cash travel rights

UponArriving

How Much Cash Can You Travel With? (TSA & International Rules) [2023]

So you have a load of cash and you want to transport it across the country or perhaps even internationally. But exactly how much cash are you allowed to travel with?

In this article, I will break down everything you need to know about traveling with cash including important rules and limitations when flying.

I’ll also cover a number of key considerations you will want to think about before taking your cash with you when going through TSA or even traveling internationally.

Table of Contents

How much cash can you travel with?

There are no limits on the amount of cash you can travel with but there are some major considerations you need to think about when doing so.

If you are traveling domestically, your primary concern is avoiding forfeiture of your cash.

If you are traveling internationally, forfeiture is a concern but you should also be focused on remembering to declare the value of your currency and monetary instruments totaling above $10,000. Keep reading to find out more.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Legal risks of traveling with cash

TSA is concerned about dangerous threats such as explosives and not with enforcing laws and penal codes. (This is why they do not  check for arrest warrants .)

Your cash money does not present a dangerous threat and so there should be no legitimate concern about it harming other passengers on the plane.

However, in the past there have been reports of TSA agents initiating the process for seizing cash from passengers under the suspicion that it is money gained from an illegal activity or money that is intended to be used on illegal activity.

Think drugs, weapons, and organized crime activities.

The seizing of cash can be accomplished under a number of different statutes including 21 U.S. Code § 881(a)(6) which governs forfeitures.

It states that you have no property right for:

(6) All moneys, negotiable instruments, securities, or other things of value furnished or intended to be furnished by any person in exchange for a  controlled substance  or  listed chemical  in violation of this subchapter, all proceeds traceable to such an exchange, and all moneys, negotiable instruments, and securities used or intended to be used to facilitate any violation of this subchapter.

It’s possible that if a TSA agent spots a lot of cash on you or in your bag (especially a lot of smaller bills like $20 bills) they could refer you to authorities (i.e., DEA) for some type of questioning.

The authorities may check to see if you are on some type of watchlist but even if you are not they may still deem that your cash is subject to civil forfeiture, which means that it will all be taken from you.

This can happen even if you have not been charged or convicted of any crime.

Some dogs that patrol airports have a nose for cash and a lot of cash has come into contact with illegal narcotics.

In fact, a study by Yuegang Zuo of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2009 found that about  90 percent of banknotes contain traces of cocaine . Traces of other drugs have also been found on cash like codeine, amphetamines and methamphetamines .

That means that “false positives” could be triggered, which could potentially be used as further evidence about your illegal activity (reportedly dogs don’t usually sniff out these faint traces).

If your money is seized you should have the opportunity to petition the process and to retrieve your funds.

It’s an odd legal proceeding where your cash is literally the defendant: “United States of America v. $50,000 in United States currency.”

That’s important because it means that the legal burden of proof is at the civil level which only requires it to be more likely than not that you were up to no good.

This petition process may not be very fun, could last a long time, and could be very costly. For example, you will likely need to hire an attorney which might cost you as much money as you have at stake.

Your success rate could also be very low.

In March 2017, the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General reported that over the course of 10 years, the DEA only returned money in 8% of cases.

And if you do get your money back, if you owe taxes or judgments, those will likely have to be paid out first.

For these reasons, I would try to limit the cash I take through TSA security to maybe just a couple of thousand dollars (If that).

Personally, the most cash I ever carry on me is a couple of hundred bucks.

This may be problematic for people who want to gamble at their destination or who are looking to do things like purchase a car with cash but you should make alternative arrangements to receive your cash at your destination if possible.

Tips for traveling domestically with cash

If you are thinking about traveling through TSA with cash my advice would be the following:

Keep the amount as small as possible

First, avoid bringing more than $2,000 in cash if possible. That should be well below the level considered to be suspicious, as the lowest amount I saw subject to forfeiture was $6,000.

Also, try to avoid $20 bills since those are customarily used in drug deals.

Notify a TSA agent

If you do bring cash consider notifying a TSA agent when you enter the line and see if you can get some type of private or secondary screening.

If you have TSA Pre-Check , an agent might consider you to be less likely to be engaged in criminal activity but that is not a guarantee.

But note that cash has been seized in cases where people notified a TSA agent themselves so this is not a full proof method.

And it goes without saying but do not attempt to conceal the cash on your body such as strapping it to your chest because the full body scanners will find this quite easily.

Avoid checked baggage

You might be thinking about putting the cash in your checked baggage but that is not a good idea.

For one, if the cash was detected you will not be there to explain the situation and you may be caught off guard later when you are brought in for questioning by the DEA.

Second, if your cash is detected it’s possible that an unethical TSA agent could simply decide to take your cash.

And finally, if your luggage is lost you will not be able to retrieve that cash and cash is almost always an exception to baggage insurance policies.

Bring documentation

If you are traveling with a lot of cash because you want to purchase a vehicle or take care of some other transaction make sure that you have all of the supporting documentation already with you in case you are brought in for questioning.

Presenting anything less than an airtight explanation for transporting cash can mean instant forfeiture.

Avoid transporting suspicious items

It is a good idea to avoid transporting other items such as marijuana along with your cash since that will only reinforce the image that you are up to some type of criminal drug activity.

This is even the case if the state you are flying out of has legalized marijuana.

Consider your criminal history

And finally, if you have any type of criminal history — especially cases related to drug infractions — the odds of you encountering an issue with forfeiture go up.

That’s because it will be that much easier for them to make a case against you. Remember, we are talking about a civil court burden of proof — not criminal court.

So you should really reconsider bringing a lot of cash if that applies to you.

The International cash limit of $10,000 and the need to declare

US Customs and Border Protection is clear that you can transport “any amount of currency or other monetary instruments into or out of the United States.”

The caveat is that if the amount of currency exceeds $10,000 or it’s for an equivalent then you will need to file a  FinCEN Form 105  (“Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments”) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

This is a pretty simple form to fill out and basically just requires you to input the following information:

• Contact information including passport number
• Export/import information
• Shipping information if applicable
• Details of the currency or monetary instrument

You can file this form electronically at  FinCEN Form 105 CMIR, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (dhs.gov) but you can also file it in paper form.

In addition, if you are entering the United States you must declare if you are carrying currency or any other monetary instruments if they total over $10,000.

You can make this declaration on your Customs Declaration Form (CBP Form 6059B) and then file a FinCEN Form 105.

Do not blow off this requirement because failing to declare could mean forfeiture of your money and some pretty serious criminal penalties.

And remember each country has its own policy regarding traveling with cash so you have to make sure you are in compliance with the country you are headed to.

Monetary instrument

Unless you went to law school for three years you might be wondering what a “monetary instrument” is as it’s found on the  FinCEN Form 105 .

US Customs and Border Protection defines it as:

• Traveler’s checks in any form
• All negotiable instruments (including personal checks, business checks, official bank checks, cashier’s checks, third-party checks, promissory notes, and money orders) that are either, in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out to a fictitious payee, or otherwise in such form that title passes upon delivery
• Incomplete instruments (including personal checks, business checks, official bank checks, cashiers’ checks, third-party checks, promissory notes, and money orders) signed but with the payee’s name omitted
• securities or stock in bearer form or otherwise, in such form that title passes thereto upon delivery.

In this article we are mostly focused on cash which would most definitely fall under “currency.”

Specifically, 19 CFR § 1010.100(m) defines “currency” as the coin and paper money of the United States or of any other country that:

• (1) is designated as legal tender, (2) circulates, and (3) is customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in the country of issuance. 
• Currency includes U.S. silver certificates, U.S. notes, and Federal Reserve notes. 
• Currency also includes official foreign bank notes that are customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in a foreign country.

The big take away here is that this restriction applies to cash of the US and also other countries.

The cash of pretty much every developed country is going to meet the requirements for currency listed above so it doesn’t matter if you are transporting Great Britain Pounds, Euros, etc.

Keep in mind that each form of currency and monetary instrument counts separately, as well. So if you have $6,000 in cash and a $5,000 traveler’s check, you are above the limit.

And members of a family residing in one household entering the United States that submit a joint or family declaration must declare if the members are collectively above the $10,000 limit.

So if a husband has $4,000 and the wife has $7,000, that family must declare because they are collectively above the limit.  

Items that don’t count as currency

Some items related to currency do not officially count as currency but you still may have to declare them as “merchandise.”

For example, coins of precious metals, including silver and gold, do not fall into the definition of “monetary instrument” or “currency.” 

However, coins of precious metals must be declared as merchandise if they are acquired abroad.

Other articles of precious metals (including gold bullion, gold bars, and gold jewelry) also do not fall into the definition of “monetary instrument” or “currency.”

However, these articles must also be declared as merchandise if they are acquired abroad.

They also have a list of excluded items which includes:

• Warehouse receipts and bills of lading
• Monetary instruments that are made payable to a named person, but are not endorsed or which bear restrictive endorsements
• Credit cards and prepaid cards
• Virtual currencies including Bitcoin

So if you are traveling around with credit limits above $50,000 or a nice stash of cryptocurrency you don’t have to worry about declaring those items.

Factors to consider when traveling with cash

When you are traveling chances are you are going to want to spend some money on various expenses like dining and excursions. It is highly recommended to use a good travel rewards credit card for these expenses for a few reasons.

Getting through security

If you have a bag full of cash money, that bag is going to have to get through security at some point. This may be at the airport, a train station, etc.

As explained in detail above, if a screening agent notices that you have wads of cash in a bag this could potentially raise a red flag and a worst-case scenario of you losing your cash and never getting it back.

The theft risk

Traveling with cash is risky whether you keep that cash on you or you stored in your hotel room.

If you are walking around with cash on you there is always that chance that you could run into a thief. This could be someone who could pick pocket your wallet or cash right out of your clothes or bag.

Or in a more serious case, this could be someone who holds you up with some type of weapon and forces you to handover your cash.

If you are going to travel with cash on your person it’s recommended to have some type of hidden wallet and a dummy wallet in your pocket. Your dummy wallet will have a small amount of cash, perhaps a duplicate credit card and even a duplicate ID to make it look as realistic as possible.

The idea is that if someone were to take that dummy wallet they would only get away with a minimal amount of your valuables. You could then have your real stash of cash hidden beneath your clothing.

If you choose to store your cash in your hotel room you also need to be careful. Putting your cash into a hotel safe is not quite as secure as you might think . In some cases you may actually want to just hide your cash somewhere in the room where a thief would not think to look.

Either way you go, carrying a lot of cash on you is a risk that you need to weigh very carefully.

Travel insurance

You can get travel insurance by paying for your excursions and travels with a good travel credit card.

So if for some reason you purchase a nonrefundable hotel or tour and then you have to cancel because you get sick or for some other covered reason, you can get fully reimbursed for your purchase. In some cases this could put thousands of dollars back in your pocket.

But if you paid for something like your hotel with cash there is a good chance that you will simply be out of luck and get hit with the loss.

Also, you might struggle to even be able to pay cash for certain travel expenses like rental cars .

Foreign conversion fees

When you convert your cash into a foreign currency you will be paying some type of conversion fee and in some cases may be dealing with a subpar rate, especially at those kiosks .

Certain types of ATM cards will allow you to withdraw cash in the local currency with minimal fees but the best way to make purchases abroad is to simply have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.

Travel credit cards are great about offering rewards on purchases made abroad.

You don’t have to look very far to find a credit card that will earn you extra bonus points on flights, hotels, and even your tours and events. Earning extra points on dining, even when dining abroad, is also easy with cards like the Amex Gold Card.

By paying with cash you are missing out on all of these valuable rewards.

Traveling with a lot of cash can be problematic because that is often how actors travel who are engaged in criminal activities.

Your best bet is to avoid bringing a lot of cash but if you must, try to bring as much supporting documentation as possible and be prepared for questioning and the possibility of you having to fight against the government to retrieve your money.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

Privacy Overview

As Delta meltdown drags on, here are airline passenger rights you need to know

As you no doubt are aware, a tech update and IT outage on Friday led to thousands of flight delays and cancellations . The outage started with a software update at CrowdStrike , an Austin-based cybersecurity firm. Fortunately, most airlines have gotten operations back on track — with one notable exception.

Delta Air Lines has canceled another 415 flights on Tuesday, 11% of its schedule. The Atlanta-based carrier has canceled more than 5,000 flights since Friday. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection has already said it is investigating Delta, a carrier typically known for its reliability that's now getting a bit of a black eye as the operational meltdown drags on.

Delta has said it will help customers , some of whom have been stuck for days. In a statement Monday, the carrier gave eligible customers an option for a refund for the unused portion of their ticket, or eCredit with the airline. You can submit for a refund at Delta.com/refund .

Related: Delta Air Lines meltdown: What to do if you're stranded because of the IT outage

Yet, Delta is coming under fire from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and others for not doing more for customers. "We have made clear to Delta that they must take care of their passengers and honor their customer service commitments," Buttigieg said. "Our department will leverage the full extent of our investigative and enforcement power to ensure the rights of Delta's passengers are upheld."

Whenever meltdowns like this happen, we at TPG get asked the same question: "What are airline passengers' rights?"

Passengers are getting more protections

Airline passengers in the U.S. have more rights than they used to. However, the rules are still not quite as favorable to consumers as some travelers might hope.

Weather-related disruptions often leave few options

Bad weather is often the trigger for larger operational meltdowns. That was certainly the case last year as summer thunderstorms pounded the country and disrupted travel from Chicago to Newark. Likewise, winter weather was the initial trigger for Southwest Airlines' operational meltdown over the 2022 holidays.

Bad weather can have cascading, nationwide effects on airline operations. So, sometimes, you might run into a weather-related cancellation or delay even though it's clear and sunny outside your window.

And oftentimes, when flight disruptions are caused by weather, or other factors outside an airline's control, your carrier may not be willing to foot the bill if you encounter unexpected costs like a hotel night, or extra meals when you're stranded.

This is where a travel credit card offering trip protection and coverage for weather-related scenarios can help. The card can offset the cost of unexpected expenses you incur (like a hotel night, ground transportation and unexpected meals) to help close the gap.

Other causes for cancellations

However, there are plenty of other problems that can cause cascading disruptions, too. Case in point: the current mess that started with a technology outage.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says that even though the problems began at a third-party vendor, airlines are ultimately responsible for the disruptions.

Improving passenger protections

Fortunately, there is some good news to report this year.

New air passenger rights rules issued by the DOT this spring will soon bring an added layer of protection, making it easier to claim a refund when you're eligible. More on those requirements in a moment.

Here's what you are currently entitled to when your air travel plans go sideways, as well as what could be coming down the road (or in the skies) in the future.

You're entitled to a refund

Per DOT policy, every airline passenger is entitled to a cash refund when their flight is canceled or significantly delayed or when the schedule is significantly changed. (This only applies if they choose not to fly because of the change.)

That goes for both weather-related disruptions and those that are technically the airline's responsibility, like maintenance issues.

Here are a few things to know about that refund:

• You're only entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your trip. So, say you fly from New York to Washington, D.C., your return trip gets canceled and you decide to take the train home. You would be owed a refund only for the return portion of your trip.
• If you accept the airline's rebooking offer, you're not eligible for a refund.
• But you don't have to accept a flight voucher or frequent flyer miles if you meet the above criteria.
• New rules recently unveiled by the Biden administration define what constitutes a significant delay or schedule change as three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights. The new rules also require airlines to automatically issue refunds to eligible passengers within 7 to 20 business days. Those rules take effect later this year.

Compensation during airline delays

Though the Biden administration has increased passengers' rights overall, airlines still don't have to pay you cash compensation for flight delays.

However, the DOT has rolled out an Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard that lays out the commitments made by major U.S. airlines in the event of flight disruptions.

As noted on the page, most airlines guarantee meals, cash for meals or meal vouchers when delays cause a wait of three hours or longer.

Additionally, most major carriers guarantee hotel accommodations, plus the necessary ground transportation to and from the hotel, when delays lead to an unexpected overnight stay. The only airline that doesn't guarantee this, according to the dashboard? Frontier Airlines.

Remember that these are for so-called controllable delays — the ones that are technically the airline's fault, like those due to aircraft maintenance or a staffing problem.

Notably, these guarantees do not apply to flights affected by bad weather or air traffic control problems.

Compensation for airline cancellations

Like with delays, airlines aren't required to compensate passengers for canceled flights. However, most major U.S. carriers do provide some guarantees for cancellations deemed to be their responsibility. (Again, this doesn't apply to weather disruptions.)

All 10 carriers evaluated by the DOT guarantee meals, cash for meals or meal vouchers when cancellations lead to a wait of three hours or longer for a new flight.

Every airline — except Frontier — guarantees complimentary hotel accommodations for these covered cancellations leading to an unexpected overnight stay; the airlines also cover ground transportation to and from the hotel.

None of the airlines provide cash compensation for long delays or cancellations, which is what some of us at TPG would like to see. That would make the U.S. rules more like Europe's EU261 compensation rules.

Keep in mind that even if the airline doesn't technically owe you compensation, you can always ask. The worst the airline can say is "No."

Related: Tips for using social media to contact airlines and hotels

The 24-hour refund rule

Let's say you book an airline ticket and then find a better deal, or you realize your just-booked itinerary won't work for you. Or maybe you simply selected something you didn't intend.

There's good news: Per the DOT policy , in the U.S., airlines must do one of two things: provide penalty-free refunds to passengers who cancel within 24 hours or allow customers to place a 24-hour hold on a ticket without purchasing it.

This applies to all types of tickets, including basic economy tickets and those that are technically "nonrefundable."

Several airlines provide refunds for changes and cancellations beyond 24 hours, depending on the fare type, but they all have to give a 24-hour window of some sort.

Those rules came into effect in 2012. The DOT ordered airlines to allow passengers to cancel nonrefundable bookings or reservations within 24 hours of purchase as long as the booking is made at least seven days before the flight.

Tarmac delay rights

Airlines should not leave you on a plane on the tarmac for hourslong delays. Airlines have gotten much better about letting passengers off planes if they can't get clearance to take off in a reasonable amount of time; the DOT cracked down on long tarmac delays by issuing rules in 2010.

Airlines are now required to provide food and drinking water after passengers have sat for two or more hours on a plane on the ground. Airlines must allow passengers to get off by the three-hour mark for domestic flights and the four-hour mark for international flights. If the airline doesn't follow these rules, it is subject to large fines from the DOT.

Interestingly, some have argued that these rules have actually made delays worse. Either way, passengers have a right to avoid sitting indefinitely on the tarmac, unable to get off the plane.

New airline passenger rights under consideration

While most U.S. airlines guarantee things like meal vouchers and a complimentary hotel night when they are responsible for a major delay or cancellation, the Biden administration wants to go even further.

In May of 2023, the DOT announced a plan to propose rules requiring airlines to compensate passengers for these so-called controllable cancellations and delays. (Again, this wouldn't apply to bad weather and other factors outside the airline's control.) It would apply in the case of the current IT meltdown, but the rules aren't fully in place yet.

