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Customs: money or value transferred to France from abroad

Verified 14 November 2019 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice

Cash (sums, securities or securities) may be freely transferred from abroad to France without the intermediary of a bank. However, a customs declaration is required from a certain sum. A false statement or failure to make a statement is punishable.

Less than €10,000

If you transfer a sum or value less than €10,000, you do not have to make any declaration at customs.

Between €10,000 and €50,000

Affected Values

European Union

You must report the transported values of at least €10,000, including:

  • Cash (banknotes and coins)
  • Gold (bullion or coin)
  • Plates, chips or casino tickets
  • Bearer checks and traveler's checks
  • Promissory notes
  • Non-domiciled trade effects
  • Anonymous Cash Vouchers
  • Mandates
  • Electronic money (prepaid cards...)
  • Securities, capitalization bonds and other debt securities.
Outside the European Union

You must report the transported values of at least €10,000, including:

  • Cash (banknotes and coins)
  • Bearer checks and traveler's checks
  • Promissory notes
  • Non-domiciled trade effects
  • Anonymous Cash Vouchers
  • Mandates
  • Securities, capitalization bonds and other debt securities.

Persons concerned

You must declare to customs any transfer from France (metropolitan or overseas) to abroad of a sum of €10,000 or more (or its equivalent in foreign currency).

This obligation concerns any person residing or not in France (regardless of nationality) transferring money.

These can be amounts (cash or checks), securities (stocks, bonds, etc.), or securities.

The transfer may be made on its own account or on behalf of a third party (individual or company).

This obligation also applies to couples, families or individuals when the sum of their funds reaches €10,000 and that there is a community of interest between them.

Example :

If one of the spouses carries €5,000 and the other €5,000, each of them must make a statement.

If one of the spouses can prove that the amount carried belongs only to him and not to both, without a community of interest defined by the marriage or the park, he is not obliged to make the declaration, (unless the sum is equal to or greater than €10,000).

The declaration may be made:

  • online prior to the transfer of funds,
  • or, at the latest, at the entry of the funds in France with the form.
Online

Through the online capital reporting service (DALIA), between 30 and 2 days before the date of the transfer of funds

Declaration of capital (Dalia)

On site

Declaration of cash entering or leaving France

This form must be submitted to the customs service at the time of entry into French territory.

The statement is free.

In the event of non-declaration or false declaration, several penalties may be imposed, including:

  • a fine equal to 50% the amount of the offense or attempted offense
  • and forfeiture of all funds by customs.

In addition, funds transferred from abroad without customs declaration are presumed to be taxable income in France.

The tax authorities may decide that the money comes from hidden income and notify a tax recall, with interest for late payment of 0,20 % per month and an increase of 40%..

However, the mark-up shall not be applied if the fine equals 50% some of the hidden money was applied.

More than €50,000

Affected Values

European Union

You must report the transported values of at least €10,000, including:

  • Cash (banknotes and coins)
  • Gold (bullion or coin)
  • Plates, chips or casino tickets
  • Bearer checks and traveler's checks
  • Promissory notes
  • Non-domiciled trade effects
  • Anonymous Cash Vouchers
  • Mandates
  • Electronic money (prepaid cards...)
  • Securities, capitalization bonds and other debt securities.
Outside the European Union

You must report the transported values of at least €10,000, including:

  • Cash (banknotes and coins)
  • Bearer checks and traveler's checks
  • Promissory notes
  • Non-domiciled trade effects
  • Anonymous Cash Vouchers
  • Mandates
  • Securities, capitalization bonds and other debt securities.

Persons concerned

Every person must declare to customs when he transfers from abroad to France €10,000 or more (or its equivalent in foreign currency).

This obligation applies to the French metropolis, overseas departments (Dom)and Overseas Communities (Com)..

This obligation shall apply to any person:

  • residing or not in France (regardless of nationality),
  • and transferring money (cash or checks), securities (stocks, bonds, etc.), or securities for its own account or that of a third party (individual or company).

This obligation also applies to couples, families or individuals when the sum of their funds reaches €10,000and that there is a community of interest between them.

Reporting amounts greater than €50,000from another EU Member State must be accompanied by the documents justifying their origin.

May:

  • Bank document attesting to the execution of cash transactions, cash withdrawals or the issue of checks
  • Document prepared in the context of manual foreign exchange transactions
  • Documents relating to transactions in real estate sales, disposals of securities, donations or recognition of debts or loans
  • Contract or sales invoice
  • Game Winning Entitlement
  • Declaration of honor accompanied by a copy of an identity document of the owner of the funds where the declarant is not the owner of the sum
  • Declaration of cash to customs authorities of the Member States of the European Union

The declaration may be made:

  • online prior to the transfer of funds,
  • or, at the latest, at the entry of the funds in France with the form.
Online

Through the online capital reporting service (DALIA), between 30 and 2 days before the date of the transfer of funds

Declaration of capital (Dalia)

On site

Declaration of cash entering or leaving France

This form must be submitted to the customs service at the time of entry into French territory.

The statement is free.

In the event of non-declaration or false declaration, several penalties may be imposed, including:

  • a fine equal to 50% the amount of the offense or attempted offense
  • and forfeiture of all funds by customs.

In addition, funds transferred from abroad without customs declaration are presumed to be taxable income in France.

The tax authorities may decide that the money comes from hidden income and notify a tax recall, with interest for late payment of 0,20 % per month and an increase of 40%..

However, the mark-up shall not be applied if the fine equals 50% some of the hidden money was applied.