DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                             2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                        Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-652-07                                                                                                                                                                               16 Aug 2007

OBLIGATORY DECLARATION OF CASH AMOUNTING TO €10,000 OR 
MORE BY TRAVELLERS TO AND FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY  

16 August 2007 – The Department of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public that starting 15 June 2007, travellers arriving in the European Community from, or departing for, non-member states – so called third countries – and carrying cash amounting to EUR 10,000 or more are required to declare the cash to the competent national authorities.  

Travellers are required to comply with the obligation to declare cash as stipulated in Article 3 of EC Regulation No. 1889/2005 of the European Parliament and the Council of 28 October 2005.  Non-compliance or misdeclaration constitutes an offense, punishable by fine of up to one million euros.   

The obligatory declaration aims to more effectively prevent cash movements from illegal sources, prosecute cases of influx of proceeds from criminal acts into the European Union, identify individuals in contact with terrorist organizations, and inhibit cross-border funding of terrorism.  This obligation, however, does not restrict the free movement of capital.  

Cash funds are defined as currency or cheques (traveller’s cheques), money orders, promissory notes, shares, debentures, and due interest warrants (so called coupons).  

The declaration is to be lodged in writing with the customs administration.  Declaration forms are provided by the customs officers and are also available for download from the customs administration homepage at http://www.zoll.de  

The following rules apply to travelers using air, rail and sea transport:  

Airline passengers arriving in the European Union via an international community airport (e.g. Frankfurt am Main Airport ) are to hand in their written declaration at the red customs exit for passengers with goods to be declared.  

When leaving the territory, travellers are to declare their cash at the respective signed customs office at the airport.  

Anyone arriving in or leaving the European Union at an airport which is not an international community airport (e.g. by private aircraft) is to hand in his or her declaration at the customs office responsible for the airstrip used.  

Rail passengers traveling into or out of Switzerland are to declare their cash in writing during the customs check on the train.  The customs officer will have the relevant forms with them. 

Travellers arriving in and leaving the territory of the European Union by ship are to give their written declaration at the customs office responsible for the customs landing stage at which the ship has berthed, unless a customs check has already been performed on the ship. END

 

/esgret

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