How Much Money Can You Take Abroad? (& Cash Alternatives)

The amount of money you're allowed to carry while traveling internationally varies depending on the jurisdiction and its rules.

If you're heading to the European Union (EU), you're allowed to bring in €10,000 without needing to declare it. In the United States, the limit is $10,000, and in the United Kingdom, it's £10,000. Other countries with different currencies tend to have similar limits in terms of value.

However, if the money you're carrying isn't in the form of physical cash, there are usually no set limits for bringing it into or out of a country. To avoid the stress and hassle of dealing with cash declaration during your travels, we recommend digital multi-currency alternatives like Revolut, Wise, and Starling Bank.

In this guide, we explain how these options can provide you with a convenient and worry-free way to carry your money while going abroad.

How Much Cash Can You Fly With To a Country?

Countries regulate how much cash you are allowed to bring into their jurisdiction. You can enter the UK with less than £10,000 without having to declare the amount. Similarly, the United States does not require you to declare your cash holdings if you bring in less than $10,000.

In case you bring more money than the limit, officers will allow you to keep it as long as you legally declare it at customs and border control. Failing to declare the excess money can result full seizure by the authorities, and you could face penalties of up to $5,000 to recover your funds. You can appeal with the help of a lawyer, but that will also be an expensive endeavour.

You should be aware that across many jurisdictions internationally, families will be recognised as a single entity. In this case, you'd need to declare if you're carrying $10,000 or more in total, even if individual members have less than that amount.

How Much Cash Can You Carry Legally From a Country?

Certain places also have rules about how much money you can carry when leaving the country. For instance, if you're leaving the UK with more than £10,000, the EU with more than €10,000, or the US with more than $10,000, you'll need to fill out specific forms for the customs officers.

Countries outside of the EU — such as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and others — will have their own regulations in their own currencies. Check with each government about the limits they set on cash you can bring into or take from the country without having to declare.

What Happens When You Declare Money at Customs?

You declare cash at an airport by providing information on the country's customs forms. When you are on an international flight, the flight attendants will usually pass out the required paperwork prior to landing.

At border control, agents will likely ask you for your purpose for bringing in such large amounts of cash. Their priority is to monitor large amounts of cash to track and prevent the laundering of illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, within their borders.

Most border agents will require the following:

1. Who is carrying the cash, the owner, and the recipient. This includes passport or ID document number and address;
2. Your travel itinerary, including any transit countries, flight numbers, or ferry routes;
3. The amount and type of cash you're carrying;
4. The origin of the cash – which country it came from and how it was obtained (like earnings or sales);
5. The purpose for which you'll be using the cash.

How To Declare Cash When You Arrive in the United Kingdom

1. Follow signs for 'goods to declare' or 'red channel' at UK customs.
2. Let a Border Force officer know you want to declare cash. You might use a courtesy phone.
3. They might give you a form to fill or take your declaration themselves.

How To Declare Cash When You Arrive in the United States

1. Use the Fincen 105 online currency reporting site or ask a CBP officer for the paper Currency Reporting Form (FinCen 105).
2. Hand the form to a customs and border patrol agent.

How To Declare Cash When You Arrive in the European Union

1. Each EU country has its own unique border control and customs agency.
2. They will provide forms and service windows for declaring goods, including cash.

How Much Money Can You Really Take Abroad?

Traveling with a bunch of cash on hand poses multiple risks. Firstly, there's the fear of losing the cash. More importantly, you might unwittingly become a target for thieves if they spot your large collection of notes. Lastly, carrying over $10,000 without declaring it can lead to asset seizure and penalties at border control.

The smart move for international travel is to ditch the cash and opt for a digital multi-currency account. Unlike physical currency, you can hold and manage multiple times the amount you'd typically carry at an airport.

Convert your home currency to your travel destination's currency at the best exchange rates available with providers like Revolut, Wise, and Starling Bank. Then, conveniently access your balances using a corresponding debit card. Whether you're shopping or need cash from ATMs, this card gets treated like a local's card because it has the local currency loaded onto it.

Highest Fee-Free Allowance For Currency Exchange — Revolut

With Revolut, you can effortlessly manage 28 different foreign currencies with a physical or virtual debit card. There is no limit to how high your balances can be when on topping up your account by bank transfer.

Enjoy a fee-free monthly allowance of exchanging £1000 or its equivalent. After this, a small service fee of around 0.5% applies, but paying members get unlimited free conversions. Their exchange rates are impressively strong, often matching or even beating the mid-market rate. In some rare currency corridors, rates might be slightly weaker by about 1-2%.

Learn more: Read our in-depth Revolut review or visit their website.

Best If Traveling From the UK to Europe — Starling Bank

A duly-licensed UK bank, Starling Bank provides GBP and Euro accounts to UK residents and citizens with deposit protection. Switch between these currencies at the mid-market rate and pay just a fixed service fee of 0.4% for currency exchanges. Your two balances are accessible via their debit card, which also charges no foreign transaction fees. Even when abroad, there are no out-of-network ATM fees.

More info: Read our in-depth Starling Bank review or visit their website.

Get the Mid-Market Exchange Rate — Wise Multi-Currency Account

As one of the largest multi-currency accounts, Wise offers over 50 currency options. There are no limits on how much money you can receive or hold. Wise always uses the mid-market rate, and it charges a transparent service fee of 0.4% to 1.5% per exchange. Access all your balances using their debit card, providing a hassle-free way to manage your finances internationally.

Learn more: Read our in-depth Wise review or visit their website.