If ultimately approved, the rule would seemingly bring consumer protections more in line with those in the European Union under that previously mentioned provision known as EU261.

"DOT has taken unprecedented action to protect and expand travelers' rights when airlines cause cancellations and delays," a DOT spokesperson told TPG last year. "Before Secretary [Pete] Buttigieg was sworn in, none of the largest U.S. airlines guaranteed meals, hotels or transportation when they were the cause of a cancellation — now 10 guarantee meals and transportation and nine offer hotels. Additionally, this administration has helped return over a billion dollars in refunds to travelers, has fined airlines at all-time highs, and is continuing to fight to expand passengers' rights."

Major airline trade groups have criticized the proposals, pointing to existing guarantees by airlines for meals, hotels and ground transportation; they warn that regulations could drive up costs for all passengers.

The DOT will also now require airlines to proactively inform passengers if they're entitled to a refund and to issue refunds for paid services (like Wi-Fi or seat selections) that the customers don't actually receive.

Will there be a new airline passenger bill of rights?

Some political leaders want to go even further than the current air passenger rules being adopted by the DOT.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, and Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, proposed a law that would enshrine rights to airline passengers — much as the Bill of Rights protects the rights of Americans.

"[Airlines] need to provide not only refunds but also additional compensation like the $1,350 if flights are delayed more than four hours, which is part of my bill of rights. $1,350 on top of refunds and alternative transportation expenses. Because the only message that the airlines seem to understand is dollars and cents," Blumenthal shared with TPG.

"And if they have to pay a penalty beyond refunds and beyond paying for alternative transportation, it will get their attention," he continued. "And also giving passengers the right to sue, the right to legal recourse is very important because the Department of Transportation isn't always as vigorous as it should be."

Under the proposed legislation, airlines would be required to refund tickets for flights delayed as little as one hour and provide alternative transportation. They would also be required to pay for food and hotels. Finally, the bill would forbid airlines from using weather as an excuse for delays and cancellations when it's actually their fault.

A challenge for passengers is that even with that proposed legislation, there is an "out" for weather or other uncontrollable events. It's unclear if the meltdown Southwest Airlines suffered during the 2022 Christmas season , for example, would be considered weather-related or not for the purposes of coverage by that bill of rights.

These proposed airline passenger bills of rights are a long way from passage. Airlines for America has called the legislation "short-sighted" and promised to campaign against it.

Related: 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed

Bottom line

The current list of airline passenger rights is not where we'd necessarily like to see it, but we have seen a lot of positive passenger developments in the past few years.

Regarding delays and cancellations due to weather, however, the airlines still have a lot of wiggle room in compensating passengers. That said, just like during Southwest's Christmas week meltdown , we are hopeful the airlines will do the right thing in the end and make consumers whole for costs like meals, lodging and alternate flights.

No matter what rules are in place, though, you will need to be your own best advocate. Record all expenses, and report your case directly to the airline for compensation. If you don't get relief, you can always contact your representatives in Congress and even file a complaint with the DOT.

The worst thing an airline can tell you is "No." Even then, if you use the right credit card to book your ticket , you'll still have an avenue to recoup some of your additional expenses.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a first-time or frequent traveler
• Flight canceled or delayed? Here's what to do next
• Best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 10 ways to get through airport security faster

All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

As Airlines Refund Travelers, Here's How to Get Cash Instead of a Voucher

The current coronavirus pandemic has thrown air travel and regular flight schedules in flux. Fearful fliers are canceling long-planned trips as airlines themselves slash daily services by up to 80 percent. The result? Widespread confusion on fliers’ rights, especially when it comes to the thorny question of refunds: cash, credit, or nothing at all. What’s more, there’s little or no end in sight to the confusion. So much so that both the U.S. Department of Transportation and the E.U.'s Transport Commissioner were forced to step in last week and clarify fliers’ legal entitlements to refunds.

While we're encouraging travelers to postpone their trips instead of canceling them outright, there are several reasons why you might need to a true refund. So what exactly are your rights as an American flier right now? We've taken a look at four different scenarios.

You bought a ticket directly from the airline, and the airline canceled your original flight

You are entitled to a full refund, in the original payment method—no exceptions. The airline might offer you an alternative, usually a voucher that is valid only on that carrier. It is legally allowed to make that offer, but you are also entitled to decline and insist instead on a full refund, via the original method of payment. This is a longstanding DOT rule.

But it was murky behavior around refunds—and subsequent outcry from customers—that led the department to reiterate this last week. Carriers like United and JetBlue claimed that the pandemic was such an exceptional circumstance that those long-standard laws did not apply. They tried to argue, instead, that vouchers could substitute for refunds. “The airlines were trying to hold your money hostage, like an interest free loan from you,” says Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights . “You can’t pay for your groceries with an airline voucher.”

Any flight that originates or terminates in the U.S. is covered by these regulations from the DOT. The same applies in the E.U., where British Airways and EasyJet were called out for removing a refund option from their websites, instead funneling such requests to call centers—and testing fliers’ resolve via enormous waits. As in the U.S., the EU’s transport commissioner weighed in, restating travelers’ rights to a refund on both inbound and outbound flights. (Though the U.K. has officially exited the European Union, it remains in a transition phase and still has to comply with these rules.) Note, however, that directive EC261, a consumer-friendly E.U. law that guarantees extra compensation for delays, has been temporarily suspended: You won’t earn extra money for cancelations right now, but you’ll receive a 100 percent refund.

One unfortunate exception to this consumer-friendly approach is Canada. The transport authority there, CTA, has effectively sided with the airlines, ruling that in this case a voucher is an acceptable substitute for cash. However, if your booking begins or ends in the U.S, you’re still covered by the DOT’s rules.

You bought a ticket directly from the airline, but you can no longer fly (or don't want to fly)

There is no legal mandate requiring that airlines refund travelers who are suddenly unable to fly, even in a pandemic. However, most carriers have drastically loosened their usual rules and change fees —these often shift daily, so check the airline’s homepage for the current policy. “It really is a moving target, because every time an airline announces a policy that is less than consumer-friendly, the pushback forces the airline to reconsider,” explains AirFareWatchdog co-founder George Hobica.

If you’re unhappy with what the airline offers in return, be patient, says Keyes. After all, if you initiate a cancelation, the airline will likely say you can only get a voucher. But if the airline itself eventually nixes that route, the DOT rules on automatic refunds are triggered. If you’re traveling in early June, for example, it’s very possible the airline could cancel that flight between now and then, but the airlines refund rule will only cover those who are current ticket holders. “There’s no penalty to waiting as long as possible to cancel, but the potential benefit might be a cash refund,” says Keyes.

If your flight is sooner, try reaching out to the airline via Twitter—often the fastest way to connect with customer service when phone lines are swamped. As always, remember that politeness is prime: Ask nicely if it is possible to cancel your ticket, given the circumstances, and anticipate accepting a voucher for the amount you paid and all fees waived. If you’re hoping for something different, and need to discuss options with a representative, consider calling a carrier’s overseas call center to shorten your wait. Most U.S. airlines will operate local customer service in most territories they serve; look for English-speaking operations in Singapore, India, or the U.K., though confirm how much that call might cost you beforehand, of course.

According to Hobica, a credit card might help if an airline refuses to waive certain fees even in the current climate. Some travel-friendly brands, like the American Express Platinum Card , offer reimbursement of change or cancelation fees in case of illness, whether yours or someone in your extended family. If you’re still being charged a fee, you might be able to offset it this way.

You bought a ticket from an online travel agent, like Expedia, Travelocity, or Orbitz

Third-party booking platforms like Expedia or Travelocity add an extra wrinkle. Technically, you purchased your ticket from them, so all refunds or vouchers should come from that agent rather than the airline. Right now, thankfully, such conventions are largely suspended, and most airlines are treating OTA customers much the same as those who bought tickets from them directly. In other words, the policies outlined above should apply.

Remember, though, that the small print still matters, especially if you’re the one initiating the cancelation. If the flight was sold as non-refundable, for instance, the booking platform must seek authorization for the waiver from the airline, so the final verdict on diverging from policy lies with the carrier. If you have questions or disputes, you’ll usually need to contact customer service at the OTA first—try Twitter if hold times are long, rather than starting with the airline.

What to do if an airline still refuses to give you a refund

Remember your rights—and invoke the DOT. Don’t hesitate to file one of those complaints using its form; after all, it was consumer feedback that nudged the department into issuing its reminder last week. “It normally feels like something you do to blow off steam, but [the DOT has] been receiving hundreds of thousands of complaints,” says Keyes. “That’s why they’ve been cracking the whip a little to strike fear into the airlines.”

If all else fails, consider disputing the charge on your credit card. This delegates the argument from you to a major financial institution, which can then tussle with the airline more effectively than you, a single customer, might be able to.

If you’re faced with a stubborn airline, or a situation where a customer service representative seems unwilling to budge, here’s a script that might help: “Thank you for all the information. I know it must be a stressful time for the airlines right now. However, I did see the notice from the DOT last week, reminding all airlines of their obligations—specifically pointing out the laws around refunds and cancelations. I believe that regulation applies to my circumstances. If you continue to deny that, unfortunately, I’ll have to file a complaint with the DOT about this, while also disputing the charge with my credit card issuer. I would much prefer simply to resolve this now. Can you confirm for one final time that [insert name of airline] will not be refunding all the money I paid for my ticket? If not, I will contact the DOT and my card issuer now.”

And just remember, even if you end up with a full refund, it doesn’t mean you can’t spend it on a different, later flight whenever you’re ready to reschedule your vacation .

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8 Air Travel Rights You Didn’t Know You Have

With disputes between airlines and the passengers that fly with them increasing, it’s always good to understand your rights as a traveler. Airlines are not inclined to share policies that favor the customers they serve, but there are myriad rules and regulations from the U.S. Department of Transportation they must follow. Below are eight rights that passengers have—but might not know about—when things go wrong. 

Voluntary Bumping

U.S. airlines fly nearly 24,000 flights a day. The odds of passengers being on an oversold flight are pretty slim. But when it happens, the airlines prefer to first seek volunteers to take a later flight for vouchers that can be used on future travel. Not only do you get compensation, but you get priority seating on the next available flight. Depending on the airline (and how desperate they are for the seat), you can ask for perks like first/business class seats , access to a premium lounge , and food vouchers.

Involuntary Bumping

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If the bumping is involuntary , travelers are entitled to receive boarding compensation by check or cash, depending on the price of their ticket and the length of the delay. The key here is that the airlines can't give you vouchers, which tend to expire after a year. They must give you cash or a check.

If the airline gets you to your final destination within an hour of the originally scheduled arrival time, a traveler will not be compensated. If the substitute transportation arrives between one and two hours after the original arrival time (between one and four hours on international flights), an airline must pay an amount equal to 200 percent of the original one-way fare, with a maximum of $675. If you arrive more than two hours later (four hours internationally), or if the airline does not make any substitute travel arrangements for you, the compensation hits 400 percent of the one-way fare, with a maximum of $1,350 (as of 2019). 

Those using frequent-flyer award tickets or a ticket issued by a consolidator will be compensated based on the lowest cash, check, or credit card payment charged for a ticket in the same class of service on the flight. And travelers can keep the original ticket and either use it on another flight or ask for an involuntary refund for the ticket for the flight you were bumped from. Finally, airlines must refund payments for services on the original flight, including seat selection and checked baggage.

Flight Delay or Cancellation

Compensation for a delay or cancellation depends on the reason and the airline in question. If there's a weather delay, there’s not much that the airline can do. But if the delay is for manmade reasons, including mechanical, compensation depends on the airline you’re flying.

All airlines have a contract of carriage that outlines what they will do. Travelers can ask for things, including meals, phone calls, or a hotel stay. They can also ask an airline to endorse the ticket over to a new carrier that has seat availability, and legacy carriers can rebook you on their first flight to your destination on which space is available without charge if you ask.

Ticket Changes or Cancellations

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You’ve found what looks to be a great fare and purchased your ticket. The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations allow travelers who have booked a flight at least seven days in advance to make changes or even cancel the reservations within 24 hours without being hit with a high cancellation fee. Or if an airline refuses to carry a passenger for any reason, they can apply for a refund, even if they bought a nonrefundable ticket.

Flight Changed by Airliine

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Airlines sometimes have scheduled flight changes or aircraft changes that force them to re-accommodate travelers on a different flight. If the change does not work, travelers have the right to propose a schedule that works better for them. It’s better to call the airline directly to make the change. Let them know you’re calling about a flight change so you’re not charged to speak with an agent. If the change is significant (like a major time change, a longer layover, or even an overnight stay), you can request a refund.

Lost Baggage

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The basic rule is that if an airline loses your luggage, you will be reimbursed, depending on the type of flight. The maximum reimbursement for U.S.domestic flights is $3,300 and up to $1,742 for international flights (as of 2019).

For international travel not originating in the U.S., the Warsaw Convention applies, which limits liability to approximately $9.07 per pound up to $640 per bag for checked baggage and $400 per customer for unchecked baggage.

Most airlines will also provide basic necessities, like toothpaste and other personal items, to hold you over. You also have the right to ask for reimbursement to buy replacement clothes in case you were traveling for an event.

Damaged Baggage

If your luggage is damaged , go immediately to the airline’s office in the baggage claim area. You will need to file a report and document any issues. It helps if you can submit photos of the luggage before the flight. If the airline is at fault, you can negotiate a settlement to either repair the damage or replace the bag if it can’t be fixed.

Stuck on the Tarmac

Joe Raedle / Getty Images News / Getty Images

On Jan. 16, 1999, thousands of passengers were trapped for up to 10 hours on Northwest Airlines jets stranded after a major snowstorm at Detroit Metro Airport . That led to a $7.1 million settlement to those travelers and the creation of DOT regulations on how long passengers can be forced to stay on a delayed plane.

A similar incident happened to JetBlue at its JFK Airport hub on Valentine’s Day, 2007. The CEO of JetBlue announced a $30 million initiative to rewrite its procedures for handling flight disruptions and create a customer bill of rights.

DOT rules don’t allow U.S. airline domestic flights to stay on a tarmac for more than three hours, but there are exceptions. 

• The pilot feels there is a safety or security reason why the aircraft can’t go back to the gate and deplane passengers.
• Air traffic control feels that moving an aircraft to a gate would significantly disrupt airport operations.

International flights operated by U.S. carriers are required by DOT to establish and comply with their own limit on the length of tarmac delays. But passengers on both types of flights must be given food and water no later than two hours after the delay begins. Lavatories must remain operable and medical attention must be available if needed.

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How Much Cash Can You Carry on a Plane? (2023 Guide)

It is always a good idea to travel with a bit of cash with you. There is a reason for the saying “cash is king” as having some on you can get you out of a jam, especially in the developing world where card machines and ATMs don’t always work.

But, what about when you need to travel with a lot of cash, for whatever reason, what are the rules? The last thing anyone needs is to have their cash stolen or confiscated by customs.

Join me as I run through everything you need to know about carrying cash on planes, how much you can carry, and the rules around it.

How Much Cash Can You Carry On A Plane?

• Domestically – There are no limits
• Internationally – under $10,000 without declaring it in the USA
• The same rules apply to most developed nations, but check before you fly.

How Much Cash Can You Carry on a Domestic Flight?

When flying domestically, you can carry as much cash and monetary instruments as you like. There are no limits for a domestic flight as the money is not leaving the country, or entering a new one, it is staying in the same country.

But, if the TSA notices that someone is carrying a lot of cash, they do have the right to ask where the money came from. If the TSA agent thinks the money is a result of criminal activity, like drug trafficking, they can hand over the case to a law enforcement officer to deal with.

How Much Cash Can You Carry on International Flights?

There is technically no limit on the amount of cash you can carry on an international flight into the USA or out of the USA. But, if you have a large sum of $10,000 or more, you have to follow some rules for it to be legal.

When traveling with anything that is considered cash (as per the section above) that totals $10,000 or more, you have to declare it to US customs officials and explain where the money came from.

If you are on an international flight that is departing or arriving in the US, there are no limits as to the amount of money a passenger can carry. If you are caught with $10,000 or more without declaring it, you can face civil and criminal penalties, plus the money can be confiscated by the law enforcement agency.

If you are traveling with $9,999 in cash or less, you do not have to declare it to customs. But, if the TSA finds you have say $9000 of monetary instruments with you, they have the right to ask about it and can hand you over to law enforcement agents.

You will then have to prove where the money came from and that it wasn’t from criminal activity such as money laundering, etc.

If you are flying to Europe from outside of Europe, the same rules apply as in the USA. You can travel with less than €10,000 without having to declare it.

But, if you are traveling with €10,000 or more, you must declare it to customs by filling out an EU Currency Declaration form before your flight.

However, Spain, Italy, and the UK do not use the EU Currency Declaration form and have their own forms you will need to fill out.

If you are flying in or out of Canada, you are allowed to have $10,000 Canadian dollars of cash, or less, without having to declare it to customs.

If you have more than $10,000 Canadian dollars of cash, which includes other currencies too, you must declare it to customs.

The UK allows anyone to enter the UK with less than £10,000 of cash on them without declaring it to customs. But, if you are traveling with £10,000 of cash or more, then you must declare it to UK customs.

This is the case when traveling to or from any country outside of the UK, including EU countries.

Mexico allows you to travel with $10,000 or less of cash without having to declare it to customs. If you have large sums over $10,000 then you must declare it to customs using the Mexican Customs Declaration form.

How Much Cash Can a Family Bring on a Plane?

If you are traveling as a group or family, you might be thinking that you can each carry $10,000 onto the plane without having to declare it to customs. This is not the case!

When traveling as a family or a group, the combined amount of cash you are carrying has to be $10,000 or less in order to avoid declaring it to customs.

If you, as a group, have $10,500 between you, then you are obligated under the United States Constitution, and the laws of all the countries mentioned, to declare it to customs.

What Qualifies As ‘Cash’?

Let’s just confirm what qualifies as cash when you are traveling. We do not need any ambiguity in situations that involve your hard-earned money.

When you travel on a plane, all currencies are considered cash so long as the currency in question is still in circulation and you can actually buy things with it. Therefore every coin and note you can buy something with in any country in the world is considered cash.

Cheques, traveler’s cheques, and bankers’ drafts are also considered cash.

Precious metals and stones such as gold and diamonds are not considered cash, but they have their own rules that you need to follow when transporting them around the world.

Casino chips are not cash as you can only buy things with them in the casino that they came from.

Does Cash Show Up in Airport Scanners?

Large sums of cash will show up at a screening checkpoint, like the scanner you put your carry-on through.

But, no one knows just how sensitive the scanners are, as TSA (Transportation Security Administration) keeps this a secret for security reasons.

