Currency export rules digest: what you can take out of each country

title: "Currency export rules digest: what you can take out of each country" description: "Which countries restrict outbound currency export, which require declaration, and how anti-money-laundering thresholds interact with traveler carriage." category: "traveling" estimatedReadMinutes: 7 lastUpdated: "2026-05-13"

Most travelers understand the "USD 10,000 cash declaration" rule on arrival. The departure side — what currency you're allowed to take out of a country — gets less attention but is just as restrictive, and in some cases more so.

This guide groups countries by their outbound-currency regime.

Group 1: Open + declare-on-departure-above-threshold

Most OECD countries are here. You can carry any amount of currency out — but above the destination's published threshold, you must declare on a departure form. Common thresholds:

USA: USD 10,000 (FinCEN Form 105 on departure).
EU member states: EUR 10,000 (EU Cash Control Regulation 1672/2018).
UK: GBP 10,000 (HMRC Form C9011).
Canada: CAD 10,000 (E677 form).
Australia: AUD 10,000 (Cross-Border Movement form).
Japan: JPY 1,000,000 (~USD 7,000).
New Zealand: NZD 10,000.

Above-threshold declaration triggers FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) reporting + records retention, but does NOT impose a cap on the amount.

Group 2: Capped outbound currency

Many emerging markets cap how much local + foreign currency a passenger may take out. Above the cap, you need a central-bank authorisation (rarely granted to non-residents). Examples:

India: Indian Rupee export by residents capped at INR 25,000; non-residents may not export INR at all. Foreign currency exports limited to the declared inbound amount (CDF — Currency Declaration Form on arrival is the anchor).
Pakistan: PKR 10,000 cash limit on departure. Foreign currency limited to declared inbound amount.
Bangladesh: BDT 10,000 limit + foreign currency capped at declared inbound.
Egypt: EGP 5,000 cash limit. Non-residents may not export EGP at all. Foreign currency over USD 10,000 needs CA-1 declaration on departure.
Iran: Foreign currency over inbound declaration not permitted on export. Rial export tightly controlled.
Argentina: AR$ 10,000 limit on departure for non-residents. Foreign currency limited to declared inbound.
China: CNY 20,000 limit on departure. Foreign currency over USD 5,000-equivalent triggers declaration; over USD 10,000 needs SAFE authorisation.
Indonesia: IDR 100,000,000 (~USD 6,500) cash declaration threshold on departure; foreign currency similarly capped.
Algeria: DZD 50,000 cash cap; foreign currency limited to declared inbound.

Group 3: Strict capital controls

A small group of countries impose strict outbound-currency controls that effectively prevent personal money movement:

Russia: USD 10,000 cash limit on departure (post-2022 sanctions context). Sanctioned routes for above-threshold movement.
Venezuela: Multi-tiered currency-exchange controls. USD outbound limited to declared inbound; bolívar export effectively zero.
Iran: As above; sanctions context complicates legitimate channels.
North Korea: Foreign currency tightly controlled; tourist movement is itself heavily restricted.

Tip: digital alternatives

Most travelers move significant value digitally, not by cash:

Wise / Revolut / N26 multi-currency accounts: USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, JPY balances held with debit-card spending at destination. Not subject to physical-cash declaration.
International wire: bank-to-bank transfers above thresholds trigger FATCA / CRS reporting but no daily cap.
Stripe / PayPal: peer-to-peer settlement up to your account limits.
Cryptocurrency: legal in most destinations but increasingly subject to AML/KYC reporting (FATF Travel Rule, EU MiCA).

For currency carriage that's specifically for cash-in-hand needs (low-banking destinations, emergency), the rule of thumb is: carry up to 80% of the declaration threshold to avoid the paperwork; or carry above the threshold + declare correctly — never sneak above-threshold cash through.

Real-world consequences of non-declaration

US: forfeit ALL undeclared currency. CBP seizure of the entire bundle; criminal investigation if the amount is large.
EU: 30-50% administrative fine on undeclared amount, sometimes seizure pending investigation.
UAE / Saudi Arabia: full seizure on first offence; AML/CFT prosecution risk.
Singapore / Japan: criminal charge (up to 5 years prison + fine) under each country's anti-money-laundering statute.

Departure-form quick reference

| Country | Form | Where to file | |---|---|---| | US | FinCEN 105 | CBP / online before departure | | EU | Cash Declaration | Customs at airport / port | | UK | C9011 | HMRC officer at port | | Canada | E677 | CBSA officer | | Australia | Cross-Border Movement | AUSTRAC online or paper at airport | | Japan | Customs Declaration (yellow side) | Japan Customs | | India | Currency Declaration Form (CDF) | Customs on departure | | China | Customs Declaration Form | Customs on departure |

For destination-specific cash-declaration rules see /traveling/cash/[country].