section on number formats below.
4. Check the dates. European CSV files often use DMY dates (03.04.2026 means 3 April). The guide to fixing CSV date format in Excel covers DMY vs MDY in detail.

If the file uses tabs or pipes instead of semicolons, the same import steps apply — just choose Tab or Other with the right character in the delimiter setting.

Method 1: Get Data Import With Semicolon (Best Fix)

Re-importing with the delimiter set explicitly is the cleanest fix.

Step-by-Step: Get Data Import

1. Start with a blank workbook. Do not open the CSV directly.
2. Open Get Data. Go to Data > Get Data > From File > From Text/CSV and select your CSV file.
3. Set the delimiter. In the preview dialog, find the Delimiter dropdown and set it to Semicolon. The preview should immediately split the data into columns.
4. Check the preview. Confirm that names, dates, and amounts landed in separate columns, and that headers look correct.
5. Load. Click Load (or Transform Data first if you also need to set column types — for example, Text for ID columns, or a DMY date locale).

Handling European Number Formats

If amounts show as text (left-aligned) or as wrong values after import, the number format needs attention. A value such as 1.234,56 means one thousand two hundred thirty-four and fifty-six hundredths in European notation, but Excel may read it as text or misinterpret it.

In Power Query Editor (Transform Data), select the amount column, then change its type using the locale option to a European locale that uses comma decimals — for example, German (Germany) or French (France). Power Query will then interpret 1.234,56 as the number 1234.56. If you need the result displayed in your own locale's format, apply a number format to the column after loading.

Method 2: Legacy Text Import Wizard

In older Excel versions, or when you prefer the classic wizard:

1. Open a blank workbook and go to Data > From Text/CSV (or Data > Get External Data > From Text).
2. Select the file and step through the wizard.
3. In step 2, set the delimiter. Uncheck Comma, check Semicolon. The preview should split the data into columns.
4. In step 3, set column formats. Set date columns to the correct DMY/MDY format, and ID columns to Text to preserve leading zeros and full precision — see the guide to fixing scientific notation for why ID columns need Text.
5. Finish and load. The data arrives in separate columns with correct types.

The wizard's step-2 delimiter setting is the entire fix. Everything else can stay at its defaults unless the file also has date or number-format quirks.

Method 3: Power Query Delimiter on an Existing Import

If you already imported the CSV through Power Query, you can change the delimiter without starting over:

1. Open the query. Go to Data > Queries & Connections, right-click the query, and choose Edit.
2. Change the delimiter. In the Applied Steps pane, click the Source step, then change the delimiter setting to Semicolon (the setting appears in the source step's options, or in the "Split Column" step if the query split on a delimiter).
3. Refresh. Click Close & Load. The data reloads with correct columns.

Power Query remembers the delimiter step, so future refreshes with a new semicolon CSV will apply the same setting automatically. For a recurring monthly export, this is the most maintainable fix.

Method 4: Change the Windows List Separator (Use With Caution)

Excel's default delimiter comes from the Windows list separator setting. In locales that use a comma decimal separator, the list separator is usually a semicolon, so Excel in those locales opens semicolon CSV files correctly on double-click. If your Windows is set to a US/UK locale (comma list separator) but you regularly receive European semicolon files, you can change the list separator:

1. Open Windows Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region > Additional date, time & regional settings > Change date, time, or number formats.
2. In the Region dialog, click Additional settings.
3. Change the List separator to ;.
4. Click OK and reopen the CSV.

Caution: the list separator is a system-wide setting. Changing it affects every program that uses it, not just Excel, and it can change how other files open. It also changes how Excel writes CSV files: Excel will then save CSV files with semicolons instead of commas, which may surprise people you send files to. Prefer Methods 1–3 for individual files, and use this method only if you consistently work with semicolon files and understand the side effects. You can always change the setting back.

