Cash controls at the EU's external frontiers

Are you carrying large amounts of currency, traveller's cheques or shares?
If you are carrying 10,000 Euro or more in cash, you must submit a written declaration when crossing the EU's external frontiers.

Since 15 June 2007, travellers entering the EU from a third country or leaving the EU for a third country with 10,000 Euro or more in cash are required to make a written declaration.

Cash you must declare includes

• Currency
• Cheques
• Traveller's cheques
• Money orders
• Bills of exchange
• Promissory notes
• Shares
• Debentures
• Due interest warrants

The obligation to submit a written declaration applies where the total value of all the cash you are carrying reaches or exceeds a threshold of 10,000 Euro.

If foreign currency has to be converted into euros in order to establish the total amount, the buying rate (the rate a bank pays customers) on the day of entry/exit will be used as the basis for the calculation.

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the cash must be declared in writing to the customs office responsible for the border crossing where you enter or leave the EU. Declaration forms are available at the customs offices.

Completing the declaration form

Should you decide to complete the electronic version of the declaration (Form 0400 is in German and Form 0401 is in English), the form will be printed in duplicate. Please ensure you have signed both copies when submitting your declaration to the customs office. The first copy is intended for the customs office. The customs office will endorse the second copy and return it to you. You can also print out a blank form and fill it in by hand using block capitals. In this case, you must complete a second copy of the form or take a photocopy because the declaration must be submitted in duplicate to the customs office.

Please note the following general advice

You should allow sufficient time to submit your written declaration if you are intending to carry 10,000 Euro or more in cash when crossing the EU's external frontiers.

Follow the signs at airports and sea ports or ask for directions to the counter where you can submit your declaration. If you are carrying 10,000 Euro or more in your hold baggage, you must declare the cash before checking in your hold bags.

If you are entering or leaving the EU by road, you may only cross the border during customs office opening hours. You should phone the customs office where you wish to cross the border ahead of your journey to enquire about opening hours. Once you are underway, you should stop at the customs office and hand in your written declaration. You still have an obligation to declare, even if the customs official waves you through.

Rail passengers must submit their declaration to the custom officials onboard the train. The customs officials have copies of the relevant declaration forms. Where your rail journey starts or ends at a German frontier railway station (for example, Basel Badischer Station), you must submit your written declaration to the customs office at the station.

For further information, please read the information sheet on the obligation to verbally declare cash (Form 0403 in German, Form 0404 in English).

Consequences of failure to comply

Anyone failing to comply with the obligation to submit a written declaration or providing incorrect or incomplete information about the cash he or she is carrying is committing an administrative offence. Violation of the obligation to submit a written declaration may result in a substantial fine.

Please note:
Completing a written declaration pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1889/2005 does not release you from declaration provisions imposed by some Member States (for example, Germany) on the basis of national laws on intra-Community travel.

Example:
A passenger travelling from Canada arrives at Frankfurt am Main airport with 20,000 Euro in traveller's cheques. Under current EU law, the passenger is required to submit a written declaration in Frankfurt. The passenger then travels by rail to Luxembourg. When leaving Germany for Luxembourg, a mobile customs control group may, under German law, ask the passenger to again declare the 20,000 Euro in traveller's cheques.

The IWM  Zoll - Zentrale Auskunft will be happy to provide further details about cash controls.