I do know that airport scanners can pick up a carton of cigarettes, so they will most likely pick up a wedge of cash.

The scanners that you walk through will detect cash so do not try to conceal and carry it on your person, as it will get picked up!

Can You Fly With $20k Cash?

Yes, you can fly with $20k cash, and you can fly with a million dollars so long as you follow the rules and can legally prove where the money came from.

If you are flying domestically with $20k cash, you do not have to tell anyone about it. If you are flying internationally, then you have to follow the customs declaration rules for the country you’re leaving and flying to.

Can TSA Agents Seize Cash?

Can the TSA seize cash? No, a TSA officer has no law enforcement powers for cash seizure. However, if a TSA screener discovers large sums of cash on them, they have the right to ask where the cash came from.

If the TSA suspects foul play, then they have the right to hand you over to law enforcement authorities for further inspection.

If the other law enforcement representative thinks the cash is in some way illegal, the federal agency seizes it and it is kept but the US Customs and Border Protection Agency. This is known as Civil Asset Forfeiture proceedings.

What Happens If I Don’t Disclose Cash at Customs?

If you have more than $10,000 and do not declare your cash, you can get in varying degrees of trouble depending on the country you are leaving/arriving into.

In the US, if you do not declare you are carrying $10,000 or more as an individual, or as a group, your cash can be seized.

If you fail to declare you are carrying £10,000 or more in the UK, you can be fined £5,000. I

In Mexico, not declaring $10,000 or more in cash results in criminal prosecution as this kind of criminal activity is taken seriously in Mexico and they are trying to stop it.

How Do You Secure Your Money When Traveling?

Firstly, do not put your cash in your checked baggage as your bag can get lost, and it is easier for someone to steal from than your carry-on.

Split your money up into multiple places in your carry-on so it is not all in one place. Or consider using a neck wallet to keep it safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to put cash in checked luggage.

No, never ever put cash in your checked luggage.

Checked bags get lost between flights, people have access to them and can open them, and therefore your cash is way more likely to be lost or stolen in checked luggage.

Does the TSA ask about cash?

Yes, if the TSA finds a large amount of cash on you, then will ask where it came from. If they suspect something, they will hand you over to law enforcement agents for further investigation.

What are the risks of traveling with large amounts of cash?

The main risks of traveling with large sums of cash are having your cash stolen, losing it, or having it confiscated by customs or law enforcement.

These days, you don’t need to travel with more than a few hundred dollars in cash as pretty much everywhere takes cards. So is it worth the risk? I think not!

About the Author Roger Timbrook

Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!

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How much money can you bring into and out of the U.S.?

There is a limit on how much undeclared money you can bring into and out of the U.S. Find out how much, how to declare it, and what the penalties are if you do not report it.

How much money do you have to declare when you travel to or from the U.S.? 

If you are traveling with an excess of $10,000, you must report it to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer when you enter or exit the U.S. But there is no limit to the amount of money you can travel with. 

Currency and monetary instruments that are subject to this rule include U.S. and foreign:

• Paper money and coins
• Travelers’ checks
• Cashier’s checks
• Promissory notes
• Money orders

Learn how the U.S. government defines these currency and monetary instruments.

How to report money when you travel

To report to CBP that you are bringing more than $10,000 in currency or money instruments into or out of the U.S., do one of the following:

• Fill out the Currency Reporting Form (FinCen 105) online
• Fill out and print Form FinCen 105 before you travel and present it to a CBP officer
• Ask a CBP officer for a paper copy and fill it out at customs

If you are an international traveler entering the U.S., you must declare what currency or monetary instruments you have on CBP Form 6059B . This is in addition to declaring it on Form FinCen 105.

Learn more about reporting money when you travel , including how to do it if you are submitting a joint or family declaration. 

What happens if you do not declare that you are carrying more than $10,000?

If you fail to report to CBP that you are bringing more than $10,000 through customs or do so fraudulently, the penalties may include:

• Confiscation of all currency or monetary instruments
• A fine of up to $500,000
• Up to 10 years of imprisonment

LAST UPDATED: August 2, 2024

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Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They will get you the answer or let you know where to find it.

Bringing lots of cash into the U.S.? Disclose to Customs or you’ll pay the price

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Carrying too much undeclared cash into the United States can land you in a world of trouble. Just ask the four American Airlines flight attendants who were arrested in October at Miami International Airport and charged with money laundering and acting as unauthorized money transmitters.

Early on Oct. 22, after arriving at Miami from Santiago, Chile, the flight attendants were subjected to a routine search by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. One of the flight attendants, when asked how much cash he was carrying, said he had $100, according to the Miami Herald . Moments later, the attendant was found to have $9,000.

The discrepancy prompted officers to interrogate other flight attendants from the same flight. One had $7,300, another $6,371. The cash-carrying flight attendants pointed to the fourth as the coordinator of the effort, the Herald said.

But it’s your money. Why can’t you bring it into the country?

Answer: You can, but paperwork may be involved.

Here’s what the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website writes : “It is legal to transport any amount of currency or monetary instruments into or out of the United States,” But anyone carrying more than $10,000 must declare the amount by filing a Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments, FinCEN Form 105 .

Why the uproar? After all, none of them carried more than $10,000.

The answer: The $10,000 limit applies whether you’re traveling alone or with a group.

For example, four family members traveling together can’t decide to split $30,000 so that each person carries $7,500 into the U.S. The $30,000 must be declared.

CBP may have treated the flight attendants as a group because they were traveling together and transporting a total of $22,671.

The flight attendants may have been delivering the money to someone in the U.S., the Herald reported. If this is true, the suspects were indeed acting as unauthorized “money transmitters.” (A money transmitter is a person or business that provides money transfer services for a fee. To conduct these services, transmitters must obtain a license.)

The airline says it is working with law enforcement on the ongoing investigation.

“Travelers who fail to truthfully report all of their currency risk their currency being seized and may face criminal charges ,” including fines up to $500,000 and a 10-year prison term, the CBP website writes.

When transporting cash into or out of the U.S., honesty is always the best policy. This edict was impressed on me a few years ago after a fellow flight attendant made a shocking confession on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil, to Miami.

Although we rarely socialize off the airplane, he is a good guy with whom I’ve had a great working relationship.

After we completed the meal service, he pulled me aside and whispered. “You’re not gonna believe this.”

I thought he was about to share another hookup story that begins at a São Paulo nightclub and ends in layover lore.

“OK,” I said, shaking my head. “What happened?”

“I’ve got $100,000 in my bag.”

“Well,” he continued, pointing to the business-class closet in which his flight attendant tote had been stowed, “it’s actually a bit more than $100,000.”

He recounted how he had recently sold his São Paulo condominium. The proceeds were deposited into a Brazilian bank account. To wire the money to the U.S., the bank wanted to charge about 10% in service fees.

Rather than pay that exorbitant fee, Eddie decided to work a São Paulo trip sequence so he could pick up the cash in person.

Carrying large amounts of cash in any city is a precarious — some might say, foolish — undertaking. In Greater São Paulo, a sprawling metropolis with a population of 21 million where carjacking, pickpocketing and bag snatching are common, his fortune was particularly at risk.

To protect himself and his cash, the diminutive flight attendant hired a bodyguard.

During our layover, the bodyguard accompanied him from the bank to the layover hotel where the money remained under Eddie’s watchful eye all night. The next day he packed the cash in his airline-issued tote bag, carried it onto the crew bus, through the security checkpoint at São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport , past immigration and safely loaded the bag in an airplane closet for the flight home to Miami.

His money transportation effort was bold and stressful. But he had done his due diligence. He knew travelers were allowed to bring any amount of cash into the U.S. as long as the money was declared.

He completed a FinCEN Form 105. As an added layer of assurance, before the trip he consulted CBP about his plan.

An officer assured him that, with the proper paperwork presented, he would clear customs without delay.

The officer was right. He and his $100,000 sailed through U.S. Customs. Getting the cash out of Brazil, as it turned out, was the hard part.

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Airline ‘customer rights charter’ to specify when cash refunds required

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An “aviation industry ombuds scheme” and improved assistance for passengers with a disability will be among measures the federal government will announce on Monday to force airlines to address the extensive public discontent with their services.

A new aviation customer rights charter will set out “fair and reasonable” conduct by airlines and airports, including when flights are delayed or cancelled.

It will cover customers’ entitlements to refunds, and when these must be provided in cash rather than with travel vouchers.

This follows class actions against both Qantas and Jetstar that allege they have failed to provide timely cash refunds for cancelled flights, despite being legally obliged to do so.

Both airlines issued vouchers instead of cash refunds, initially with expiry dates.

The class action against Qantas has entered mediation. That against Jetstar was launched last week.

The customer rights charter will also address “unreasonable” lengths of delays and timely communication with passengers.

Transport Minister Catherine King will release the government’s white paper on aviation, with legislation planned for next year, after further consultations. In the meantime an interim ombudsperson will be appointed from her department.

King said too many people had been “left out to dry when flights are cancelled or disrupted and it’s impossibly complex to get a refund or even contact a company representative.

"Customers deserve to get their money back if they are owed. Full stop,” she said.

The ombuds scheme will have an external dispute resolution service, and direct airlines and airports to provide remedies to consumers. It will provide reports on conduct, and refer instances of misconduct for investigation.

Barriers presently faced by people with a disability include unreasonable wait times for checking in, refusals to carry assistance animals, and limits on wheelchair and other access.

The government will create specific disability standards for the industry and review compliance with them.

It will improve remedies for damage to wheelchairs and other equipment, and require airport development plans to set out how they will enable access for people with a disability.

“Through our consultations we have heard clearly that the treatment of people with disability by the airlines and airports is not good enough,” King said.

“People have been left stranded on planes, forced to return to their departure port or had to put up with poor treatment due to a lack of access to appropriate facilities at their destination.”

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Customs Cash Limits: How Much Cash Can You Carry On A Plane

Customs cash limits, how much cash can you carry on a plane.

If you thinking of flying with money you need to check how much cash you can take on your flight. This will depend on what country your are flying from and where you are going.

You can use our handy guide find customs cash limits for the country you are travelling to. Data supplied by the IATA Travel center .​

Worldwide Currency Import Regulations Tool

Same regulations as for export apply.

Local currency (Afghani-AFA): in banknotes or coins up to AFA 50,000.-. Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared. For amounts over AFA 1,000,000.- and "Ansari Application Form" is required.

Local currency (Albanian Lek-ALL): prohibited. Foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Albanian Lek-ALL): prohibited. Foreign currencies: up to USD 5,000.- or up to the amounts imported and declared on arrival.

Foreign currencies: unlimited, to be changed at the nearest bank.

Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared. It is necessary to submit the currency declaration issued on arrival. Declaration of exchange to be presented upon departure.

Local currency (Euro - EUR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

1. Local currency (Kwanza-AOA): up to AOA 50,000.- for residents and non-residents. 2. Foreign currencies: up to USD 15,000.- or equivalent (residents) and up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent (non-residents).

1. Local currency (Kwanza-AOA): up to AOA 50,000.- for residents and non-residents. 2. Foreign currencies: a. Residents (18 years of age and above): up to USD 15,000.- or equivalent; b. Residents (below 18 years of age): up to USD 5,000.- or equivalent; c. Non Residents (18 years of age and above): up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent; d. Non Residents (below 18 years of age): up to USD 3,000.- or equivalent. Exempt: a. If holding a letter (certified by B.N.A./D.O.I.) from a company or entity which took care of payment of all expenses during stay in Angola: foreign currencies up to the amount imported. b. Amounts left with receipts of bills paid or money exchange vouchers.

Local currency (East Caribbean Dollar-XCD) and foreign currencies: unlimited, if a declaration has been made upon arrival.

Antigua and Barbuda

Local currency East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) and foreign currencies: up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent. Higher amounts must have been declared on arrival.

Local currency (Argentine Peso-ARS) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. However, amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared. Gold must be declared.

Local currency (Argentine Peso-ARS) and foreign currencies: prohibited unless exportation is made through authorized financial and foreign exchange entities, for amounts above: -USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) for travelers aged over 21 or independent minors; or -USD 2,000.- (or equivalent) for travelers aged between 16 and 21 years; or -USD 1,000.- (or equivalent) for travelers aged under 16 years.

Local currency (Armenian Dram - AMD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. Cash in amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- or equivalent must be declared. Exempt from cash import declaration are passengers arriving from the Eurasian Customs Union ( Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russian Fed.)

Local currency (Armenian Dram -AMD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions up to USD 10,000.-or equivalent. Warning: More than USD 10,000- must be transferred via a bank. Exempt are passengers departing to the Eurasian Customs Union ( Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russian Fed.)

Local currency (Aruban Florin-AWG) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. However, amounts exceeding AWG 20,000.- (USD 11,000.- or equivalent) must be declared.

Local currency (Australian Dollar-AUD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions up to AUD 10,000.- (or equivalent in freely convertible currency). Warning: Any amount of Australian or foreign currency in coins and bank notes exceeding AUD 10,000.-(or equivalent in freely convertible currency) has to be declared in a Cross Border Movement Report (CBMR) . Other than coins and bank notes: travelers entering/departing Australia must declare, if requested, any of the following Bearer Negotiable Instrument (BNI): bills of exchange; cheques; promissory notes; bearer bonds; traveler's cheques; money orders, postal orders or similar orders; negotiable instruments not covered by any of the above paragraphs.

Same regulations as per Export apply.

Local currency (Euro - EUR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (New Azeri Manat-AZN): allowed, if the amount has been declared on the customs declaration when leaving the country. b. Foreign currencies: up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent. Higher amounts must be declared. 2. Non-residents: Foreign currencies: up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent. Higher amounts must be declared.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (New Azeri Manat-AZN): no restrictions if the amount is declared on departure. b. Foreign currencies: max. USD 10,000.- (or equivalent). All amounts higher than USD 1,000.- are subject to tax (1%). Amounts higher than USD 10,000.- have to be approved by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan. 2. Non-residents: up to the amount imported and declared (proof of import must be presented otherwise a max. of USD 1,000.- may be exported).

Local currency (Bahamian Dollar - BSD): not permitted. Foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Bahamian Dollar - BSD): banknotes: a max. of BSD 200.- per person, higher amounts require permission of the Central Bank of the Bahamas; coins: no restrictions. Foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Bahrain Dinar-BHD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions . Passengers arriving/departing Bahrain can be requested by the Customs or Security Authorities to disclose the value of any local or foreign currencies, gold or other negotiable instruments that are in their possession.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (Bangladesh Taka-BDT): up to BDT 100.-. b. Foreign currencies: no limit. 2. Non Residents: a. Local currency: up to BDT 100.-. b. Foreign currencies: no limit. Amounts over USD 5,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (Bangladesh Taka-BDT): up to BDT 100.-. b. Foreign currencies: up to USD 25.- or equivalent. Higher amounts must be endorsed on the passport by Bangladesh Bank/Authorized Dealers in foreign exchange. 2. Non Residents: a. Local currency: up to BDT 100.-. b. Foreign currencies: up to USD 150.- or equivalent. Higher amounts if declared on arrival.

Local currency (Barbadian Dollar-BBD): no restrictions, if declared on arrival. Foreign currencies: no restrictions if declared on arrival.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (Barbadian Dollar-BBD): up to BBD 200.-. b. Foreign currencies: up to the equivalent of BBD 1,500.-. 2. Non-residents: a. Local currency (Barbadian Dollar-BBD): prohibited. b. Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared.

Local currency (Belarus Ruble - BYR)(Belarus Ruble - BYN) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. Amounts over USD 10,000.- or equivalent must be declared. Effective up to and including 31 December 2016 the old and new Belarus Ruble will be in circulation.

Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared. Foreign banknotes and coins must be exported within 2 months after import.

Local (Euro - EUR) and foreign currencies: 1. No restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . 2. If arriving from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Local currency (Belize Dollar-BZD) BZD and foreign currencies: up to BZD 10,000.- or equivalent. Higher amounts must be declared on arrival.

Local currency (Belize Dollar-BZD) and foreign currencies: up to BZD 10,000.- or equivalent. In case of higher amounts: up to the amount imported and declared.

Benin (Republic)

Local currency (Bermudian Dollar-BMD) and foreign currencies: up to BMD 10,000.- or equivalent. Higher amounts must be declared on arrival.

Local currency (Bermudian Dollar-BMD) and foreign currencies: up to BMD 10,000.- or equivalent. In case of higher amounts: up to the amount imported and declared.

Local currency is Bhutan Ngultrum - BTN. However, Indian Rupee (INR) is also in use. Foreign currency: up to a max. of USD 10,000.- (or equivalent). Foreign hard currency like USD, JPY, GBP, EUR, CHF, AUD, HKD, SGD will be acceptable at the Bank of Bhutan.

Local currency (Bolivian Boliviano-BOB) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Bolivian Boliviano-BOB) and foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba

Local currency: (US dollar-USD) and foreign currencies: amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- or its equivalent must be declared.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Local currency (Convertible Mark - BAM) up to BAM 200,000.-. Foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Botswana Pula-BWP) and foreign currencies: no restrictions, if declared.

Local currency (Botswana Pula-BWP): up to BWP 50.-. Foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

Local currency (Brazilian Real-BRL) and foreign currency: no restrictions up to BRL 10,000. - or equivalent. Amounts higher than BRL 10,000. - or equivalent: must be declared.

Brunei Darussalam

Local currency (Brunei Dollar-BND): no restrictions. Foreign currencies: 1. Banknotes of Singapore: up to the equivalent of BND 1,000.- no restrictions between Brunei Darussalam/Singapore on direct import/export of currency. 2. Banknotes of India: Prohibited; 3. Other foreign currencies: no restrictions.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (Brunei Dollar-BND) and Singapore currency banknotes: up to BND 1,000.- or equivalent. (no restrictions on direct import/export of Brunei Darussalam and Singapore currency notes from/to Singapore). b. Foreign currencies: -. Sterling notes up to GBP 15.-. -. Other currencies to a maximum of BND 350.-. Higher amounts in traveler's cheques or letters of credit. 2. Non residents: a. Local currency and Singapore currency banknotes: up to BND 1,000.- or equivalent (no restrictions on direct import/export of Brunei Darussalam and Singapore currency notes from/to Singapore); b. Other foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared.

Local currency (Bulgarian new Leva - BGN) and foreign currencies: 1. No restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . 2. If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Burkina Faso

Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if declared on arrival.

Residents: Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF) and foreign currencies: 1. Up to XOF 400,000.- or equivalent for commercial travel. 2. Up to XOF 175,000.- or equivalent for other purposes. Non-Residents: Local currency and foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared.

