Limits on carrying cash in France

[Racerbear02]

Can anyone advise what ( if any) is the current limit that you are allowed to carry in cash while in France?

I am aware that the limit that you can pay is (or was) 3000 Euros, and that bringing in money from another country is subject to a different limit.

I would be obliged if anyone can supply the correct information, preferably with a web site address to back it up.

I have heard so much conflicting information over the past couple of weeks that I need to get it straigh.

Thanks

Graham

PS would you advise Daz or Persil as best laundering medium [:D] Having put a 50 Euro note through the machine in my jeans with Persil, I was quite disappointed with the outcome.

[brianagain]

http://www.douane.gouv.fr/page.asp?id=79

Seems like there is no specific limit but amounts over 10000 euros must be declared to the customs when crossing internal EU borders.

Brian (again)

[AnOther]

I'm not sure there is a defined limit but for significant sums, logically anything above the €12,500 reporting threashold, it would be safer to declare on entry and be prepaired to adequately explain where it came from and why you are carrying it. Better than having to explain possibly in different circumstances and risk having it confiscated [:'(]

Without being nosey why do you need to carry large sums when there are myriad other ways to pay big bills or for big sticker items ?

Edit: Crossed posts but €12,500 is the EU mandated limit, €10,000 will be France's own.

Edit Edit: Seems like my link is to an old document and €10,000 is now the EU limit

[pachapapa]

[quote user="AnOther"]

I'm not sure there is a defined limit but for significant sums, logically anything above the €12,500 reporting threashold, it would be safer to declare on entry and be prepaired to adequately explain where it came from and why you are carrying it. Better than having to explain possibly in different circumstances and risk having it confiscated [:'(]

Without being nosey why do you need to carry large sums when there are myriad other ways to pay big bills or for big sticker items ?

Edit: Crossed posts but €12,500 is the EU mandated limit, €10,000 will be France's own.

Edit Edit: Seems like my link is to an old document and €10,000 is now the EU limit

[/quote]

Your figure € 12500 does not agree with

BOD n° 6826

du 26 juin 09

which appears to have no later modification.

[pachapapa]

Sorry for repetition.

[Iceni]

Ernie

Your linked document is titled "French position........ for payments in Europe" so I cannot see how this relevant to the original question.

There are rules on bringing it into the country, taking it out, withdrawing it from the bank, using it to buy goods/services but I would be very surprised if there are limits on what you may carry. Provided that one has a plausible explanantion (do you trust the banks?) as to the source of the funds when subjected to an extremely unlikely stop and search surely carrying capacity is dependant on one's own qualms on personal security.. Even today in 1984 how would "they" know anyway?

John

[Pierre ZFP]

Earlier this year some Italian gentlemen were random stopped (yeah, right, 'Random') at the Lux border. It seems that they were on their way to Netherlands to simply buy some herbs and recreational chemicals.  They were carrying around €100k    IIRC.  All very innocent.     Of course it didn't really go in their favour when guns were found in the car and they all had Form for drug dealing [:-))]

 I think they're still banged up in Shrassig (Luxembourg state prison)

EDIT Somehow the fact that they were carrying large amounts of dosh across borders didn't figure highly in their thinking

Ooops, edited to include 'didn't'  - it makes more sense now [:$]

 

[Frederick]

I always thought the Euro was introduced for the benefit of  drug dealers ...

[NickP]

Quillan and pachapapa appear to be the experts in cash,  [:D]

[BIG MAC]

[quote user="Frederick"]I always thought the Euro was introduced for the benefit of  drug dealers ...[/quote]

In what context...... maybe a rolled up 20€ note performs better in a snortathon?

[Frederick]

[quote user="BIG MAC"]

[quote user="Frederick"]I always thought the Euro was introduced for the benefit of  drug dealers ...[/quote]

In what context...... maybe a rolled up 20€ note performs better in a snortathon?

[/quote]

 They dont have to change large amounts of cash after they sell their drugs all over Europe !

[Racerbear02]

Thanks for all the replies, serious and not [:)]

But to get it back on track, can anyone offer any definitive proof from anywhere of the statements made??

I ask because some years ago, a friend of mine on his way to buy a motorcycle was detained by the Douanes because he had 10,000 Euros in cash on him, this was in the middle of France, nowhere near a border, he was told by them that the limit he could carry was 5,000 Euros and they fined him a percentage of the total for his lack of knowledge !!

I was told a few days ago that the limit had been reduced to 3,000 Euros, which was why I was asking for verification.

[pachapapa]

[quote user="Racerbear02"]Thanks for all the replies, serious and not [:)]

But to get it back on track, can anyone offer any definitive proof from anywhere of the statements made??

