Cash declaration checker
There is no cap on how much money you can carry. There is a figure above which you have to tell customs — and it is a different figure, under a different law, at each end of your trip. Pick your route and we'll check every crossing.
Pick both countries to see the rules for each end of your trip.
A limit and a declaration are not the same thing
Nearly everything written on this subject uses the word “limit”, and it leaves people believing that carrying money is itself suspect. In most countries it isn't. You may carry any amount; above a published figure you fill in a form and hand it over. That is the whole obligation, it is free, and it takes a few minutes at the desk.
Direction matters more than people expect. Exit and entry thresholds are separate laws and are frequently different numbers — Turkey asks for a declaration leaving at USD 5,000 but entering at USD 10,000. Several countries also restrict the export of their own banknotes far more tightly than the import of foreign ones. A tool that shows one number per country is wrong by construction, so this one evaluates each crossing in the direction it is travelled.
A few countries do not reduce to a number at all. Kazakhstan and Russia prohibit the export of foreign cash above their threshold outright — there is no form that makes it allowed, and any tool that says “just declare it” is giving advice that will not survive the airport. Where the rule is a prohibition or a licence regime rather than a threshold, this tool says so plainly instead of filling the space with a figure.
Thresholds researched from customs authorities, central banks and finance ministries; every result names its source and the date we last checked it. 5 of 74 entries rest on a secondary source and say so on the card. Re-checked quarterly. Guidance for planning, not legal or tax advice — large sums can carry tax and reporting obligations that have nothing to do with the airport.
Cash rules by country
Every country we hold has a page; these are the ones people ask about most.
Carrying cash — common questions
How much cash can I carry when flying internationally?
In most countries there is no upper limit at all — there is a figure above which you have to tell customs, and telling them is free and takes a few minutes. The common threshold is the equivalent of 10,000 in the local unit (USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD), but it is not universal: Japan uses JPY 1,000,000, Norway NOK 25,000 and Kuwait KWD 3,000. The figure that catches people is the one at the other end of the trip, not the one they set off from.
Do I have to declare cash when leaving a country as well as arriving?
Usually yes, and they are two different laws with two different thresholds. Leaving the United States for India means a US declaration on the way out and an Indian one on the way in. Almost every published answer covers one country at a time, which is why people declare correctly at departure and get stopped on arrival. This tool judges each crossing in the direction you actually travel it.
Is the limit per person or per family?
It depends on the country, and assuming per-person is the single most common way people get caught. The United States threshold applies to a person or a family or group travelling together — a family of four carrying USD 12,000 between them must file, even though no individual is close to the limit. Colombia, Honduras and Panama work the same way. Canada, Hong Kong and most of the EU are genuinely per person. Splitting money between travellers to stay under a threshold is itself an offence in several places.
What counts toward the cash limit?
More than banknotes. Traveller's cheques, money orders, bearer negotiable instruments and cashier's cheques normally count toward the same figure, and several countries treat gold and precious metals under a separate rule. Travellers count the notes in their wallet, declare nothing, and are over the line. If you are carrying a mix, add it up.
What happens if I don't declare cash over the limit?
The cash can be seized on the spot and a penalty applied, with a process to reclaim it that is slow and sometimes unsuccessful. It is not usually an arrest. The far more common outcome is an expensive, avoidable delay — which is why declaring, when it applies, is the cheap option.
Are there countries where I cannot carry the money at all?
Yes, and this is the case worth knowing about. Kazakhstan and Russia prohibit taking foreign cash above roughly USD 10,000 out of the country — that is a prohibition, not a declaration, and no form makes it permissible. Morocco does not allow its own dirhams to leave at all, Pakistan caps rupees at PKR 10,000 out, and Vietnam and Indonesia require a licence above certain amounts. This tool flags those separately rather than telling you to declare something you cannot carry.