Local currency (Burundese Franc-BIF): up to BIF 2000.-. Foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Up to a max. of USD 10,000.- or equivalent is allowed. Exceeding amounts must be declared on arrival.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (CFA Franc-XAF) if arriving from: - The French monetary area there are no restrictions. - Outside the French monetary area: up to XAF 20,000.-. b. Foreign currencies: no restrictions. 2. Non-Residents: a. Local currency: up to XAF 20,000.-. b. Foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (CFA Franc-XAF). If coming for: 1. Touristic purposes: up to XAF 20,000.- per journey. 2. Business purposes: up to XAF 450,000.- per journey. Foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Canadian Dollar-CAD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions up to CAD 10,000.-. Amounts equal to or greater than CAD 10,000.- must be declared.

Cape Verde Islands

Local currency (Cape Verde Escudo - CVE): prohibited. Foreign currencies: no restrictions, if the amounts imported are declared on arrival.

Local currency (Cape Verde Escudo - CVE): prohibited. Foreign currencies are allowed up to the equivalent of CVE 20,000.- unless a higher amount has been declared on arrival.

Cayman Islands

Local currency (Cayman Isl. Dollar-KYD): no restrictions. Foreign currencies: Jamaican currency: up to JAD 20. - per person. Other foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Cayman Isl. Dollar-KYD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Central African Republic

1. Local currency (CFA Franc-XAF): a. From Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal or Togo: no restrictions. b. From other countries: up to an amount of XAF 75,000.- (if re-imported: unlimited). 2. Foreign currencies: no restrictions, if declared on arrival.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (CFA Franc-XAF): - To countries of the French monetary area: unlimited. - To other countries: up to an amount of XAF 75,000.-. b. Foreign currencies: - To countries of the French monetary area: apply to the "Office des Changes". - To other countries: up to an amount of XAF 150,000.- per year. 2. Non-Residents: a. Local currency: - To Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo: no restrictions. - To other countries of the French monetary area: up to an amount of XAF 75,000.-. b. Foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (CFA Franc-XAF) and foreign currencies: -If coming from a country in the French monetary area: no restrictions, -If coming from other countries: up to the amounts exported. 2. Non-Residents: a. Local currency: no restrictions. b. Foreign currencies: no restrictions, if declared on arrival.

1. Residents: a. Local currency (CFA Franc-XAF): - If traveling to a country in the French monetary area: no restrictions. - If traveling to other countries: up to XAF 10,000.-. b. Foreign currencies: up to the equivalent of XAF 100,000.- a year. 2. Non-Residents: a. Local currency: up to XAF 10,000.-. b. Foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

Local currency (Chilean Peso-CLP) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- must be declared.

Local currency (Chinese Ren Min Bi-CNY): max. CNY 20,000.- in cash. Foreign currencies: Amounts exceeding USD 5,000.- in cash must be declared.

Local currency (Colombian Peso-COP) and foreign currencies: up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent. Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- must be declared on arrival.

RESIDENTS: 1. if under 15 years of age: local currency (Colombian Peso-COP): up to COP 5,642.- per day of stay abroad (max. COP 169,260.- per year) or foreign currencies: up to USD 35.- or equivalent per day of stay abroad (max. USD 1050.- or equivalent per year); 2. if 15 years of age or over: local currency: up to COP 11,284.- per day of stay abroad (max. 338,520.- per year) or foreign currencies: up to USD 70.- or equivalent per day of stay abroad (max. USD 2,100.- or equivalent per year). NON-RESIDENTS: Local currency and foreign currencies: up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent. Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- must be declared on arrival.

Comores Islands

Local currency (CFA Franc-KMF) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Congo (Dem. Rep.)

Local currency (Franc Congolais - CDF): amounts up to USD 10,000.-, or equivalent in CDF are allowed.

Local currency (Franc Congolais - CDF): prohibited. Foreign currency: no restrictions.

Cook Islands

Local currency (New Zealand Dollar-NZD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. However, amounts exceeding NZD 10,000.-, or equivalent (incl. Bearer Negotiable Instruments - (BNI)) must be declared.

Local currency (New Zealand Dollar-NZD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. However, amounts exceeding NZD 10,000.-, or equivalent (incl. Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI)) must be declared.

Local currency (Costa Rican Colón-CRC): no restrictions. Foreign currencies: no restrictions, but only US Dollars are accepted for exchange.

Local currency (Costa Rican Colón-CRC) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Cote d'Ivoire

RESIDENTS: Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF): unlimited. Foreign currencies: Euro - EUR: unlimited; other currencies: declaration required (currencies declared to be exchanged into XOF within 8 days). NON-RESIDENTS: Local currency: unlimited. Foreign currencies: Euro - EUR: unlimited; other currencies: unlimited, but declaration of amount that will be exported when leaving.

RESIDENTS: if traveling to countries within the French Monetary Area: local currency (CFA Franc-XOF): unlimited; if traveling to countries outside the French Monetary Area: up to XOF 150,000.- or equivalent in foreign currencies, plus XOF 10,000 or equivalent in EUR per year. NON-RESIDENTS: Local currency: XOF 10,000.- or equivalent in EUR. Foreign currencies: the equivalent of XOF 25,000.- (currency in excess of limit may be exported, if declaration at time of entry has been made); Traveler's cheques, letters of credit unlimited, if issued abroad in traveler's name.

Same regulations as for Export apply.

Local currency (Croatian Kuna - HRK) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

RESIDENTS: Local currency (Cuban Peso-CUP) up to CUP 2,000.- in cash. Foreign currencies: unlimited; amounts exceeding USD 5,000.- must be declared. Traveler's cheques in freely convertible currencies are accepted, except those issued by American Express.

RESIDENTS: Local currency (Cuban Peso-CUP): Up to CUP 2,000.- in cash. Foreign currencies: up to USD 5,000.-. Amounts exceeding USD 5,000.- must be declared and accompanied by a permit granting the legal export of the referred amount. Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC): prohibited Local currency (Cuban Peso-CUP): Non-commercial sendings: prohibited.

Local currency: (Antillian Guilder-ANG) and foreign currencies: amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- or its equivalent must be declared.

Czech Republic

Local currency (CZECH CROWN-CZK) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Local currency (Danish Krone-DDK) and foreign currencies: same regulations as for Export apply.

Local currency (Danish Krone -DKK) and foreign currencies: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or the equivalent in other currencies (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Local currency (Djibouti Franc-DJF) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. The country does not belong to the French Monetary Area. French banknotes and all foreign currencies may be negotiated.

Local currency (Eastern Caribbean Dollar-XCD) and foreign currencies: unlimited.

RESIDENTS: when traveling for touristic or social purposes: up to XCD 3,000.- per person. Max. 2x per year; if traveling for business purposes: up to XCD 1,000.- per person per day of stay, to a max. of XCD 30,000.- per year. NON-RESIDENTS: local and foreign currencies: up to the amount imported. If holding credit card: up to XCD 2,500.-. Currency in excess of limit requires proof of conversion. Or equivalent in other freely convertible currency.

Dominican Republic

Local currency (Dominican Peso-DOP): prohibited. Foreign currencies: provided declared on arrival, traveler's cheques: unlimited. At departure 30% of the originally exchanged foreign currencies can be reconverted, only if showing original receipt.

Local currency (Dominican Peso-DOP): prohibited. Foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared, traveler's cheques unlimited.

Local currency (United States Dollar - USD/Ecuadorian Sucre-ECS) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Egyptian Pound-EGP): up to EGP 5,000.-; foreign currencies: up to USD 10,000.- or its equivalent in freely convertible currency. EGP obtained via postal (giro) cheques is permitted to be used for payment of hotel bills and tickets for air travel. Exchange of foreign currency is through official banks or money exchange offices.

El Salvador

Import of local currency (United States Dollar - USD) and foreign currencies allowed without restrictions. Large amounts of foreign currencies imported should be declared upon arrival.

Export of local currency (United States Dollar - USD) and foreign currencies allowed without restrictions. Large amounts of foreign currencies to be exported could require proof of ownership.

Equatorial Guinea

Residents: local currency (CFA Franc-XAF) and other currencies of the French Monetary Area: unlimited; foreign currencies other than those above: unlimited, provided: - declared on arrival and - amounts exceeding the equivalent of XAF 50,000.- are exchanged into local currency. Non-residents: local and foreign currencies: no restrictions provided amounts are declared on arrival.

Residents: local currency (CFA Franc-XAF) and other currencies of African countries of the French Monetary Area: - XAF 20,000.- in banknotes per journey ; foreign currencies: a yearly max. allowance of: - XAF 200,000.- or equivalent for touristic journeys; - XAF 15,000.- or equivalent per day up to XAF 450,000 for business journeys. Non-residents: -local currency and currencies of other countries of the French Monetary Area: max. XAF 50,000.- in banknotes. -foreign currencies other than the above: up to the amounts imported and declared on arrival. For children up to 10 years: half the amount.

Local currency (Eritrean Nafka - ERN): No restrictions for residents or non-residents.

Local currency ((Euro EUR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Local currency (Euro EUR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Local currency (Ethiopian Birr-ETB): up to ETB 200.- per person. Foreign currencies: for nationals of Ethiopia: not allowed. For other nationals: up to a max. of USD 3,000.- or equivalent, without bank permit.

Local currency (Ethiopian Birr-ETB), provided passenger holds a re-entry permit: ETB 200.- per person. Foreign currencies : up to the amounts imported and declared, if exceeded USD 3,000.- or equivalent.

Residents and Non-residents: Local currency and foreign currencies: up to EUR 10,000.- or equivalent. Amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- must be declared on arrival.

Residents: Local currency and foreign currencies: up to EUR 2,000.- or equivalent. Amounts between EUR 2,000.- and EUR 10,000.- must be declared on departure. Passengers must hold receipt from a bank or exchange office proving withdrawal from personal foreign currency account, issued not more than 90 days prior to departure date. Export of amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or equivalent is prohibited. Non-Residents: Same regulations as for import apply, but the amount exported cannot exceed the amount declared to customs on arrival.

Falkland Isl. (Malvinas)

No restrictions on local currency (Falkland Islands Pounds-FKP), Great Britain Pounds (Pound Sterling-GBP) and foreign currencies. Exchange facilities are available for Australian Dollars, Canadian Dollars, New Zealand Dollars, United States Dollars and Euro's.

No restrictions on local currency (Falkland Islands Pounds-FKP), Great Britain Pounds (Pound Sterling-GBP) and foreign currencies.

Local currency (Fiji Dollar-FJD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions, provided amounts over FJD 10,000.- in cash or Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI) are declared.

Total amount of currency up to an max. of FJD 5,000.- (or equivalent), of which local currency (Fiji Dollar-FJD) up to a max. of FJD 500.-. Amounts above FJD 10,000.- (or equivalent in foreign currency) in cash or Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI) must be declared.

French Guiana

Local currency (Euro-EUR) and foreign currencies: same regulations as France.

French Polynesia

Local currency (Pacific Franc-XPF) and foreign currencies: same regulations as France.

French West Indies

Local currency (CFA Franc-XAF) and foreign currencies: no restrictions provided declared on arrival.

Residents: - Tourist trips: local currency (CFA Franc-XAF) and foreign currencies: up to XAF 200,000.- or equivalent. - Business trips: local currency or foreign currencies: XAF 25,000.- per day with a maximum of XAF 500,000.-, or equivalent. Non-residents: - Local currency and foreign currencies: up to XAF 200,000.- or equivalent, or up to the amounts imported and declared.

Local currency (Gambia Dalasi-GMD): no restrictions; foreign currencies: no restrictions, but the currency from: Algeria, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Tunisia will not be accepted and cannot be exchanged.

Local currency (Gambia Dalasi-GMD) and foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported. Maximum currency (cash): GMD 75.- or equivalent in GBP plus the equivalent of GMD 250.- in other currency.

Local currency (GEL-Georgian Lari) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (GEL-Georgian Lari) no restrictions. Foreign currencies: up to USD 500.-.

Local currency (Euro-EUR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Local (Ghanaian Cedi-GHS) and foreign currencies: Residents and non-residents, up to USD 10,000.- or its equivalent, in traveler's cheques or any other monetary instrument. Passengers are required to declare the amounts to Customs and fill the BOG Foreign Exchange Declaration Form (FXDF) at the port of entry (or departure). Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- will be seized.

Same regulations as for Import apply.

Local currency: Gibraltar Pound-GIP. Foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Nationals of Greece can carry a maximum amount of EUR 2,000 in cash. For other nationals: Local currency (Euro-EUR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Local currency (East Caribbean Dollar-XCD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (United States Dollar-USD) and foreign currencies: see USA.

Foreign currencies: no restrictions. Prohibited: local currency (Guatemala Quetzal-GTQ).

Nationals of Guatemala and residents: foreign currencies: up to the equivalent of GTQ 2500.-. Prohibited: local currency (Guatemala Quetzal-GTQ) . Other passengers: foreign currencies: no restrictions. Prohibited: local currency (Guatemala Quetzal-GTQ) . Re-exchange of GTQ into foreign currency allowed up to the equivalent of USD 100.-.

Residents: Local currency (Guinea Franc-GNF): up to GNF 100,000.- provided passenger is in possession of an export declaration for the amount. Foreign currencies: unlimited provided declared and to be changed with the State Bank. Non-residents: Local currency (Guinea Franc-GNF): up to GNF 100,000.- provided passenger is in possession of an export declaration for the amount. Foreign currencies: unlimited provided declared on arrival. A certain minimum amount per person has to be exchanged into local currency, depending on stay duration and purpose.

Local currency (Guinea Franc-GNF): up to GNF 100,000.-; foreign currencies: up to USD 5,000.- (or EUR 5,000.-). The balance of local currency acquired by exchanging imported foreign currency can be re-exchanged in money originally imported, at the discretion of the Immigration authorities.

Guinea-Bissau

Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF) and foreign currencies: up to XOF 2,000,000.- or equivalent in cash provided declared and proving its source on arrival.

Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF) and foreign currencies: up to XOF 2,000,000.- or equivalent allowed in cash. Higher amounts allowed by bank transfer only.

Local currency (Guyana Dollar-GYD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. However, amounts over USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared.

Local currency (Haitian Gourde-HTG) and foreign currencies: amounts over HTG 400,000.- or equivalent must be declared to the customs authorities.

Local currency (Honduras Lempira-HNL) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Honduras Lempira-HNL): no restrictions. Foreign currencies: no restrictions, except US Dollars to the amount declared at customs on arrival.

Hong Kong (SAR China)

No restrictions on local currency (Hong Kong Dollar-HKD) or foreign currencies.

Same regulations as for the export apply.

Local currency (Hungarian Forint-HUF) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Local currency (Icelandic Krona-ISK): up to ISK 8,000.-; foreign currencies: unlimited.

Residents: local currency (Icelandic Krona-ISK): up to ISK 8,000.-; foreign currencies: unlimited. Non-residents: local currency: up to ISK 8,000.-; foreign currencies: up to the amount imported.

Foreign currencies : unlimited. However, amounts exceeding USD 5,000.- (or equivalent) in cash, or USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) in traveler's cheques must be declared; Local currency (Indian Rupee-INR): Import of INR is prohibited, except for residents of India importing up to INR 7,500.-. Foreign currencies include currency notes, traveler's cheques, cheques, drafts etc. (Re)exchange only through banks and authorized money exchange points.

Foreign currencies : up to the amount imported and declared. Local currency (Indian Rupee-INR): INR 7,500.- for residents of India, except when departing to Bhutan and Nepal. For residents departing to Bhutan and Nepal: no limit in amount of INR but notes no bigger than INR 100.- may be carried. Foreign currencies include currency notes, traveler's cheques, cheques, drafts etc. (Re)exchange only through banks and authorized money exchange points.

Local currency (Indonesian Rupiah-IDR): Amounts exceeding IDR 100,000,000.- require an approval from the Central Bank or External Affairs. Foreign currencies: amounts exceeding IDR 100,000,000.- or equivalent must be declared.

Import of local currency (Iran Rial-IRR) up to IRR 500,000.- allowed. Amounts exceeding IRR 500,000.- must be deposited at Bank Melli or Bank Sepah at the airport. No restriction applies to the import of foreign currencies, which must be declared upon arrival on a special form. Also in case of sale or transfer to other passengers (provided holding a passport).

Export of local currency (Iran Rial-IRR) up to IRR 500,000.- is allowed for residents. Larger amounts only after authorization from the Central Bank. Foreign currencies is allowed up to EUR/USD 5,000.- for residents. Export of local currency up to IRR 500,000.- is allowed for non-residents. Larger amounts up to the amount shown on and after presentation of the deposit receipt obtained on arrival. Foreign currencies may be exported by non-residents up to the amount declared on arrival or obtained via Bank Melli. Bank receipt and Bank stamp in passport must be shown on departure to prove the balance of the amount declared on arrival.

Ireland (Rep.)

Residents (including persons holding a "Work Permit" and living on the Island) are allowed to import local currency (Jamaican Dollar-JMD) without restriction. Foreign currencies may be imported up to the equivalent of the amount declared when departing. Non-residents may import foreign currencies without restrictions, provided amount is declared; import of local currency is prohibited.

Residents (including persons holding a "Work Permit" and living on the Island) are allowed to export local currency (Jamaican Dollar-JMD) without restrictions. The export of foreign currencies is allowed up to the equivalent of JMD 100.-; traveler's cheques; drafts up to the amount declared. Up to JMD 500.- may be exported per year, provided declared. Non-residents may export foreign currencies up to the amounts imported and declared; the export of local currency is prohibited.

Local currency (Japanese Yen - JPY) and foreign currencies: unlimited.

Local currency (Japanese Yen - JPY) and foreign currencies: unlimited. Money exchange must be made at an authorized bank or money exchanger. Additional information: Passenger must submit notice to customs authorities if importing or exporting cash/cheques/securities equivalent to JPY 1 million or more; Currency exchange rate is followed by what Japanese customs publish in custom area; Declaration forms are provided at custom area; Gold with more than 90 percent in purity should be reported to the authorities if importing or exporting over 1 kilogram.

Local currency (Jordan Dinar-JOD): up to JOD 15,000.-. foreign currencies: unlimited (this includes letters of credit whether issued in JOD or in foreign currency, drawn on account of a non-resident) provided declared on arrival. Prohibited: Israeli Sheqel.

- Local currency: (Jordan Dinar-JOD): unlimited; - Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared.

Local currency (Kazakh Tenge-KZT) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- or equivalent must be declared.

Local currency (Kazakh Tenge-KZT) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- must be declared.

Residents may import up to KES 500,000.- (Kenya Shilling-KES) to cover expenses upon re-entry into Kenya. No restrictions apply to foreign currencies. Non-residents may import local and foreign currency without restrictions. However, for amounts equivalent to USD 5,000.- and more residents and non-residents need to hold documents indicating the source and the purpose of this amount.