I ask because some years ago, a friend of mine on his way to buy a motorcycle was detained by the Douanes because he had 10,000 Euros in cash on him, this was in the middle of France, nowhere near a border, he was told by them that the limit he could carry was 5,000 Euros and they fined him a percentage of the total for his lack of knowledge !!

I was told a few days ago that the limit had been reduced to 3,000 Euros, which was why I was asking for verification.


[/quote]

I quoted BOD No 6286; In respect of € 10,000.

Lets do it again goto Particuliers section of Douane Service site at http://www.douane.gouv.fr/menu.asp?id=1

Scroll down middle section until you reach....Obligation declarative sommes,titres,valeurs....click on hyperlink tohttp://www.douane.gouv.fr/page.asp?id=79

You will find that the limit is LESS than € 10,000.....I would advice you and your friend to carry € 9999. If it is true that you got pulled in for 10K then you must have made some Customs Officers very happy.[:)]

You may also download the PDF file previously referred to athttp://www.douane.gouv.fr/data/file/5855.pdf

You might also like to visit the web page devoted to Advice for travellers on arrival in france at http://www.douane.gouv.fr/page.asp?id=43

I repeat if you have a sum EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN € 10000 you are deep in ****.

[Sunday Driver]

You can bring any amount of cash into France provided you declare it if it's 10,000€ or over. Once you've done that, you are free to walk around with the cash stuffed in your pockets/carrier bags if you so wish.

Your motorcycle friend wouldn't have been fined for carrying his 10,000€, rather the fine will have been for failure to produce a customs declaration receipt for it......[;-)]

 

[Racerbear02]

Thanks  that clarifies it well, thank you all for your comments

[pachapapa]

Quote:

I repeat if you have a sum EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN € 10000 you are deep in ****.

Whilst watching the PSG V OM game I omitted to observe the implied lack of a Declaration. I thought that it was manifestly obvious but obviously not sufficient for "motards".[:)]

Whilst technically the offence concerns the lack of a Declaration, the fine is directly related to the amount involved, the calculation of the fine post 1 Oct 2004 is outlined in the paste below.

tout manquement à cette obligation
est sanctionné par une amende égale au quart de la somme sur laquelle a porté l'infraction ou
la tentative d'infraction.

Off Topic but being stopped by the authorities whilst travelling is now more frequent in france. For a french national only the first element of the Contrôle is applicable, namely identity, but for a non french national there is a second element required, namely residential situation. This is normally simple as the vehicule papers are deemed sufficient. However if you are on your tod it can be less punctual.

[NickP]

pachapapa wrote:     "Whilst watching the PSG V OM game I omitted to observe the implied lack of a Declaration. I thought that it was manifestly obvious but obviously not sufficient for "motards". "

Any chance of a translation my old mate, I apologise but  I only speak English and a bit of French. And  I find this thread fascinating because I can only dream of carrying around 10,000 Euro. [:D]

[pachapapa]

[quote user="NickP"]

pachapapa wrote:     "Whilst watching the PSG V OM game I omitted to observe the implied lack of a Declaration. I thought that it was manifestly obvious but obviously not sufficient for "motards". "

Any chance of a translation my old mate, I apologise but  I only speak English and a bit of French. And  I find this thread fascinating because I can only dream of carrying around 10,000 Euro. [:D]

[/quote]

PSG-Paris St Germain football team that Sarko watches, they usually lose.[:)]

OM- Olympique Marseille idem, they won last night.[:D]

motards-an assertive motorbike rider who zooms around rural france with a defective silencer at a speed above the limit,etc,etc...PPP finds them a bit naff and none too bright.[6] Of course.

Dont dream! be satisfied with € 9999.

[Sunday Driver]

The OP asked a simple question about how much cash you can carry in France and I gave him the simple answer. I even managed to do it without omitting any manifestly obvious observations.

Not bad for a naff and non too bright motard.....[8-)]

 

[pachapapa]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

The OP asked a simple question about how much cash you can carry in France and I gave him the simple answer. I even managed to do it without omitting any manifestly obvious observations.

Not bad for a naff and non too bright motard.....[8-)]

 

[/quote]

Self approbation is no recommendation.[:)]

[Salty Sam]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

motards-an assertive motorbike rider who zooms around rural france with a defective silencer at a speed above the limit,etc,etc...PPP finds them a bit naff and none too bright.[6] Of course.

[/quote]

Pompous ignoramus, immediately springs to mind !

And, I don't mean SD !

[pachapapa]

[quote user="Salty Sam"][quote user="pachapapa"]

motards-an assertive motorbike rider who zooms around rural france with a defective silencer at a speed above the limit,etc,etc...PPP finds them a bit naff and none too bright.[6] Of course.

[/quote]

Pompous ignoramus, immediately springs to mind !

And, I don't mean SD !

[/quote]

[IMG]http://monjournaldebord.midiblogs.com/images/medium_humour_motard.jpg[/IMG]