Obligation to declare cash or equivalent means of payment when entering or leaving the EU

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Any person entering Germany from a country which is not a member state of the European Union (EU) or leaving Germany for a non-member state and who is carrying cash or an equivalent means of payment with a total value of 10,000 or more euros is obliged to declare this amount unsolicited and in writing to the competent German customs authorities. The customs control units carry out inspections both at the border and within Germany to monitor compliance with this obligation. A substantial fine may be imposed on anyone who does not declare sums of cash or equivalent means of payment in excess of this limit or makes a false declaration.

Obligation to declare cash or equivalent means of payment when travelling within the EU

Any person entering Germany from an EU member state or leaving Germany for an EU member state and who is carrying cash or an equivalent means of payment with a total value of 10,000 or more euros, must orally declare this amount on entering or leaving the country when questioned by a customs official. A substantial fine may be imposed on anyone who does not declare sums of cash or equivalent means of payment in excess of this limit or makes a false declaration.

Information on a declaration within the EU:

• Information on the obligation to verbally declare cash money and equivalent means of payment upon frontier passage within the EU

Information on a declaration when coming from third countries (non-member of the EU):

• Information sheet on the duty to declare cash/funds when entering Germany from a non-EU country or leaving Germany for a non-EU country

Declaration form :

• Cash declaration form