Residents may export up to KES 500,000.- (Kenya Shilling-KES) to cover expenses upon re-entry into Kenya. No restrictions apply to foreign currencies. Non-residents may export local and foreign currency without restrictions. However, for amounts equivalent to USD 5,000.- and more residents and non-residents need to hold documents indicating the source and the purpose of this amount.

Local currency (Australian Dollar-AUD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Kosovo (Rep.)

Local currency (Euro - EUR) above EUR 10,000.- (including cheques of any kind) must be accompanied by a bank certificate

Local currency (Euro - EUR) above EUR 10,000.- (including cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Import of local currency (Kuwait Dinar-KWD) and foreign currencies up to a maximum of KWD 3000.- or equivalent, in currencies or gold bullion.

Export of local currency (Kuwait Dinar-KWD) and foreign currencies without restrictions. Customs Authorities must be informed about export of gold bullion.

Allowed. Foreign currencies: unlimited, provided a declaration is made for amounts exceeding USD 3000.- or equivalent. Local currency (Kyrgyz Som - KGS): allowed for residents of Kyrgyzstan, provided the amount has been declared on the customs declaration when leaving the country.

Allowed. Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared. Amounts exceeding USD 3000.- or equivalent must be declared. Local currency: unlimited for residents, provided declaration is made.

Lao People's Dem. Rep.

Foreign currency in amounts exceeding USD 2,000.- (in cash or checks) must be declared on arrival. Prohibited: local currency (Laotian Kip - LAK).

Foreign currency in amounts exceeding USD 2,000.- (in cash or checks) must be declared upon departure. Prohibited: local currency (Laotian Kip - LAK).

Local currency (Lebanese Pound-LBP) and foreign currencies in any form without restrictions. Gold coins must be declared.

Local currency (Lebanese Pound-LBP) and foreign currencies in any form without restrictions, with the exception of gold coins. However, if a quantity of gold (coins) is declared on arrival, the same quantity may be exported.

Local currency (Lesotho Loti-LSL) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Liberian Dollar-LRD). Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- or its equivalent in other currencies must be declared (warning: penalty for non-compliance: 25% of the undeclared or under-declared amount.).

Local currency (Liberian Dollar-LRD) and foreign currencies: up to USD 7,500.- or its equivalent. Amount exceeding USD 7,500.- or its equivalent (may only be exported in the form of bank drafts, traveler's cheques, money orders etc.) must be declared (warning: penalty for non-compliance: 25% of the undeclared or under-declared amount.).

Allowed. Non-Residents: provided declared on arrival on the official form for recording exchanged foreign currencies during stay in Libya, unlimited import of foreign currencies, traveler's cheques and BCD letters of credit. Prohibited: Import of local currency (Libyan Dinar-LYD), for both residents and non-residents.

Allowed. Non-Residents: export of foreign currencies up to the amount stated as the balance on the official form for recording exchanged foreign currencies declared on arrival. Prohibited: export of local currency (Libyan Dinar-LYD), for both residents and non-residents.

Liechtenstein

Import of local currency (Swiss Franc-CHF) and foreign currencies without restrictions.

Export of local currency (Swiss Franc-CHF) and foreign currencies without restrictions.

Macao (SAR China)

Local currency (Macao Pataca-MOP) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Residents and non-residents: local currency (Madagascar Ariary-MGA): up to MGA 400,000.-; foreign currencies: unlimited. Amounts exceeding the equivalent of EUR 7,500.- must be declared.

Residents and non-residents: local currency (Madagascar Ariary-MGA): up to MGA 400,000.-; foreign currencies: unlimited if declared.

Local currency (Malawi Kwacha-MWK): unlimited; foreign currencies: no restrictions, provided declared on arrival.

Residents: - local currency (Malawi Kwacha-MWK): MWK 200.- or - foreign currencies: the equivalent of MWK 200.-. Non-residents: - local currency (Malawi Kwacha-MWK): MWK 200.-; - foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared.

Local currency (Malaysian Ringgit-MYR) and foreign currencies: No restrictions. Amounts exceeding MYR 30,000.- and USD 10,000.- or equivalent must be declared for re-export.

Allowed: local currency (Malaysian Ringgit-MYR): up to MYR 30,000.- and foreign currencies: up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent. Higher amounts may be exported provided import has been declared upon arrival.

Local currency (Maldivian Rufiyaa-MVR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

RESIDENTS: local currency (CFA Franc-XOF) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. NON-RESIDENTS: local currency and foreign currencies: no restrictions, provided declared when the amount exceeds XOF 25,000.- in order to facilitate re-exportation.

Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF): unlimited; foreign currencies: equivalent of XOF 25,000.- in banknotes. NON-RESIDENTS who made a declaration on entry may re-export all their currencies less a reasonable amount equivalent to their expenses in Mali. No restrictions on foreign currencies in the form of cheques or letters of credit.

Local currency Euro-EUR and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Marshall Islands

Local currency (USD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. Amounts over USD 5,000.- must be declared.

Foreign currencies: unlimited provided declared on arrival. Prohibited: local currency (Mauritanian Ouguiya-MRO).

Residents: foreign currencies: equivalent of MRO 10,000.- per year (children under 10 years: MRO 5,000.-). Prohibited: local currency (Mauritanian Ouguiya-MRO). Non-residents: foreign currencies: amount imported and declared, less the amounts exchanged to accredited intermediaries. Import declaration must be produced. Prohibited: local currency (Mauritanian Ouguiya-MRO).

Local currency (Mauritian Rupee - MUR) in amounts exceeding MUR 500,000.- or equivalent in foreign currencies must be declared.

Currency regulations are the same as for France.

Local currency (Nuevo Peso-MXN): up to an equivalent of USD 10,000.-. Higher amounts must be declared; foreign currencies: any amount must be declared on arrival. Exchange into local currency is only allowed at authorized banks. Non-residents can exchange amounts as necessary for their own expenses. Only freely convertible currencies will be accepted by the banks.

RESIDENTS and Mexican nationals: local currency (Nuevo Peso-MXN): up to an equivalent of USD 10,000.-; foreign currencies: unlimited. Airport exchange offices will sell a minimum of USD 1,000.- and up to USD 3,000.- per trip abroad. Additional amounts for business trips, medical purposes etc. must be obtained from the Banco de Mexico. NON-RESIDENTS other than Mexican nationals: local currency: up to an equivalent of USD 10,000.-; foreign currencies: unused amounts previously declared upon arrival.

Micronesia (Federated States)

No information available yet.

Moldova (Rep.)

Residents and non-residents: local currency (Moldova Leu-MDL) up to MLD 2,500.- without declaration. Foreign currencies: no limit. Non-residents must declare amount imported upon entry.

Residents and non-residents: local currency (Moldova Leu-MDL) up to MLD 2,500.- without declaration. Foreign currencies: up to USD 5,000.- or equivalent for residents and up to the amount declared on arrival for non-residents. For sums up to USD 50,000 or equivalent, written permission from the National Bank of Moldova or other authorized bank is required.

Local currency (Mongolian Tugrik-MNT) and foreign currencies: no restrictions provided declared on arrival.

Local currency and foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared.

No reliable information can yet be obtained on restrictions for local currency (EUR) or foreign currency.

Local currency (East Caribbean Dollar-XCD) and foreign currencies: no restriction, provided declared on arrival.

Local currency (East Caribbean Dollar-XCD) and foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

Local currency (Moroccan Dirham - MAD): amounts up to MAD 2,000.- tolerated: Foreign currencies: no limit. Amounts exceeding the equivalent of MAD 100,000.- must be declared on arrival.

Local currency (Moroccan Dirham - MAD): amounts up to MAD 2,000.- tolerated. Unused MAD may be re-exchanged into foreign currency up to a maximum of: - 50% of total amount exchanged on arrival if stay in Morocco has been longer than 48 hours; - 100% of total amount exchanged on arrival if stay in Morocco has been less than 48 hours. Foreign currencies: amounts exceeding the equivalent of MAD 100,000.- up to the amount declared on arrival.

Foreign currencies (incl. cheques and traveler's cheques): no restrictions, provided declared on arrival. Prohibited: local currency (Mozambique Metical-MZN).

Foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared on arrival. Prohibited: local currency (Mozambique Metical-MZN).

Local currency (Myanmar Kyat-MMK): prohibited. Foreign currencies: unlimited. Nationals of Myanmar must declare all foreign currency upon arrival. Foreigners must declare amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- or equivalent.

Local currency (Myanmar Kyat-MMK): prohibited. Foreign currencies: - nationals of Myanmar: export permit required; - foreign nationals: unlimited, provided holding proof of ownership.

Residents and non-residents: local currency (Namibian Dollar - NAD): NAD 50,000.- in Namibia Reserve Banknotes. Foreign currencies and traveler's cheques: unlimited, provided declared on arrival. No limit for travel between Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

Residents: local currency: NAD 50,000.- in Namibia Reserve Banknotes. Foreign currencies, traveler's cheques, bank drafts etc.: Limits per calendar year per person (12 years of age and over), for travel to: - Angola, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe: NAD 20,000.-; per child under 12 years: NAD 5,000.-. Max. NAD 1,000.- per day spent abroad. - all other countries: NAD 60,000.-; per child under 12 years: NAD 20,000.-. Max. NAD 2,000.- per day spent abroad. Non-residents: local currency: NAD 50,000.-. Foreign currencies and traveler's cheques: up to the amounts imported and declared if departure is within 12 months of entry. No limit for travel between Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

Allowed. Local currency (Australian Dollar-AUD) and traveler's cheques: unlimited, provided declared on arrival; foreign currencies and traveler's cheques: unlimited, provided declared on arrival.

Local currency (Australian Dollar-AUD): free export up to AUD 2,500.-; permit required for amounts exceeding AUD 2,500.-. Foreign currencies and traveler's cheques: unlimited.

Local currency (Nepalese Rupee-NPR) and Indian currency: nationals of Nepal and India: unlimited and in small denominations. Other nationalities: foreign currencies exceeding USD 2000.- must be declared.

Local currency (Nepalese Rupee-NPR) and foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared. Only ten per cent of the amount exchanged into local currency will be re-exchanged into foreign currency at the airport upon departure.

Netherlands

New caledonia, new zealand.

Local currency (New Zealand Dollar-NZD) and foreign currencies in amounts exceeding NZD 10,000 must be declared.

Local currency (Nicaraguan Córdoba-NIO) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF): up to XOF 25,000.- Foreign currencies: no restrictions, on agreement of the Exchange Office.

Local currency (Nigerian Naira-NGN) up to NGN 5,000.- in banknotes and provided declared upon arrival, foreign currencies for an unlimited amount, provided declared upon arrival.

For all residents: local currency (Nigerian Naira-NGN): up to NGN 5,000.- in banknotes. Foreign currencies: up to USD 5,000.-. Exceeding amounts must be declared upon departure. Non-residents: local currency: up to NGN 5,000.- in banknotes, provided declared upon departure. foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared on arrival.

Local currency (New Zealand Dollar-NZD): unlimited. The importation of other New Zealand money (including postal notes, money orders, cheques and promissory notes, but excluding traveler's cheques) requires the consent of the Reserve Bank. Foreign currencies: unlimited but any amounts should be renegotiated through banking channels for re-export purposes.

Local currency (New Zealand Dollar-NZD): up to NZD 100.-, foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared. For export of foreign currencies an authorization from a bank is required. All exported currency should be declared upon departure.

Norfolk Island

North korea.

It is not allowed to import local currency (North Korean Won-KPW).

It is not allowed to export local currency (North Korean Won-KPW).

Northern Ireland

Local currency (Pound Sterling-GBP) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker’s draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Northern Mariana Islands

Local currency (US Dollar-USD) and foreign currencies: if the amount exceeds USD 10,000.- it must be declared.

Allowed: Local currency (Norwegian Krone-NOK) and foreign currencies: up to NOK 25,000.- (or equivalent). Amounts more than this must be declared on a form available at Customs. There are no limits on traveler's cheques.

Local currency (Rial Omani-OMR), foreign currencies, precious metals/stones or Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI), no restrictions up to OMR 6,000.- (or equivalent). Goods must be declared when its value is is equivalent or higher to OMR 6,000.-. Prohibited: Israeli currency.

Local currency (Pakistan Rupee-PKR): PKR 100.- in denominations of 10 rupees or less, also in combinations of personal quota. Prohibited: banknotes in denominations of 50 and 100 rupees or more. Foreign currency: in banknotes and traveler's cheques: unlimited.

Local currency (Pakistan Rupee-PKR): up to PKR 100.-; the State Bank of Pakistan allows reconversion of max. PKR 500.- into foreign currency if holding receipt of exchange in Pakistan. Foreign currencies: in banknotes and traveler's cheques: unlimited without any restriction.

Palau Islands

Passengers must declare all currency notes exceeding USD 10,000.-, or equivalent, upon arrival.

Local currency (Panama Balboa -PAB: in coins only; US Dollar (USD) is the local currency in banknotes) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. USD 1.- equals PAB 1.-.

Papua New Guinea

Local currency (Papua New Guinean Kina-PGK) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. Import of traveler's cheques is allowed. Amounts exceeding PGK 20,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared.

Residents and non-residents: local currency (Papua New Guinean Kina-PGK) and foreign currency: up to amounts of PGK 20,000.- (or equivalent), subject to taxation clearance, if required. Amounts in excess of PGK 20,000.- (or equivalent) require Bank of Papua New Guinea approval. Non-residents: can additionally export any currency they imported, provided stay is less than 6 months. In both cases, amounts exceeding PGK 20,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared.

Local currency (Paraguayan Guarani-PYG) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Peruvian Nuevo Sol-PEN), foreign currency or Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI), exceeding the equivalent of USD 10,000.- must be declared. PROHIBITED: to carry local currency, foreign currency or Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI) equivalent to USD 30,000.- or higher. Import of such amounts must be arranged via authorized organizations.

Local currency (Peruvian Nuevo Sol-PEN), foreign currency or Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI), exceeding the equivalent of USD 10,000.- must be declared. PROHIBITED: to carry local currency, foreign currency or Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI) equivalent to USD 30,000.- or higher. Export of such amounts must be arranged via authorized organizations.

Philippines

Residents and non-residents: local currency (Philippine Peso-PHP): up to PHP 10,000.-. Exceeding amounts require an authorization from the Central Bank of the Philippines. Foreign currencies : up to USD 10,000.-, or its equivalent. Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.-, or its equivalent must be declared. Source of the money and purpose of transport must be declared. Note: Only banknotes and coins, which are legal tender, must be declared (exempt: traveler's checks, credit cards etc.).

Residents and non-residents: local currency (Philippine Peso-PHP): up to PHP 10,000.-. Exceeding amounts require authorization from the Central Bank of the Philippines. Foreign currencies : up to USD 10,000.-, or its equivalent. Amounts exceeding USD 10,000.-, or its equivalent must be declared. Source of the money and purpose of transport must be declared. Note: Only banknotes and coins, which are legal tender, must be declared (exempt: traveler's checks, credit cards etc.).

Same regulations as for Export apply (see: Export).

Local currency (Polish Zloty-PLN) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Import of local currency (Euro-EUR) and foreign currencies without restrictions. However, amounts exceeding the equivalent of EUR 4,987.98 must be declared upon arrival in order to avoid possible difficulties when leaving Portugal.

Puerto Rico (U.S.A.)

Local currency (United States Dollar-USD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions, provided that arriving and departing passengers must report to US customs any money or other monetary instruments exceeding USD 10,000.-. Gold: Importation of gold coins or small, non-commercial quantities of gold must be declared upon arrival.

Local currency (Qatar Riyal-QAR) and foreign currencies (other than Israeli currency): no restrictions. Prohibited: Israeli currency.

Foreign currencies in banknotes, traveler's cheques or other means of payment: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or the equivalent in another currency must be declared . If departing to a non-EU Member State via an EU Member State the declaration must be made in the last EU Member State. Prohibited: local currency (New Romanian Leu-RON).

RESIDENTS and NON-RESIDENTS: same regulations as for import apply.

Russian Federation

Import allowed. Local currency: (Russian Rouble - RUB): and foreign currencies: no restrictions. Written import declaration may be needed on export.

Export allowed. Local currency (Russian Rouble - RUB) and foreign currencies: Written declaration required for amounts over 3,000.-. Import declaration / confirmation of import or transfer required for amounts over 10,000.-. Traveler's cheques are allowed up to amounts imported. Declaration required for traveler's cheques purchased in Russia.

Allowed. Local currency (Rwandan Franc-RWF): up to RWF 5,000.-; foreign currencies: unlimited, when declared.

Allowed. Local currency (Rwandan Franc-RWF): up to RWF 5,000.-; foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

Local currency (Samoan Tala-WST) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared on arrival. Prohibited: local currency (Samoan Tala-WST).

Samoa (American)

Local currency (US Dollar-USD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Sao Tome & Principe

Allowed local currency (São Tomé and Principe Dobra-STD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions, provided declared.

Allowed local currency (São Tomé and Principe Dobra-STD) and foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared on arrival.

Saudi Arabia

Local currency (Saudi Arabian Rial-SAR) and foreign currencies (other than Israeli Sheqel): amounts exceeding SAR 60,000.- (including valuable metals, jewelry or precious stones) must be declared. Prohibited: Israeli Sheqel.

Local currency (Saudi Arabian Rial-SAR) and foreign currencies: amounts exceeding SAR 60,000.- (including valuable metals, jewelry or precious stones) must be declared.

Residents: local currency (CFA Franc-XOF) and banknotes of countries of the French Monetary Area: unlimited; foreign currencies other than those above: unlimited, provided declared on arrival and exchanged within 8 days. Non-residents: local currency and currencies of the French Monetary Area within Europe or Africa: unlimited; foreign currencies other than those above: unlimited, provided declared on arrival.

Residents: for journeys to: a. Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger and Togo: unlimited, without declaration; b. other countries using the CFA franc: declaration required for amounts exceeding XOF 200,000.-; c. countries outside the French Monetary Area: - max. XOF 20,000.- or equivalent in XAF, AND - foreign currencies (provided holding currency declaration and presentation of a bank attestation for foreign currencies): tourist journeys (yearly allowance) max. equivalent of XOF 200,000.-; XOF 100,000.- for children up to 10 years; business journeys max. equivalent of XOF 20,000.- per day (equivalent of max. XOF 300,000.- per journey). Non-residents: local currency (CFA Franc-XOF) and XAF: up to XOF 20,000.- or equivalent; foreign currencies other than the above: up to the equivalent of XOF 50,000.-. For any amount in excess, the declaration issued on arrival must be presented, with the annotation of all exchanges and re-exchange into foreign currencies.

Residents and non-residents: Local currency (Serbia Dinar-RSD) (incl. traveler's cheques and bank drafts): up to the equivalent in RSD of EUR 10,000.- . Exceeding amounts require a foreign bank's receipt of purchase. Foreign currencies: unlimited.