Saving Back Safely: Keep the Delimiter Your Recipients Expect

When you save an edited semicolon CSV from Excel, think about who will open it next:

• If recipients use European Excel, saving with the semicolon delimiter (Excel's default under a European locale, or the current list separator) keeps the file compatible.
• If recipients use US/UK Excel or a system expecting commas, save with commas instead. The cleanest way is to use Save As and check the file type, or to control the delimiter explicitly during a scripted export.
• If the file feeds an automated system, match that system's expected delimiter exactly. A system that parses on commas will misread a semicolon file, and vice versa.

When in doubt, ask the recipient which delimiter they expect, or send the .xlsx workbook instead of a CSV — the workbook has no delimiter ambiguity at all. The CSV to Excel converter produces an .xlsx file that sidesteps the whole delimiter question.

Comparison Table: Which Delimiter Fix Should You Use?

Setting the delimiter at import time is the fix. The system-wide list-separator change is a last resort for people who live in semicolon files.

Common Mistakes With Semicolon CSV Files

Double-Clicking the File

Double-clicking lets Excel guess the delimiter from your system locale. If your locale expects commas, a semicolon file opens as one column. Always import deliberately and set the delimiter.

Fixing Only the First Column

Splitting the data after loading — for example, with Text to Columns — can work, but it is a patch on top of a bad import. The delimiter, date format, and number format may all be wrong. Re-importing with the right settings fixes all three at once.

Ignoring the Number Format

A semicolon file often comes with European number formats (1.234,56) and DMY dates. Fixing only the delimiter leaves amounts as text and dates flipped. Check all three during the same import: delimiter, dates, and numbers.

Saving With the Wrong Delimiter

Saving a semicolon file as a comma CSV (or vice versa) without thinking about the recipient can break their import. Match the delimiter to the recipient's expectations, or send .xlsx instead.

Forgetting Encoding

European files often contain accented characters (Müller, Café, naïve). If those display as mojibake after import, the encoding is also wrong — set File Origin to UTF-8 during the same import. The guide to fixing CSV encoding errors explains the UTF-8 fix.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my CSV open with everything in one column?

Because Excel split the file on the wrong delimiter. Your file uses semicolons, but Excel split on commas (or vice versa) and found no commas to split on, so each whole line became one cell. Re-import with the correct delimiter set.

What is a European CSV?

A CSV file that uses a semicolon as the delimiter, common in countries where the comma is the decimal separator. It may also use DMY dates and European number formats. The file extension is still .csv — the delimiter is the only structural difference.

How do I change the CSV delimiter in Excel?

You do not change the delimiter of an open file — you set it during import. In Get Data > From Text/CSV, set the Delimiter dropdown to Semicolon. In the legacy Text Import Wizard, check Semicolon in step 2. To change the delimiter of a saved file, re-import it correctly and save it again, or use Save As with the target delimiter.

Will changing the Windows list separator break other programs?

It can affect any program that uses the system list separator, and it changes the delimiter Excel uses when saving CSV files. For a single file, prefer the import-time delimiter setting. Change the system setting only if you consistently work with semicolon files.

Can I convert a semicolon CSV to a normal comma CSV?

Yes. Import it with the Semicolon delimiter, then save it as CSV — Excel will write it with your system's default delimiter (usually a comma under a US/UK locale). Verify the saved file in a text editor before sending it, and check that dates and numbers survived the round trip.

Final Checklist

Before you share a file from a semicolon CSV, run through this short checklist:

• Data is split into separate columns — nothing is crammed into column A.
• The delimiter was set during import, not patched afterward.
• Dates are real date values in the correct DMY/MDY reading.
• Amounts are real numbers, not text, in the correct value.
• Accented characters display correctly (UTF-8 check).
• ID columns are Text with full precision.
• The saved file uses the delimiter your recipients expect, or you sent .xlsx instead.

If all seven checks pass, your European CSV is now a proper spreadsheet — semicolons and all.