How much cash can I take abroad?

For travellers carrying £10,000 or more in cash into or out of the UK.

Applies to: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

There's no limit, but you must declare cash of £10,000 or more carried between Great Britain and a country outside the UK. Families or groups carrying £10,000 in total must declare too.

Declare online up to 72 hours before travel, or at customs on arrival.
Undeclared cash can be seized, with a penalty of up to £5,000.
Northern Ireland uses a €10,000 threshold.

Key facts

Declare £10,000 or more
Groups count together
Penalty up to £5,000

There is no limit, only a declaration rule

You can carry any amount of cash into or out of the UK. The rule is about telling customs, not about how much you take. If you carry £10,000 or more between Great Britain and a country outside the UK, you must declare it.

You must declare when leaving the UK as well as when arriving.

What counts as cash

Type	Great Britain	Northern Ireland
Notes and coins	Yes	Yes
Bearer bonds	Yes	Yes
Travellers' cheques	Yes	Yes
Signed cheques with no payee named	Yes	Yes
Money orders	No	Yes
Gold coins, bullion and nuggets	No	Yes
Prepaid cards	No	Yes

Travelling as a family or group

The limit is based on the total your group carries. If a family or group has £10,000 or more in total, you must declare it, even if each person carries less.

How to declare

Before you travel

Declare online through HMRC, or call the 24 hour line on 0300 322 9434.
The earliest you can declare is 72 hours before you travel.
If you are leaving the UK, you must declare before you go.

When you arrive

If you did not declare in advance, go to the red channel or the "goods to declare" sign. Tell a Border Force officer. The officer may give you a paper form or take your declaration themselves.

What happens if you do not declare

A Border Force officer can seize all the cash you are carrying, not just the amount over the limit.
You may have to pay a penalty of up to £5,000 to get it back.
If officers suspect the cash is linked to crime, they can keep it for 48 hours. After that they need a court order.

Challenging a penalty

You have 30 days from the date of the penalty notice to appeal. Write to: Fraud Investigation Service, FIS Investigation Services, Cash Declaration Penalty Team, S0079, Newcastle, NE98 1ZZ. Explain why you think the penalty is wrong.

If you live in or travel to Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland follows different rules:

You must declare €10,000 or more when travelling between Northern Ireland and a country outside the EU.
You must also declare €10,000 or more when arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
You do not need to declare any cash going from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.
If you send cash by post, parcel or freight between Northern Ireland and a non-EU country, customs may ask you to fill in a cash disclosure form.

Related guides

Where this comes from

Take cash in and out of the UK (GOV.UK)

Get it done

This takes you to the official service, which is free to use.

Declare cash online

Common questions

What counts as cash when travelling?

Cash includes notes and coins, bearer bonds, travellers' cheques and signed cheques not made out to anyone. In Northern Ireland it also includes money orders, gold and prepaid cards.

Do I need to declare cash when leaving the UK?

Yes, if you are carrying £10,000 or more and leaving the UK, you must declare it before you go.

How do I declare cash by phone?

Call 0300 322 9434, which is open 24 hours. The earliest you can declare is 72 hours before you travel.

Can I appeal a cash declaration penalty?

Yes, you have 30 days from the date of the penalty notice to appeal.

Source: Take cash in and out of the UK

Checked against GOV.UK on 6 October 2026

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