Residents and non-residents: Local currency (Serbia Dinar-RSD) and foreign currencies: up to EUR 10,000.- or the equivalent in RSD. If foreign currencies, Serbian Dinars and traveler's cheques are being exported at the same time, the total sum must not exceed EUR 10,000.-. Non-residents may, in addition to EUR 10,000.- export foreign currencies: - for which they have a certificate of import; - for which they have a certificate proving that such currencies are taken from foreign currency or saving accounts.

Local currency (Seychelles Rupee-SCR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. However, amounts above USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared upon arrival.

Local currency (Seychelles Rupee-SCR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. However, amounts above USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared upon departure.

Sierra Leone

Allowed. Local currency (Sierra Leone Leone-SLL): SLL 50,000.-; foreign currencies (incl. traveler's cheques, bank drafts etc.): unlimited.

Allowed. Residents: local currency (Sierra Leone Leone-SLL): SLL 50,000.-; foreign currencies: up to the value of USD 5,000.-. Exceeding amounts require authorization from the bank of Sierra Leone. Non-Residents: local currency (Sierra Leone Leone-SLL): up to SLL 50,000.-. foreign currencies: up to the amount imported.

Local currency (Singapore Dollar-SGD) and foreign currencies: no limit. However, amounts exceeding SGD 20,000.- (or equivalent)(incl. traveler cheque, bearer cheque, bill of exchange, promissory note) should be declared on arrival.

Local currency (Singapore Dollar-SGD) and foreign currencies: no limit. However, amounts exceeding SGD 20,000.- (or equivalent)(incl. traveler cheque, bearer cheque, bill of exchange, promissory note) should be declared on departure.

Local currency (Euro-EUR). Amounts higher than EUR 13,500.- must be declared to customs.

Solomon Islands

Local currency (Solomon Isl. Dollar-SBD): no restrictions; foreign currencies: no restrictions provided declared.

Residents: local currency (Solomon Isl. Dollar-SBD) not exceeding SBD 250.- (incl. AUD in notes and/or coins); foreign currencies: to the extent approved by the Solomon Isl. Monetary Authority. Non-residents: local currency: up to SBD 250.-; foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

Local currency (Somali shilling-SOS): up to SOS 200.-; foreign currencies: Residents: are required to deposit foreign currency at the airport branch of the Central Bank on following terms: - for those holding a foreign bank account: currency will be transferred to that bank account; - for those not having a foreign bank account and holding the equivalent in freely convertible currency of USD 1,000.- or more, are allowed to open a foreign bank account and to transfer the money to that account; less than USD 1,000.-, are required to exchange it into local currency. Exempt are: - children under 18 years of age; - diplomats and members staff of international companies residing in Somalia. Non-Residents: unlimited provided declared on arrival and exchanged at the National Banks within 5 days after arrival

Local currency (Somali shilling-SOS): up to SOS 200.-; foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared.

South Africa

Allowed : Residents and non-residents: local currency (South African Rand-ZAR): ZAR 25,000.-; foreign currencies and traveler's cheques: unlimited, provided amounts over USD 10,000.- are declared upon arrival. Kruger coins will only be accepted with prior approval of the South African Reserve Bank. No limit for travel between South Africa and Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland, as these countries belong to the same common monetary area.

Allowed : Residents: local currency (South African Rand-ZAR): ZAR 25,000.-. A single discretionary allowance of ZAR 1,000,000.- per calendar year for those aged 18 years (ZAR 200,000.- for those aged under 18) may be permitted when arranged through an authorized dealer; foreign currencies: up to the value of ZAR 160,000.- per adult and ZAR 50,000.- per child (aged under 12 years) per calendar year. Prior clearance from an authorized dealer is required. Amounts reduce to ZAR 25,000.- per person if prior clearance has not been obtained. Kruger coins will only be accepted with prior approval of the South African Reserve Bank. Non-residents: local currency: ZAR 25,000.-; foreign currencies and traveler's cheques: up to the amounts imported and declared. Up to 15 Kruger coins can be exported, provided the visitor can prove that they were acquired with imported foreign currency. No limit for travel between South Africa and Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland, as these countries belong to the same common monetary area.

South Korea

Allowed. Resident: local currency (Korean Won-KRW) up to KRW 8,000,000; foreign currencies: as from 20 years of age: USD 10,000.-. Non-residents: local currency (Korean Won-KRW) up to KRW 8,000,000.-; foreign currencies: unlimited, provided declared on arrival. Amounts exceeding the equivalent of USD 10,000.- (including traveler's cheques) must be accompanied by a "Declaration of Foreign Currencies" form. No declaration is required for diplomats, diplomatic missions, US military personnel and those coming on official business (duty).

Allowed: local currency (Korean Won-KRW) up to KRW 8,000,000.-; foreign currencies up to the amount declared on import.

South Sudan

No reliable information can yet be obtained on restrictions for local currency (South Sudan Pound - SSP) or foreign currency.

Allowed. Local currency (Sri Lanka Rupee-LKR) up to LKR 5,000.-. Foreign currencies: no restrictions, however amounts over USD 15,000.- (or equivalent) must be fully declared to customs, except for Indian and Pakistan currencies which are prohibited. Amounts over USD 5,000.- also have to be declared if intending to take it back.

Allowed. Local currency (Sri Lanka Rupee-LKR) up to LKR 20,000.-. Foreign currencies up to the amounts imported and/or declared, except for Indian and Pakistan currencies which are prohibited.

St. Kitts-Nevis

Local currency: (East Caribbean Dollar-XCD); and foreign currency: unlimited, provided a declaration is made upon arrival.

Local currency: (East Caribbean Dollar-XCD); and foreign currency: up to the amounts imported and declared.

St. Maarten

Local currency: (Antillian Guilder-ANG) and foreign currencies: amounts exceeding USD 11,000.- or its equivalent must be declared.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Local currency (East Caribbean Dollar-XCD) and foreign currencies: unlimited, provided a declaration is made upon arrival.

Allowed. Foreign currencies in banknotes, traveler's cheques and letters of credit in all foreign currencies: amount exceeding EUR 10,000 or equivalent must be declared. Prohibited: local currency (Sudanese Pound - SDG).

Allowed. Foreign currencies in amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- must be accompanied by import declaration. Prohibited: local currency (Sudanese Pound - SDG).

Local currency (Suriname Dollar-SRD): SRD 150.- per person; foreign currencies: unlimited, provided amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- are declared on model H forms on arrival.

Residents: local currency (Suriname Dollar-SRD): SRD 150.- per person; foreign currencies: unlimited, provided acquired from a foreign exchange bank and amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- are declared on model H forms on departure. Non-residents: foreign currencies: unlimited, provided amounts exceeding USD 10,000.- are declared on model H forms on arrival.

Allowed. Local currency (Swazi Lilangeni; plural Emalangeni-SZL) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Swedish Krona-SEK) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker's draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Switzerland

Allowed. Residents: local currency (Syrian Pound-SYP): unlimited; foreign currencies: up to the amount of max. USD 5.000.-. Non-residents: foreign currencies: up to the amount of max. USD 5.000.-. All nationals of Arab countries and foreigners are allowed to carry USD 5000.- when transiting Syria.

Allowed. Residents: SYP 5000.- when traveling to Lebanon. Non-residents: foreign currencies: up to the amount of max. USD 5.000.-. All nationals of Arab countries and foreigners are allowed to carry USD 5000.- when transiting Syria.

Allowed Local currency (New Taiwan Dollar-TWD): up to TWD 60,000.-; Chinese currency: up to CNY 20,000.-; Foreign currency: up to USD 10,000.-, or its equivalent; Bearer traveler’s checks, other types of checks, promissory notes, drafts, or other forms of negotiable instruments up to the value of USD 10,000.-. Higher amounts must be declared on arrival.

Allowed Local currency (New Taiwan Dollar-TWD): up to TWD 60,000.-; Chinese currency: up to CNY 20,000.-; Foreign currency: up to USD 10,000.-, or its equivalent; Bearer traveler's checks, other types of checks, promissory notes, drafts, or other forms of negotiable instruments up to the value of USD 10,000.-.

Residents of Tanzania, Kenya or Uganda may import local currency (Tanzanian Shilling-TZS) up to the amount exported. Non-residents are prohibited of importing local currency. Residents and non-residents may import foreign currencies without restrictions.

Residents of Tanzania, Kenya or Uganda may export local currency (Tanzanian Shilling-TZS) up to TZS 1,000.-. Non-residents are prohibited of exporting local currency. Residents and non-residents may export foreign currencies without restrictions.

Local currency: up to THB 50,000.- per person or THB 100,000.- per family holding one passport. Foreign currencies: unlimited. However, amounts of foreign currency exceeding USD 20,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared to a Customs Officer upon arrival by all travelers.

Local currency: up to THB 50,000.- per person or THB 100,000.- per family holding one passport. Foreign currencies: unlimited. However, amounts of foreign currency exceeding USD 20,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared to a Customs Officer upon departure by all travelers.

Timor-Leste

Local currency (US Dollar - USD) and foreign currency: no restrictions. Amounts exceeding USD 5,000.- must be declared on arrival.

No reliable information can yet be obtained on restrictions for local currency (USD Dollar - USD) or foreign currency.

Local currency (CFA Franc-XOF); and foreign currencies: limited to XOF 3,000,000.-, provided declared on arrival.

Residents: local currency (CFA Franc-XOF): not exceeding XOF 3,000,000.-; foreign currencies: to destinations within the French monetary area: unlimited and outside the French monetary area: up to the equivalent of XOF 6,500,000.-. For non-residents: local currency (CFA Franc-XOF): not exceeding XOF 3,000,000.-; foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

Local currency (Pa'anga-TOP) and foreign currencies: must be declared on arrival.

Local currency (Pa'anga-TOP) and foreign currencies: up to the amount declared on arrival. If the amount exceeds TOP 10,000.- or equivalent in foreign currencies, prior approval from the National Reserve Bank of Tonga is required.

Trinidad & Tobago

For residents import of local currency (Trinidad and Tobago Dollar-TTD) is allowed with up to TTD 200.- in banknotes. Provided declared on arrival, no restrictions for import of foreign currencies (including traveler's cheques, etc.). Non-residents may import local and foreign currencies without restrictions, provided declared on arrival.

For residents export of local currency (Trinidad and Tobago Dollar-TTD) is allowed with up to TTD 200.-. Foreign currencies are permitted up to the equivalent of TTD 2,500.- once a year. All other amounts must be authorized by the Exchange Control Department. For non-residents export of local currency is allowed with up to TTD 200.- in banknotes. Foreign currencies may be exported up to the amount imported and declared.

Foreign currencies (no restrictions). Prohibited: local currency (Tunisian Dinar (TND).

Residents: foreign currencies: up to the equivalent to TND 4000.- per year. Prohibited: local currency (Tunisian Dinar-TND). Non-residents: foreign currencies: up to the amount imported. Re-exchange of local into foreign currencies upon departure is possible up to 30% of the total amount imported and exchanged with a maximum of TND 100.- per person, upon presentation of bank exchange receipts. Export of amounts exceeding TND 1000.- in foreign currencies is only allowed, provided declared when entering the country. Prohibited: local currency.

Local currency (Turkish Lira-TRY) and foreign currencies: unlimited. However, passengers should declare foreign currencies on arrival and ensure that this is specified in their passports.

Local currency (Turkish Lira-TRY) and foreign currencies: Foreigners: up to USD 5,000.- or equivalent. Amounts exceeding the equivalent of USD 5,000 must be declared and: -those residing in Turkey: must buy them from a bank in Turkey (with an entry to this effect in the passport); -those residing abroad: must have declared foreign currencies on arrival and have this specified in their passports. In case of re-exchange of TRY into foreign currency a bank voucher is required. For nationals of Turkey: up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent. Amounts exceeding the equivalent of USD 10,000 must be declared.

Turkmenistan

Local currency (Turkmen New Manat - TMT): allowed for residents of Turkmenistan, provided the amount has been declared on the customs declaration when leaving the country. Foreign currencies: allowed, provided a declaration is made.

Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared. Local currency: unlimited for residents, provided a declaration is made.

Turks & Caicos Isl.

Local currency (Australian Dollar - AUD) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Foreign currencies: unlimited, provided declared on arrival. Prohibited: local currency (Uganda Shilling-UGX).

Foreign currencies: up to the amount imported and declared on arrival. Prohibited: local currency (Uganda Shilling-UGX).

Local currency (Ukrainian Hryvnia-UAH) and foreign currencies: up to EUR 10,000.- or equivalent. Exceeding amounts must be declared. A document on the withdrawal of cash from banking accounts is required. Banking metals: max. 500 grams in the shape of ingots and coins with a written declaration for the customs authorities.

Local currency (Ukrainian Hryvnia-UAH) and foreign currencies: up to EUR 10,000.- or equivalent without declaration. For exceeding amounts, customs declaration and a document on the withdrawal of cash from the financial establishment is required. Banking metals: max. 500 grams in the shape of ingots and coins with a written declaration for the customs authorities. License required for exceeding weight. The customs declaration is grounds for export of declared currency within 1 year from the registration of the declaration.

United Arab Emirates

Local currency (United Arab Em. Dirham-AED) and foreign currencies: allowed, however, currency exceeding AED 100,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared on arrival.

Local currency (United Arab Em. Dirham-AED) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

United Kingdom

United states of america.

No restrictions on import/export of local or foreign currencies.

Import allowed for residents: - unlimited import of local currency (Uzbek Som-UZS); - unlimited import of foreign currencies. Import allowed for non-residents: - unlimited import of local currency (Uzbek Som-UZS); - unlimited import of foreign currencies. A declaration form has to be filled out upon arrival. Passengers carrying more than USD 1,000.- may be checked physically.

Export allowed for residents: - unlimited local currency (Uzbek Som-UZS); - foreign currencies up to the amount of USD 2,000.- or equivalent in freely convertible currency. Larger amounts can be exported with a special permit from the Central Bank. Export allowed for non-residents: - unlimited local currency (Uzbek Som-UZS); - foreign currencies not exceeding amount declared upon arrival. Proof of lawful exchange into Uzbek Som is required from passengers spending more than USD 2,000.-. Passengers failing to submit this proof have to pay a fine of 30 percent of the amount imported.

Local currency (Vanuatu Vatu-VUV) and foreign currencies: no restrictions. However, amounts over VUV 1,000,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared.

Local currency (Venezuelan Bolivar Fuerte-VEF) and foreign currencies: no restrictions.

Local currency (Vietnamese Dong-VND): no restrictions. Amounts exceeding VND 15,000,000.- must be declared on arrival. Foreign currencies: no restrictions. Amounts exceeding USD 5,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared on arrival. Amounts under USD 5,000.- (or equivalent) to be deposited in credit institutions and branches of foreign banks must also be declared on arrival.

Local currency (Vietnamese Dong-VND): no restrictions. Amounts exceeding VND 15,000,000.- must be declared on departure. Foreign currencies: no restrictions. Amounts exceeding USD 5,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared upon. Proof of expenses is required.

Virgin Islands (British)

Allowed. Local currency (United States Dollar-USD) and foreign currencies: unlimited, provided a declaration is made upon arrival.

Allowed. Local currency (United States Dollar-USD) and foreign currencies: up to the amounts imported and declared.

Virgin Islands (U.S.A.)

mporting the local currency (Yemeni Riyal-YER) is prohibited: however, residents of Yemen up to YER 2,000.- No restrictions for foreign currencies. Amounts exceeding USD 3,000.- or equivalent should be declared on arrival.

Residents may export up to YER 2,000.- (Yemeni Riyal - YER) and up to USD 3,000.- or equivalent of foreign currency, per passport. In case of staying abroad for medical treatment up to USD 4,000.- is allowed. For non-residents exporting the local currency is prohibited. Foreign currencies should not exceed the amounts imported and declared.

Local currency (Zambia Kwacha-ZMW) and foreign currencies: amounts exceeding USD 5000.- or equivalent must be declared.

Local currency (Zimbabwe Dollar-ZWR no longer in circulation, USD widely in use. GBP, EUR and ZAR also accepted): foreign currencies: unlimited. However, amounts of USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared.

Local currency (Zimbabwe Dollar-ZWR no longer in circulation, USD widely in use. GBP, EUR and ZAR also accepted). Foreign currencies: Nationals and residents of Zimbabwe: maximum of USD 10,000.- (or equivalent). Amounts over USD 5,000.- (or equivalent) require exchange control approval; Non-residents: limited to the amount imported. Amounts over USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared.

Do you need to fly with a large amount of money? Are you worried about the laws for this? Concerned how to keep it safe?

We at travelinglight.com have tried to make this as clear as possible for you. With a good understanding of the rules, and proper planning, it needn’t be so concerning!

Taking cash onboard

Even in these digital times, there are occasions when we want to travel with large amounts of cash. What are the rules for doing this? How do you make sure you are not breaking any laws? Getting caught out with too much cash is not a smart idea – this is not something you want to have taken away! – so it is a good idea to make sure you are up to date with the rules.

In general, when travelling within a country (including in the US and Europe) there are no limits. You may still be questioned if things look suspicious though! For international travel there are strict limits imposed by customs controls. These will vary for each country.

Simple rules for domestic travel

Let’s start with the simpler cases, travelling domestically. TSA (who control airport security) in the US publish clear guidelines about carrying cash. There is no official upper limit, although any amount over $10,000 should be declared to TSA staff. They may want to carry out a more thorough search and determine the reasons for carrying cash.

In Europe there is likewise no limit, and no need to declare any amount to customs or security staff.

Travelling international

For international travel, it’s all about the rules imposed by national customs. Each country has its own rules for both import (relevant when flying to the country) and export (when leaving).

IATA report the rules for most countries on their website and we have brought these together for you in our easy to understand table here.

As you see from a glance at this, the limits vary widely. There are a variety of options:

No limits. For example, Switzerland, Gibraltar and Hong all allow travelers to import and export any amount of currency.

Declaration above a set limit. For example, US and Europe require a declaration to customs when carrying cash above US$10,000 and Euro 10,000 respectively. But if declared a higher amount can be carried. Singapore allows Singapore$ 20,000.

Fixed limit. For example, China has fixed import or export of 20,000 Yuan local currency.

There are several important things to be aware of with these currency rules. You should check these for your travel plans:

There are often different rules in place for taking money into (import rules) and out of (export rules) the country.

Of course, you should be aware of the country you are leaving as well as entering! You may be able to take it out, but check you can take it into your destination.

In many countries, the export (and likely import) of domestic currency is prohibited. They may have rules in place for travelling with foreign currency such as US Dollars but export of any of the domestic currency is forbidden.

Some countries, for example Mexico, will only allow foreigners to export as much currency as they brought in. If you need to do this, make you have the correct evidence and paperwork.

