🇫🇷 France— Cash & Currency
Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI — French Customs)
2026-04-25
Declaration Threshold
US$11,000
EUR
You must declare to customs if you are carrying cash, traveler's cheques, money orders, or negotiable bearer instruments totaling above this amount when entering or leaving France.
What Must Be Declared
| Instrument | Declaration Required |
|---|---|
| Physical currency (any currency) | Yes, if above threshold |
| Traveler's cheques | Yes, if above threshold |
| Bank drafts / money orders | Yes, if above threshold |
| Bearer bonds / negotiable instruments | Yes, if above threshold |
| Credit cards / debit cards | Generally no |
| Electronic payment apps | Generally no |
Failure to declare
Carrying undeclared cash above the threshold can result in seizure of funds, fines, and in some jurisdictions criminal prosecution. When in doubt, declare.
Additional Country Notes
- 01France is a member of the EU customs union — imports from other EU countries are not subject to customs.
- 02TVA (Value Added Tax) is 20% standard; 10% intermediate; 5.5% reduced; 2.1% super-reduced.
- 03France strictly enforces anti-counterfeit laws — purchasing counterfeit luxury goods can result in confiscation and fines.
- 04French customs uses DELTA (Dédouanement En Ligne par Transmission Automatisée) system.
- 05Overseas territories (DOM-TOM) like French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe have different VAT rules.
- 06Duty Ret (Duty Relief) allowances apply to goods returned from outside the EU.
- 07Sanctions on Russia (since 2022) heavily restrict imports of Russian goods.