Travellers entering or leaving the United Kingdom with large amounts of cash or other forms of monetary instruments may be required to declare them to customs authorities under UK border rules.
Anyone carrying £10,000 or more between Great Britain — England, Scotland and Wales — and a destination outside the UK must make a declaration.
The requirement also applies to families and groups travelling together. If the combined amount carried by the group reaches £10,000 or more, a declaration is required even when no individual traveller has that amount.
Travellers can submit a declaration up to 72 hours before their journey.
Different rules apply to Northern Ireland.
Anyone carrying €10,000 or more, or its equivalent, between Northern Ireland and a country outside the European Union must declare the money.
A declaration is also required when travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with €10,000 or more.
However, travellers moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain do not have to declare cash, regardless of the amount.
The rules also apply to groups and families travelling together. Where their combined cash reaches €10,000 or more, the group must make a declaration.
Customs authorities may also require a cash disclosure form for money sent by freight, post or parcel between Northern Ireland and a non-EU country, including money sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
The declaration requirements cover more than physical cash.
Travellers may be required to declare banknotes and coins, bearer bonds, travellers' cheques and signed cheques that are not made payable to a specific person or organisation.
For money being carried into or out of Northern Ireland, the rules also cover money orders, gold coins, bullion or nuggets and prepaid cards.
When making a declaration, travellers must provide information about the money and their journey.
This includes the identity of the person carrying the money, its owner and intended recipient, including passport or identification details and addresses.
Travellers may also be required to provide details of their journey, including countries visited in transit, flight numbers or ferry routes, as well as the amount and type of money being carried.
Customs authorities can also ask where the money came from and how it was obtained, such as through earnings or the sale of an item, and what it will be used for.
Travellers leaving the UK must declare the money before departure.
Those entering the UK can make a declaration before travelling or upon arrival at customs.
Declarations can be made online or by telephone. Travellers who declare online receive a reference number that may need to be shown to customs officials at the border.
Failure to declare money when required can result in enforcement action, including seizure of the money by Border Force officers.
Travellers planning to enter or leave the UK with large amounts of money are advised to check the rules applicable to their route and complete any required declaration before travelling.
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