Don’t forget transit countries

Your route to your destination may not be direct, or all on one airline ticket. If you need to clear customs at the airport you will need to be within that country’s limits, regardless of whether it is your final destination.

This can happen even when you don’t expect it. For example, if your second or later flight is on a separate ticket and you need to exit customs and re-check in. Also, some countries (including the US) require all arriving passengers to clear full customs even if transiting.

Be careful – it’s not just banknotes!

A vital area to be aware of is the definition of what is included in permitted allowances. This is not limited to traditional notes and coins cash.

The definition in use by EU customs for example includes the following items. Many other countries will follow similar definitions:

Any banknote or coin currently in circulation globally

Travelers cheques

Other monetary instruments such as cheques, promissory notes money orders and bearer bonds. These count whether made out to bearer or another payee, or the payee name is omitted.

You should also be aware of precious metals and stones. Whilst these are not treated in the cash definition by the EU or USA, they are by several countries. Bahrain and Kuwait for example specifically include gold in their definition. Oman and Saudi Arabia include all precious metals, jewels and stones.

Exceeding the limit

For safe and smooth travel, it is obviously advisable to stick to the limits and only travel with local or foreign currency permitted, and below the declaration level.

Exceeding a permitted amount will bring complications. Best case the money will be confiscated. Worst case you will additionally find yourself with fines and criminal charges.

On the other hand, if you are just exceeding the limit for customs declaration this is less of a problem. The key here is why you are travelling with so much cash. Customs and border protection are on the lookout for evidence of illegal activity or money laundering and will likely want to question you. If you have nothing to hide, then explain this. It will help to have any documentation or other evidence to support you. Of course, if they suspect wrongdoing they will refer to law enforcement. In this case, the hassle and delay here, not to mention the penalties, could be significant.

If the amounts are large, and you are not clear about how the country will treat this, it may be worth consulting a specialized lawyer.

Keeping it safe

Of course, if you are travelling with any sum of money (not just an amount approaching the legal limit!), it Is important to take steps to protect it.

Before you travel, check your insurance details. Policies will normally have a limit on the amount of cash they cover. They may also be specific about how to carry cash and the circumstances under which you are insured for theft. If insurance for cash is important to you, it is worth checking the details of different providers to choose the most suitable.

Also, consider obtaining proof of the funds you are travelling with as this could be useful in the event of theft or other loss. Perhaps a bank certificate, proof of cash withdrawal or even a photograph of the money you are carrying.

Keeping the money safe in your baggage and onboard is vital too. For some great tips on this and other in flight safety issues, see our article on in flight theft . This highlights the importance of locking your bags, keeping them near you and in sight and even using a motion detector.

Keep your eyes on it, and others off it

The sight of cash is tempting to any would-be thief! You should try to keep it out of view of others as much as possible, but keep sight of it all times. This starts at the security checkpoint and if you have to declare cash here, or a search of your bags is required, request to have this done in private. This will likely take more time, but keeps it out of others sight and in your view at all times.

On board the plane, don’t put money carrying bags in the overhead locker if it can be avoided. Keep them under the seat, at your feet, or even better on your person.

You’ll sleep much better on the flight knowing your cash is on you and not up above in a luggage locker!

Money packing products

There are some good products which can help with keeping money safe and out of sight. These have evolved far from the simple under-clothes money belt man of us have used, but are still limited in how much cash they can carry.

Take a look at money pouches designed to be worn under clothes, which I recommend :

I also recommend a standard trouser belt which can carry cash using a hidden zipped compartment on the rear. As with the under-clothes pouches, the volume here is limited. Combining a few of these options together may be a good solution for some people.

For a larger option, there are some good quality products available from PacSafe . They produce a range of sturdy, slash proof and lockable carry-on bags that may be of use, again depending on volume. These are also much more secure than a standard day bag for carrying around cash when you reach you destination. See this bag for example:

PacSafe also make a range of “Portable Safe” products . These can pack down inside another bag, but can also be sealed securely and locked to another object (such as your airline seat of even yourself!). And after arrival, they can also be useful in a hotel room or office.

Preparation is key

So, in summary, carrying money with you on a flight is fine as long as you are well prepared. This is not an area you want to get wrong – the penalties may be high and of course the cargo is valuable.

If for whatever reason you find yourself needing to carry large amount of cash just make sure you follow these important steps:

Check you are within the customs limits for export AND import for your whole travel itinerary (including transits).

Make sure you are aware of the total value of your money, and what to include in this.

Take any documentation you may need to support your reasoning if questioned.

Keep your money safe and in sight at all times.

Consider an undercover belt / pouch or lockable bag to help with protection.

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/individuals/cash-controls_en

http://www.iatatravelcentre.com/GB-United-Kingdom-customs-currency-airport-tax-regulations-details.htm#currency

http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/36740/is-there-a-legal-limit-to-the-amount-of-cash-one-can-carry-on-domestic-us-flight

Last Updated on April 15, 2020

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10 Smart Ways to Carry Money While Traveling

Christine Sarkis

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis .

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times , Conde Nast Traveler , and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008 . She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack : The Trtl Pillow . It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience : Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto : Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat : Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at [email protected] .

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Carrying money on vacation is a balancing act between safety and utility. Making money difficult to access deters thieves, but when it comes time to pay for something, you still want to be able to get to it without stripping off clothes or playing hide-and-seek with a bag’s hidden pockets. With that in mind, here are 10 tips that will help you carry money safely and elegantly while traveling.

Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them.

Divide Money

Even if you disregard all other advice about carrying money, take this tip to heart: Whenever possible, divvy up your travel cash and even credit cards into multiple safe spots. If you have all your money in one place, it only takes one incident for a thief to totally wipe you out.

When possible, leave all the cards and cash you won’t need immediately in a secure location in your hotel or vacation rental. And when you’re out and about, keep some of your money attached to your person (see below for ideas about how to wear money securely), and some in a bag you carry. If you’re smart about how you distribute your funds, you’ll still have enough money to get to a police station or back to your hotel in the event your bag gets lost or snatched.

The Best Credit Cards for Travelers

Favor On-Body Storage

Under-clothing storage accessories have come a long way since neck pouches and money belts came onto the scene. Though those classics are still effective, newer options include bra stashes , as well as long johns , underwear , and undershirts with built-in pockets for safe storage. On-body storage accessories are particularly useful if you’re sleeping somewhere that doesn’t have a secure place for cash and other valuables.

Note that on-body storage isn’t a good wallet alternative, since fishing around under your clothes for money advertises where you’re hiding the goods.

Keep Small Bills Handy

Changing or withdrawing large amounts of money minimizes the fees you’ll pay to get local currency, but it also means you’ll be traveling with far more cash—and larger bills—than you’d likely have on you at home. In addition to dividing your money, it’s also wise to make smaller denominations of currency easily accessible. That way, you won’t pull out the local equivalent of a $100 bill while attempting to buy a 30-cent souvenir. You also won’t have to reach down into your jeans to get more money from an under-clothing money pouch.

Make money preparation part of your morning routine: As you’re packing your bag, make sure you’ve got a variety of small bills and coins at the ready for purchases such as food, souvenirs, and attraction entry fees. Squirrel away larger bills in your under-clothing money pouch , or tuck them into a secure part of your wallet or bag.

3 Incredible Money-Saving Tips from a Flight Attendant

Carry an Anti-Theft Bag

If garbage-bag commercials have taught us anything, it’s that some bags are tougher than others. The same goes for travel purses , backpacks , and bags —some, designed specifically for travel, have features such as cut-proof, steel-cable-reinforced shoulder straps; slash-proof fabric; and locking zippers.

Since elements like these slow down thieves, anti-theft bags can do a decent job deterring opportunistic pickpockets. Anti-theft bags are available online from Arden Cove , Pacsafe , Travelon , and other retailers. Consider your purchase an investment that might save you some money.

Trim Your Wallet

Are you going to need your library card when you’re 6,000 miles from your local branch? Probably not. Before you leave, take the time to go through your wallet and take out everything except the necessities (a primary credit card and a backup, an identification card, an insurance card, etc.). Not only will it help you travel lighter, but if your wallet does get lost or stolen, you’ll have fewer items to replace.

How to Save Money on Gas: 8 Easy Tricks

Use a Dummy Wallet

If you’re traveling in a place known for pickpockets or muggings, consider getting a cheap wallet that looks real enough to use as a decoy that you can keep in your pocket or bag. Pad the wallet with some small bills and make it look more real by slipping in one or two of those sample credit cards you get with offers in the mail. A dummy wallet can stop pickpockets before they get to your real wallet.

Buy a Travel Wallet

In addition to a dummy wallet, you might also consider a wallet that you reserve specifically for travel. There’s one simple reason for this: If you’re the type of person whose day-to-day wallet is packed with cards—gym memberships, prepaid coffee cards, frequent-buyer punch cards, and the like—the card pockets are likely to be stretched out and won’t be able to securely hold just an item or two. By keeping a travel-only wallet at the ready, your cards will have snug pockets that they can’t slip out of accidentally.

As an added bonus, you won’t have to unpack and repack your day-to-day wallet; you can simply transfer what you need for your trip to your travel version.

Is It Better to Pay in Local Currency or USD When Given the Option Abroad?

Adapt to the Local Money Culture

Being prepared to pay your way on vacation means different things depending on where you are. In a cash economy, you’ll need to make sure to have a variety of bills and coins on hand at all times, but your credit cards will likely just collect dust.

However, in much of Europe and parts of Asia, where automation is common and chip-and-PIN credit card technology is standard, having a compatible credit card will come in very handy, especially if you find yourself at an unattended gas station late at night or a train station after hours. Also keep in mind that in some countries, U.S. dollars are an official or unofficial secondary currency, so it’s wise to keep a few greenbacks at the ready.

Use Money Alternatives

In high-traffic settings such as metro stations and close quarters like bus lines, it’s nice to be able to forgo cash or credit card transactions and rely instead on a multi-use ticket or other cash alternative. If you’re in a city where the public transportation system offers multi-use cards (for instance, London’s Oyster card or San Francisco’s Clipper card) or where you can buy a bunch of tickets at once for a discounted price, then take advantage. You’ll reduce your chances of losing your wallet simply by retrieving and stowing it fewer times.

Where to Get the Best Exchange Rate When You Need a Foreign Currency

Stow Valuables Securely

Sometimes the best way to carry money is not to carry it at all . Hotels’ in-room safes are generally pretty secure, and if you’ve got an item (or a wad of cash) you’re particularly nervous about, check to see if the hotel has a safe-deposit box behind the desk. If you do use a hotel lockbox of any sort, remember to retrieve your items when you leave. In the rush to pack up and depart, out of sight can easily mean out of mind—until you’re on your way to the airport. If you’re a forgetful type, leave a colorful note on top of your suitcase .

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2016. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

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Airline ‘customer rights charter’ to specify when cash refunds required

An “aviation industry ombuds scheme” and improved assistance for passengers with a disability will be among measures the federal government will announce on Monday to force airlines to address the extensive public discontent with their services.

A new aviation customer rights charter will set out “fair and reasonable” conduct by airlines and airports, including when flights are delayed or cancelled.

It will cover customers’ entitlements to refunds, and when these must be provided in cash rather than with travel vouchers.

This follows class actions against both Qantas and Jetstar that allege they have failed to provide timely cash refunds for cancelled flights, despite being legally obliged to do so.

Both airlines issued vouchers instead of cash refunds, initially with expiry dates.

The class action against Qantas has entered mediation. That against Jetstar was launched last week.

The customer rights charter will also address “unreasonable” lengths of delays and timely communication with passengers.

Transport Minister Catherine King will release the government’s white paper on aviation, with legislation planned for next year, after further consultations. In the meantime an interim ombudsperson will be appointed from her department.

King said too many people had been “left out to dry when flights are cancelled or disrupted and it’s impossibly complex to get a refund or even contact a company representative.

"Customers deserve to get their money back if they are owed. Full stop,” she said.

The ombuds scheme will have an external dispute resolution service, and direct airlines and airports to provide remedies to consumers. It will provide reports on conduct, and refer instances of misconduct for investigation.

Barriers presently faced by people with a disability include unreasonable wait times for checking in, refusals to carry assistance animals, and limits on wheelchair and other access.

The government will create specific disability standards for the industry and review compliance with them.

It will improve remedies for damage to wheelchairs and other equipment, and require airport development plans to set out how they will enable access for people with a disability.

“Through our consultations we have heard clearly that the treatment of people with disability by the airlines and airports is not good enough,” King said.

“People have been left stranded on planes, forced to return to their departure port or had to put up with poor treatment due to a lack of access to appropriate facilities at their destination.”

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .

Money blog: Has the Nike trainer bubble burst?

Welcome to the Money blog, a hub for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Read our weekend feature on the fortunes of Nike below and let us know your thoughts in the comments box. We'll be back with live updates after the bank holiday.

Sunday 25 August 2024 15:38, UK

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Ask a question or make a comment

By Mark Wyatt , Money blog reporter

The trainer market is now more diverse and competitive than ever before, and its biggest player has felt the pinch.

While new brands have been popping up and taking market share, Nike suffered its biggest single day drop in share price on record in late June.

A whopping $28bn (£21.6bn) was shaved off in market capitalisation overnight after the company's management reported an expected sale drop in early 2025.

But why has this happened?

Nike remains the largest sports retailer in the world and still has the biggest slice of market share. However, analysts say strategic decisions at boardroom level have contributed to a downturn in its fortunes - with consumer concerns and the emergence of new competition also in play.

Shift in strategy

John Donahoe became Nike's new CEO in January 2020 and was tasked with updating the company's online operation and bringing in more digital revenue.

Mr Donahoe arrived from one of the world's biggest ecommerce companies, eBay, and quickly began shifting Nike's focus towards its digital sales efforts and away from the high street.

Shortly after, the COVID pandemic hit, and the world's shoppers were forced online whether they liked it or not.

With people not going into offices to work, there was no need to buy smart, formal footwear. Comfortable, everyday shoe sales rose, and Nike's profits surged past projections.

Everything looked to be going well, so Mr Donahoe doubled down, accelerating the digital strategy and moving Nike out of hundreds of bricks-and-mortar stores. 

Soon, Nike had severed a third of its relationships with sales partners.

"The consumer today is digitally grounded and simply will not revert back," said Mr Donahoe on an earnings call in 2020.

Nike believed they were the ones best able to deliver their vision straight to consumers, and they didn't need retailers like FootLocker and JD Sports diluting that as middle men.

But as lockdowns ended across the world, people returned to stores and online sales slowed, and the decisions that had been made started to be questioned.

"I think they underestimated the cultural aspect of brick-and-mortar shopping as part of the social life of young consumers," Daniel Herval, who worked at Nike between 2017-20 on some of its biggest trainers including Air Max, Jordan and Air Force 1, told the Money blog.

"Nike thought people had shifted to online, and they'd left the brick-and-mortar experience behind. 

"But as soon as things started reopening, the social aspect of shopping, the community bonding aspect of shopping, returned, and Nike weren't really there."

Nike had started to divest by the time people returned to stores, but they had lost pace against other brands.

Competition and innovation

Nike's rivals weren't going to stand still while this was happening, and sure enough, retailers that had once had Nike shoes front and centre on their shelves looked for other brands to fill the space.

Newer brands like Asics, Deckers Outdoor's HOKA and Roger Federer-backed On emerged, taking a steadily growing portion of the market share.

And those companies quickly began to show off new ideas, notably in a corner of the market that Nike has long dominated - performance running.

HOKA's thick foam soles are a huge draw for runners, while On's well-marketed (and now patented) cushioning system technology has proved popular for casuals and professionals alike.

Nike, it is perceived by some, has lagged behind in the sports lifestyle scene, too. Adidas's Samba and Gazelle lines, and New Balance's 990s, have grown in popularity - even then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak owned a pair of Sambas ...

So where has Nike's innovation been during this time? 

The air cushioning inside the soles of trainers - known as the Air Max bubble - debuted all the way back in 1978.

The flyknit material, which was released back in 2012, Mr Herval says, is the last major performance innovation that managed to trickle into the lifestyle brand in a major commercial way.

A survey of US teenagers by Piper Sandler earlier this year backed up the idea that while Nike remains the favourite, it has been losing "mindshare" to innovative brands like Hoka and On.

Nike appears to have acknowledged the problem, announcing a "multi-year innovation cycle" in April.

Two key complaints from the streets

To find out how consumers feel about Nike's shoes in 2024, there are few better places to go searching than The Basement.

Launched on Facebook over a decade ago, the online group of streetwear fanatics has just over 150,000 members from across the globe and is a go-to authority on all things street fashion, including trainers.

Need to check if the hoodie you just bought on eBay really is a vintage Ralph Lauren? Ask The Basement. Want to launch your own line of bespoke sunglasses but need advice starting a small fashion business? Ask The Basement.

Looking for consumers to tell you why fewer people are buying Nike trainers in 2024? You get the picture.

When we asked The Basement's members for their thoughts on Nike, there were two issues that came back with almost every response.

The first of those is the price point, which is now largely unaffordable for the exact demographic who historically have bought Nike's trainers in droves.

Have a look on Nike's website, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a new-release trainer costing less than £120. Most of the "hotly anticipated" shoes sit between the £150-£200 mark.

For the classic products, like the Air Max 95, a new pair starts at £174.99. Some traditionally cheaper options, like the Air Jordan 1s, are now around £130 on retailers including JD Sports, Size? and ASOS.

"£200 isn't an accessible price point," said one member of The Basement. "People have got older and smarter."

"I worked for a footwear retailer for four years," said another. "Nike's biggest killer was easily their price hikes.

"When I started collecting Jordan they were £105, within 10 years the same model is £190 - you can't justify that!"

The testimonies go on and on. As do those raising consumers' second-biggest gripe with Nike trainers - quality control.

Anecdotal reports of botched products are not hard to find, with many buyers frustrated that, after spending a lot of money on new shoes, they've received trainers covered in glue stains, with mismatched logos, missing patterns, misshaped heels and more among the complaints.

Quality control is a hands-on process that involves both manual and automated procedures, and as such it is not foolproof.

But the sheer number of reports of errors indicates this is not just a few faulty Air Forces.

There are tens of millions of hits on TikTok for the term "Nike quality control" and - spoiler alert - most videos aren't of people sharing how delighted they are with their new trainer purchases.

"Why would I spend £200 on a pair of Nike trainers that will probably arrive covered in glue stains and break after a month, when I could get a perfect pair of New Balance for £150?" asks a member of The Basement.

"Quality has taken a dive. Anyone who has ever worked for somewhere stocking Nike knows that glue smell off the pallet far too well," says another.

Bouncing back via Paris

But it's not all doom and gloom for Nike. There was a golden marketing ace up its sleeve this summer - Paris 2024.

The world's biggest brands see the Olympics as an opportunity to get in front of a global audience, and Nike is no different. Good publicity and brand image can instil customer confidence and improve share price - getting things right in Paris was key.

