How much cash can you bring? Currency declaration limits by country

Not declaring, when a declaration is required, can lead to fines or confiscation. The exact consequences vary by country, so it is worth knowing the threshold for your destination before you travel. Among the destinations discussed in detail below, the most common threshold sits around USD 10,000, though several countries set their own limit, and a few restrict local currency separately from foreign currency.

The destinations below are split into two groups: the ones TravelDeclaration covers in a full guide, listed first, and the rest, shown with the same kind of official figures but no guide page yet. Use the search box to jump to a destination.

Cash declaration thresholds

The USD 10,000 line, and the countries below it

Ten of the countries on this list use a threshold at or close to USD 10,000. Malaysia sets it at over USD 10,000 equivalent, declared on Customs Form No. 7. Cambodia uses the same figure under its Law on Foreign Exchange. India's threshold is USD 10,000 for foreign exchange, with a separate USD 5,000 limit for foreign currency notes. Taiwan's limit, according to UK government advice, is NT$100,000 or US$10,000. The Philippines, Palau, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Canada also sit at or near USD 10,000, though Canada's rule is stated in Canadian dollars (CAD 10,000) rather than US dollars.

A smaller group sets the bar lower. Vietnam requires a declaration for foreign currency over USD 5,000, or Vietnamese cash over VND 15,000,000, on entry. Cuba's threshold is also USD 5,000 for foreign currency, according to UK advice. China's declaration threshold on entry is over RMB 20,000, or over USD 5,000 in foreign cash.

Restrictions on local currency

A handful of countries treat their own currency differently from foreign cash. India restricts non-residents from importing or exporting Indian rupees at all, according to Canada's travel advice. The Philippines allows up to PHP 50,000 freely, but anything above that needs prior written authorization from the central bank (BSP). Malaysia applies a separate rule to ringgit: amounts over USD 10,000 equivalent require prior permission from Bank Negara Malaysia, on top of the general foreign currency threshold.

Cuba takes a different approach entirely. Cuban pesos cannot be exchanged outside Cuba, and UK advice recommends exchanging money only at official Cadeca houses once you arrive. If your destination has a local currency restriction, check the rule specifically, since it often sits alongside, not instead of, the general cash declaration threshold.

Declaring on the arrival card itself

In some countries, the cash declaration is folded into the standard arrival paperwork rather than handled as a separate customs form. Jamaica's C5 Immigration/Customs form asks directly about amounts over USD 10,000, alongside a separate Financial Investigation Division Cross Border Form. Palau's entry form includes the same USD 10,000 question, though UK advice is the source for this figure, not a Palauan government source. The Philippines uses its e-CDF (e-Customs Declaration Form) to capture cash declarations over USD 10,000 as part of the standard entry process.

If you are traveling to any of these three countries, check the cash question on the arrival form itself rather than looking for a separate declaration process.

Entering vs leaving

Most countries that declare a cash threshold apply it to arrivals. Thailand is the exception: its published rule, from the Thai Ministry of Finance, applies to leaving the country with more than 450,000 THB, or foreign currency over USD 15,000. No official Thai source states a threshold for arriving.

Several other countries require a declaration in both directions. Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, and Jordan all apply their threshold whether you are entering or leaving. If you are transiting through one of these countries with cash above the limit, check whether the departure declaration applies to you too.

What counts as "cash"

Definitions vary, but two countries in the dataset spell theirs out clearly. Indonesia's threshold covers cash, cheques, traveler's cheques, promissory notes, and bilyet giro, in any currency. Canada's rule covers any combination of currency and monetary instruments, applied every time you cross the border. Where a country's source does not define "cash" beyond physical currency, that is the only thing covered. These sources do not mention bank cards, prepaid cards, or cryptocurrency.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: each row links to the official source and shows the date we last checked it.

Last verified: 28 Oct 2026