The US rule: report more than $10,000
CBP says there is no maximum amount of money you can bring into or take out of the United States. If you carry more than $10,000, entering or leaving, you must report it to CBP. The legal basis is 31 CFR 1010.340, which covers currency or monetary instruments in an aggregate amount exceeding $10,000 at one time, carried, mailed or shipped into or out of the country. Someone in the US who receives that much from abroad must report it too, unless a report was already filed.
Note the wording: more than $10,000. For the reporting rule, "at one time" means on one calendar day.
| Amount carried | Report to CBP? |
|---|---|
| $10,000 | No |
| $10,001 | Yes |
What counts toward the amount
The total is everything in the categories CBP lists, added up:
- US or foreign coins and currency.
- Traveler's checks in any form.
- Negotiable instruments such as checks, promissory notes and money orders that are in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out to a fictitious payee or otherwise transferable.
Generally not counted: checks payable to a named person that are not endorsed, warehouse receipts and bills of lading. Foreign cash counts at its dollar value, so a mix of currencies has to be converted and added. The currency converter does that for each currency in your wallet.
Families and groups
For the US report, CBP says the threshold applies to the total amount people are carrying or sending collectively, not per individual. A family of 3 with $4,000 each carries $12,000 together, which is over the threshold, so a report is needed, even though no one person carries more than $10,000.
How to report: FinCEN Form 105
The report is FinCEN Form 105. CBP recommends filing it electronically on the FinCEN Form 105 website, which it describes as the quickest option. You can also print and complete the form and present it to a CBP officer before departing, or get and complete it before departure or on arrival. Travelers using Mobile Passport Control can submit their declaration there and reach electronic filing. If you fail to file, or file false information, CBP says the currency or monetary instruments can be seized and forfeited, and civil or criminal penalties, including fines or imprisonment, can follow.
The report is not a limit on the amount. Carrying $60,000 is allowed; carrying it without filing is what the rule penalizes.
The EU rule: declare EUR 10,000 or more
Under Regulation (EU) 2018/1672, everyone entering or leaving EU territory with €10,000 or more in cash must complete a cash declaration. Two differences from the US rule matter in practice. The threshold is "or more", so exactly €10,000 must be declared. And the limit applies to each person individually, according to the European Commission.
Cash in the EU sense covers:
- Banknotes and coins, including withdrawn currency that can still be exchanged.
- Bearer negotiable instruments such as cheques, travelers' cheques, promissory notes and money orders.
- Gold coins with a gold content of at least 90 percent, and gold bars, nuggets or clumps of at least 99.5 percent.
Declarations use the harmonised EU Cash Declaration Form. Cash of €10,000 or more sent by post, freight or courier can trigger a request for a disclosure declaration, which must then be made within 30 days. The EU rule covers the EU's outer border; some countries have their own rules for cash carried between EU countries, which are not part of the EU rules. Penalties are set by each country, and undeclared cash can be detained.
The UK rule: declare £10,000 or more
GOV.UK says you must declare £10,000 or more when carrying it between Great Britain and a country outside the UK. Northern Ireland follows a euro threshold: €10,000 or more between Northern Ireland and any non-EU country, and on arrival in Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
- Combined amounts. A family or group carrying £10,000 or more in total must declare, even if individuals carry less.
- What counts. Notes and coins, bearer bonds, travelers' cheques, and signed cheques not made out to a person or organization. Northern Ireland adds money orders, gold and prepaid cards.
- How. Online or by phone, at the earliest 72 hours before you travel, or at customs on arrival. If you are leaving the UK you must declare before you go.
- Penalty. Undeclared cash can be seized, and you may have to pay a penalty of up to £5,000 to get it back.
The three rules side by side
Converted at the ECB reference rates of October 30, 2026, the EU threshold of €10,000 is about $11,172 and the UK threshold of £10,000 about $13,399. The US threshold of $10,000 is about €8,951.
| US | EU | UK (GB) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold | Over $10,000 | €10,000 or more | £10,000 or more |
| Approx. in dollars | $10,000 | $11,172 | $13,399 |
| Family adds up? | Yes | No, per person | Yes |
| Form | FinCEN 105 | EU cash declaration | Online or phone |
The same family of 3 with $4,000 each, about €3,580 per person and £8,956 in total:
- Leaving or entering the US: report, because $12,000 together is over $10,000.
- Entering the EU: no declaration, because each person is under €10,000.
- Entering Great Britain: no declaration, because the group total is under £10,000.
Rates move, so an amount close to a threshold can cross it between the day you plan and the day you fly. The travel budget calculator helps work out how much cash a trip needs in the first place, and the packing list generator can carry a reminder to file the form before you leave. Cards are the alternative to carrying cash; the guide to foreign transaction fees shows what they cost abroad. Goods you bring home have a separate allowance, covered in the guide to the US customs duty-free allowance.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a limit on how much cash I can bring into the United States?
No. CBP says there is no maximum amount you can carry. If you carry more than $10,000 in currency or monetary instruments into or out of the country, you must report it to CBP on FinCEN Form 105. The rule is a report, not a cap.
Does $10,000 exactly have to be reported?
No. The federal rule, 31 CFR 1010.340, applies to an aggregate amount exceeding $10,000 at one time. $10,000.00 is not more than $10,000, so it is not reportable; $10,001 is.
My family is traveling together. Is the $10,000 per person?
Not for the US report. CBP says the threshold applies to the total amount carried or sent collectively, not per individual. The UK also counts a family or group's combined cash. The EU is the exception: its EUR 10,000 limit applies to each person individually.
Do checks and gold count?
For the US report, traveler's checks in any form count, and so do negotiable instruments in bearer form or endorsed without restriction. A check payable to a named person and not endorsed generally does not. In the EU, gold coins with at least 90 percent gold and gold bars of at least 99.5 percent count as cash.
What happens if I do not report?
In the US, CBP says unreported currency or monetary instruments can be seized and forfeited, and civil or criminal penalties can follow. In the UK, undeclared cash can be seized and you may have to pay a penalty of up to £5,000 to get it back. EU countries set their own penalties.
Sources
- CBP: Money and other monetary instruments (no maximum; report more than $10,000 entering or leaving; what counts; FinCEN Form 105 filing options; total carried collectively; seizure, forfeiture and penalties)
- Cornell LII: 31 CFR 1010.340 Reports of transportation of currency or monetary instruments (aggregate amount exceeding $10,000 at one time, into or out of the US, including by mail or shipment; receipts)
- Cornell LII: 31 CFR 1010.100 Definitions (monetary instruments; currency; "at one time" means on one calendar day for § 1010.340)
- European Commission: EU cash controls, how to declare (EUR 10,000 or more entering or leaving the EU; what counts as cash; limit per person; harmonised form; unaccompanied cash within 30 days; Regulation (EU) 2018/1672)
- GOV.UK: Taking cash in and out of the UK (£10,000 or more for Great Britain; €10,000 for Northern Ireland; combined for families and groups; declare up to 72 hours ahead; penalty up to £5,000)
- European Central Bank: Euro foreign exchange reference rates (dollar and pound rates for October 30, 2026 used in the conversions)
General information based on the sources above, not tax, legal or financial advice.