Cash controls within the EU

Customs monitors the movement of cash at the Federal Republic of Germany's borders to other EU Member States as well as within the Federal Republic of Germany itself (where, in line with German law, the controls also apply to the movement of precious metals and stones).

Since 1998, customs has been monitoring cash transported by travellers between the EU Member States. Cash controls are conducted at random at the frontiers separating Germany and other EU countries, but they can also be carried out within the national territory where suspicions of money laundering or terrorist financing exist.

The customs administration’s mobile control groups have the main responsibility for monitoring cross-border movements of cash and precious metals or stones at Germany's intra-Community frontiers as well as within the country itself. In addition to customs, the federal police and the Länder (federal state) police forces in Bavaria, Bremen and Hamburg are also authorised to conduct cash controls.

The cash controls cover currency, equivalent means of payment such as securities (bonds, dividend coupons, investment fund certificates, cheques and bills of exchange), as well as precious metals and precious stones. During such an inspection, you are obliged to verbally declare the total and type of cash you are carrying equal to or exceeding 10,000 Euro when asked to do so by an official.

You are also obliged to state the provenance and intended use of the cash and precious metal or stones you are carrying and, insofar as it is not your own money, the person you are transporting the money for.

Please declare the cash and precious metals or stones correctly when asked to do so.

Consequences of failure to comply

Anyone failing to declare or incorrectly declaring cash and precious metal or stones when asked to do so is committing an administrative offence. The offence may result in a substantial fine.

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