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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

CASH DECLARATION RULES

🇺🇸 United States— Cash & Currency

CUSTOMS AUTHORITYU.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
LAST VERIFIED2026-04-25

Declaration Threshold

THRESHOLD (USD EQUIVALENT)

US$10,000

LOCAL CURRENCY EQUIVALENT

USD

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 United States.

What Must Be Declared

InstrumentDeclaration Required
Physical currency (any currency)Yes, if above threshold
Traveler's chequesYes, if above threshold
Bank drafts / money ordersYes, if above threshold
Bearer bonds / negotiable instrumentsYes, if above threshold
Credit cards / debit cardsGenerally no
Electronic payment appsGenerally 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

  • 01FinCEN Form 105 required for cash or monetary instruments over $10,000.
  • 02CBP Form 6059B (Customs Declaration) must be completed on arrival.
  • 03Goods from certain sanctioned countries (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria) face severe import restrictions.
  • 04USDA APHIS regulates plant and animal product imports.
  • 05Section 232 tariffs apply to steel and aluminum imports; Section 301 tariffs apply to many Chinese goods.
  • 06Global tariff increases announced in 2025 affect many trading partners — verify current rates at cbp.gov.
RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES37UNIQUE SOURCES614LATEST VERIFICATION2026-05-13MethodologyChangelog