The sportswear giant announced prior to the Games that it would be spending more on it than it had for any previous edition.

"This will be the most investment and the biggest moment for Nike in years," Heidi O'Neill, Nike's president of consumer, product and brand, told Reuters in April.

Nike secured itself as an official sponsor for Team USA, meaning so long as the athletes performed as expected, the swoosh would be on top of the podium.

And so it was. Simone Biles won three golds in gymnastics, Noah Lyles took 100m glory and swimmer Katie Ledecky featured on the podium four times.

Lifetime Nike endorser LeBron James laced up some very on-the-nose metallic gold style trainers from his own custom LeBron 22 signature line on his way to a gold medal.

And it's not just while competing that the Nike tick gets its moment. Every US athlete received a special package containing 50 items of apparel, footwear and accessories, including "interview wear" and "village wear" to keep branding visible at every moment possible in Paris.

That was important, because Paris 2024 broke records for its worldwide audience. In the UK, BBC Sport's coverage of the games was streamed 218 million times, more than double the number recorded in Tokyo.

Across the pond, NBCUniversal's multi-platform coverage drew in record advertising money and averaged 30.6 million daily viewers. 

What did that all mean for Nike? In the opening week of the Olympics, from 26 July to 1 August, it managed to increase visits to its websites, while its direct rival Adidas saw its visits decline compared with the week prior.

Importantly, data from Similarweb also showed that Nike was able to convert a lot of visits to its website into sales. And it did that more than its rivals.

"(Nike is) still a struggling brand overall," said Drew Haines, the merchandising director at retailer StockX.

"But the Olympics, it definitely drives interest in these things. Nike is the one that's really winning there."

The marketing boost provided by the Olympics won't suddenly end all Nike's perceived and real problems, but it's clearly a step in the right direction.

Even now, the share price has slowly started to recover, gaining around 14% in the last month following recent investment from US billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.

"Nike's ability to just go beyond the pure product conversation, the ability to connect to consumers, is second to none," says Mr Herval.

"It's going to take a couple of years. But I truly, firmly believe that the brand is still able to rebound."

Nike did not respond to a request to participate in this article.

By Jimmy Rice, Money blog editor

A lot of people have been scratching their chins and wondering whether the new government might be overstating the economic mess left by the previous regime.

The accusation, from the right, is that a narrative is being built to justify tax rises motivated not by necessity but ideology.

Data that's trickled in over the weeks since Rachel Reeves stepped into Number 11 - GDP growth, inflation remaining low - hasn't always helped the Labour story.

But this week, in the words of data and economics editor Ed Conway , "we had the latest public finances numbers and here the picture is considerably closer to the Reeves version than those other bits of data".

Government borrowing for July overshot expectations - and the consequences for public services and the tax burden in the October budget now look "grim", Conway wrote .

He discussed all of this in an episode of the Daily podcast, which you can listen to here or wherever you enjoy podcasts ...

Despite warning about the budget, Conway's sources suggest another route is still being considered by the chancellor, one that involves changing how the public finances are measured and judged. You can read about this here...

We also learned this week of the timeline for new EU visa rules.

UK citizens will need to pay a €7 visa-waiver charge to travel to Europe from next year. The additional charge, which is similar to the US ESTA, is part of a series of new border checks and entry requirements the EU is bringing in.

They'll apply when entering the Schengen area, which includes EU member states, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. 

People under 18 or over 70 will be exempt from the charge - as will those travelling to Ireland or Cyprus.

The waiver will last for three years or until your passport expires.

Its official title is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), and its implementation will follow the introduction of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES). The latter will require people to have their fingerprints registered and their pictures taken on arrival to airports.

Addressing the rollout, EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson said the EES will enter into operation on ­10 November while the ETIAS will follow shortly after that in 2025 - likely May.

However, it is thought there could be a six-month grace period before the visas become compulsory - taking it to November next year.

On Friday morning, it was confirmed that the energy price cap would rise in October, with another hike expected in January.

"Unfortunately, a volatile wholesale market, and a country heavily reliant on imported energy has created a perfect storm for fluctuating household bills," said Dr Craig Lowrey, principal consultant at Cornwall Insight.

He argued that there may be a case for re-examining the price cap system given it's not protecting households from global energy trends.

A typical annual bill will now be £1,717 from the autumn, with £45 forecast to be added to that in the new year.

Here in Money, we examined football shirt prices as the new Premier League season got under way...

For a fuller understanding of this story, watch this explainer put together by our digital video team...

Three more essential reads from Money that are worth checking out are...

We're signing out of regular updates now until after the bank holiday weekend - but do check out our weekend read from 8am on Saturday. This week we're examining whether the Nike trainers bubble has burst.

Lots of stories we've covered in Money over the last week or so prompted a flurry of comments. We'll start with the multiple updates we've done on Gail's...

Some readers were on board with the backlash but more couldn't see what the fuss was about...

Surprised the faux posh in Walthamstow 'village' would baulk at pricey offerings from Gail's. They already seem quite happy to pay up market prices at their existing Spar store without complaint. Pack of sausages with la-de-da ingredients nearly 6-quid. I ask you! Keith

Most places would be thrilled to have Gail's opening. Their food and bread is excellent as is their coffee, they have very attractive décor and bring a touch of class to any high street. Petalin

We also had a fair few who wondered why we were covering this story at all...

Who or what is Gail? Alangillie

When did Walthamstow become a 'leafy suburb'. Thought it was home to East17? And why does this constitute national news? Shops open and close all the time in areas all over the country. Does one of your editors live there and opposes it? I don't see how this is news at all. City boy

Sometimes our posts prompt questions rather than comments - such as the one below following our feature on Section 75 consumer rights...

I want to buy a car for £7,000 from a dealership. Have I got credit card consumer protection if I pay half cash and half on a credit card? Clive Blackpool

The answer is that, yes, you would be protected - even if you just pay 1p of it on credit card. Everything you need to know is here...

Lots of you got in touch following our Saturday feature on how couples split their finances...

Readers shared how they and their partners split things...

We divide all bills more or less equally. He earns a lot more than I do and keeps his money/savings to himself after 50 years of being together. I have absolutely no idea how much in savings he has and he won't share anything. Yes you are reading this correctly! CP

100% all money going into one account for bills, disposable income etc - we manage it all on one spreadsheet! Never had a disagreement ever after 13 years and we're only 30! Can't ever imagine going for dinner and someone saying 'I'll get this' - how do people do it? abbie s

My partner and I are discussing purchasing a property together. Our rule will be 50% of the mortgage each regardless of income as we are both 50% owners of the asset. Other bills we'll just decide based on income. Adam

I earn a lot more than my partner, so once our relationship was mature enough I put the difference into shared savings. Since having a child all money goes into a joint account except for a small allowance each. Financial equality is so important for a happy relationship. Linda

It's simple. I do not know what my wife earns, she does not know what I earn, we have separate [accounts]. We buy what we need and want, when we go out she pays one time I pay next, we do not even look at the bill. That way you have no problems. Cozy Powell

My partner earns around £60k more than me per year and we split our bills down the middle, however, he buys all the food for us and the pets and generally pays when we go out. I couldn’t ask him for extra, I manage just fine with the current arrangement. LHam

All outgoing were paid from a joint bank account which we paid into from our personal accounts, salary split at the start was roughly 60/40 so I would pay 60% of the total and my wife 40% (plus 10%), any money left in our individual accounts was our own. 58mprl

The post that led to the most consternation this week concerned the hiking of fines for parents taking kids out of school...

You said...

Why are the government not looking at the travel agents? My partner and I both work in a school. We have no children at school but we have to pay extortionate prices for our time away as we have to go in school holidays. Tony

If I choose to take my children out of school to go on holiday, because let's face it parents can save a lot of money when the holiday season is over. I am a single parent with two kids, I'm holding down two jobs. Andy Henderson

As a teacher, I understand the frustration many parents feel about the extortionate prices of holidays. It's disheartening to see families AND teaching staff not being able to afford a holiday. I also understand how difficult it is for a child to catch up on missed work. Mikki

Highly disagree with the term time holiday penalty. There are countries where parents can authorise up to five days of leave per year. A long weekend here and there, or a week-long trip once a year is not going to hinder a child's prospect! TermTimeTravel

Starbucks' incoming chief executive, Brian Niccol, is under fire over the company's offer for him to commute around 1,000 miles by private jet.

Social media users were quick to criticise the world's biggest coffee shop chain over the move in light of its sustainability efforts elsewhere, such as banning plastic straws.

Mr Niccol's job offer said he will not have to relocate to the company's headquarters in Seattle, Washington, from his family home in Newport Beach, California, when he takes up his new role on 9 September.

Read more here...

Storm Lilian is causing disruption to travellers and festival-goers ahead of the bank holiday weekend.

Two stages at Leeds Festival have closed for the day, the BBC Radio 1 Stage and Aux Stage.

British Airways has cancelled 14 flights from Heathrow and delayed others, while two flights from Leeds Bradford Airport were cancelled and three morning arrivals diverted to Liverpool.

The energy price cap increase has led to renewed calls for a winter fuel payment U-turn.

The government plans to means test the payment for pensioners, making it available only to those receiving pension credit.

But Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said this was "reckless and wrong" and "spells disaster for pensioners on low and modest incomes" after the latest bad news for energy costs.

Shein found two cases of child labour in its supply chain last year, the fast fashion retailer has said.

The company's 2023 sustainability report, published yesterday, said it suspended orders from the suppliers that had employed children under 16.

Both cases had been "resolved swiftly", it said, with remediation steps including ending underage employees' contracts, arranging medical check-ups, and facilitating repatriation to parents or guardians as necessary.

"We remain vigilant in guarding against such violations going forward, and in line with current policies, will terminate any non-compliant suppliers," Shein said in the report.

Shein has stepped up audits of manufacturers in China to assuage criticisms of its low-cost business model ahead of a planned flotation.

It tightened its supplier policy last October after the child labour cases were found, so that any severe breaches - called "Immediate Termination Violations" - would result in ending the relationship with the supplier immediately.

Previously, suppliers such as those that employed minors had 30 days to resolve the issue, failing which Shein would cut ties.

It's time to check if you have any Tesco Clubcard vouchers close to expiring, as £14m worth are due to run out on Saturday.

Vouchers are only valid for two years from the date they were issued, so it's worth making sure you don't have any hidden away in your account.

To check online, go to the Tesco Clubcard website and select "Clubcard account" and then "Vouchers". 

 You should then be able to see a table listing your available vouchers and their expiry dates.

If you're using the Tesco app, open it up, go to "Clubcard" and then to the "Vouchers" section.

What to do with your vouchers?

You can spend your hard-earned vouchers either online or in person. 

Alternatively, you can double the value of your vouchers by spending them at Tesco's reward partners , including Disney+, RAC and Zizzi.

By James Sillars , business reporter

It's a tentative start to the day's trading on financial markets with the focus firmly on the United States. Jackson Hole in Wyoming, to be exact.

That is where the chair of the US central bank will make an eagerly anticipated speech in which he is widely expected to signal that the first interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve will come next month.

Jay Powell is, however, expected to temper market expectations for several rate cuts by the end of the year.

That could hamper recent progress against the US currency by the pound, which is currently trading at one-year highs versus the dollar at $1.31.

It could also hurt a rate-sensitive stock market, which is desperate for lower borrowing costs.

As such, the FTSE 100 is trading 0.2% up in early deals at 8,304.

Miners and energy stocks are leading the way on upticks in prices.

Brent crude oil stands at $77 a barrel.

The energy price cap limits what utility companies can charge customers for a daily standing charge and each kilowatt-hour of gas and electricity they use.

Regulator Ofgem releases the cap quarterly and estimates how much the average household would typically pay over a year at the new unit price.

This figure, £1,717, assumes a household with 2.4 people living in it consuming 2,700 kWh for electricity and 11,500 kWh for gas.

The real annual cost per customer will be different depending on how much energy you actually use. If you use more gas and electric than £1,717 buys, you will pay more.

With prices fluctuating significantly at each quarterly release over the last four years, the use of a yearly figure is also quite an imperfect basis for medium-term household budgeting.

Here's what is actually capped: 

• Each unit of electricity: 24.5p per kWh (up from 22.36p)
• Each unit of gas: 6.24p per kWh (up from 5.48p)
• Electric standing charge: 60.99p (up from 60.12p)
• Gas standing charge: 31.66p (up from 31.41p)

Ofgem's price cap only applies to people in England, Scotland and Wales on standard variable or default tariffs.

This is most households, whether you pay by direct debit or a prepayment meter.

It doesn't apply to the small numbers of people still on fixed-rate tariffs.

Another quarter, another energy price fluctuation to contend with - another change to make to your household budget.

But there are fixed deals available cheaper than the new price cap, according to Uswitch.

The average household can save £125 against October's price cap with the cheapest 12-month fixed tariff, said Richard Neudegg, director of regulation at Uswitch.

At £1,592 typically per anum, it would also stave off another small increase expected in January, he said. 

It is worth pointing out that it is in Uswitch's favour for people to move, and a fixed tariff could always end up costing you more if the price cap were to drop below that fixed rate in April and June next year.

"Customers staring down the barrel of winter might question whether the current price cap system is really the best way to put real pricing pressure on suppliers," said Mr Neudegg.

"It's important for households looking for certainty to run a comparison to see what's available to them and see personalised prices based on how much energy they are likely to use."

Here are the top 10 fixed energy-only tariffs that could help you beat the price rise, according to Uswitch:

Pensioners are being urged to check if they are eligible for the winter fuel allowance after universal payments were scrapped by new Chancellor Rachel Reeves last month.

Previously, the money was available to everyone above state pension age, but now it will be limited to people over state pension age who are receiving pension credit or other means-tested support.

It means the number of people entitled to the money will drop from 11.4 million to just 1.5 million.

The payment is £200 for households where the recipients are all under 80, and £300 where they are over 80.

While around 1.4 million pensioners are already receiving pension credit, there are up to an estimated 880,000 households eligible for the support who are yet to claim, the Department for Work and Pensions says.

The government's awareness drive will help identify households not claiming the benefit, and encourage pensioners to apply by 21 December - the last date for making a backdated claim for pension credit in order to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

It will focus on "myths" that may stop people applying, such as how having savings, a pension or owning a home are not necessarily barriers to receiving pension credit.

More information on applying for pension credit can be found on the  government's How to Claim page .

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Bumping & Oversales

The vast majority of the time, passengers don’t have any problems boarding their flights.  But occasionally, airlines may “bump” passengers and have them give up their seats.  Bumping, also known as “denied boarding,” happens when there are more passengers scheduled to fly on an airplane than available seats. 

The business practice of bumping is not illegal.  Airlines oversell their scheduled flights to a certain extent in order to compensate for “no-shows.”  Most of the time, airlines correctly predict the “no shows” and everything goes smoothly.  But sometimes, passengers are bumped as a result of oversales practices.

Not all airlines engage in the practice of selling more tickets than available seats on an aircraft.  Some airlines simply sell enough tickets to fill every seat.  Although this practice significantly reduces the chances that a passenger will be bumped, the airline may still bump passengers in rare circumstances - such as when the seat is needed for a Federal Air Marshall.

It’s important for passengers to understand why they may be asked to give up their seats and what rights they may have.  Before an airline forces a passenger to give up his/her seat due to overbooking, the airline must ask passengers on the flight if they are willing to give up their seat voluntarily in exchange for compensation.

Voluntarily Giving Up Your Seat

When a flight has more passengers who are ready to fly than there are seats available, airlines must first ask passengers to give up their seats voluntarily, in exchange for compensation, before bumping anyone involuntarily.  Airlines may offer passengers incentives, such as money or vouchers, to volunteer.  There is no limit to the amount of money or vouchers that the airline may offer, and passengers are free to negotiate with the airline.

• If an airline offers a reduced rate ticket, free ticket, or voucher to passengers in exchange for volunteering to fly on a different flight, the airline must tell passengers about any and all restrictions that may apply to the use of the reduced rate ticket, free ticket, or voucher before passengers decide whether or not to give up their confirmed reserved space on the currently oversold flight. 

If you decide to give your seat back to the airline in exchange for compensation and a later flight, you may want to get answers to these important questions:

• When is the next flight on which the airline can confirm your seat?  The alternate flight may be just as acceptable to you.  On the other hand, if the airline offers to put you on standby on another flight that’s full, you could be stuck at your departure airport for a long time.  
• Will the airline provide other amenities such as free meals, a hotel room, transfers between the hotel and the airport, and a phone card?  If not, you might have to spend the money it offers you on food or lodging while you wait for the next flight.  
• How long is the ticket or voucher good for?  
• Is the ticket or voucher unusable during holiday periods when you might want to use it?  
• Can it be used for international flights?

Involuntarily Giving Up Your Seat (Bumping)

Sometimes, when an airline asks for volunteers to give up their seats and fly on a different flight, there are not enough volunteers.  When this occurs, the airline will select passengers to give up their seats.  This is called  “involuntary denied boarding”  or  “bumping.”

How does an airline determine who has to give up their seat?

• While it is legal for airlines to involuntarily bump passengers from an oversold flight when there are not enough volunteers, it is the airline’s responsibility to determine its own fair boarding priorities.  
• If there are not enough passengers who are willing to give up their seats voluntarily, an airline may deny you a seat on an aircraft based on criteria that it establishes, such as the passenger’s check-in time, the fare paid by the passenger, or the passenger’s frequent flyer status.  However, the criteria cannot subject a passenger to any unjust or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage.  For example, an airline could not lawfully use a passenger’s race or ethnicity as a criterion. 

Do airlines have to tell me my rights when I’m involuntarily bumped?

• Yes.  DOT requires airlines to give all passengers who are bumped involuntarily a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets bumped.

Can airlines involuntarily bump me after I have boarded the flight?

• You have checked-in for your flight before the check-in deadline set by the airlines; and
• A gate agent has accepted your paper boarding pass or electronically scanned your boarding pass and let you know that you may proceed to board.
• However, airlines may deny boarding or remove you from a flight even after accepting your boarding pass and informing you that you may proceed to board if the denial or removal is due to a safety, security, or health risk, or due to a behavior that is considered obscene, disruptive, or otherwise unlawful.

Are airlines required to pay me money when I’m involuntarily bumped?

• It depends.  An airline is required to compensate you after involuntarily bumping you from an oversold flight in certain situations.  However, there are many situations where you are not entitled to compensation.

Bumped passengers are NOT eligible for compensation in the following situations:

• Aircraft Change  - A smaller plane is substituted for the larger one the airline originally planned on using due to operational or safety reasons.  
• Weight and Balance  - Weight or balance restrictions that apply to planes with 60 or fewer seats for operational or safety reasons.  
• Downgrading  - A passenger is downgraded from a higher class of seating to a lower class.  In this case, the passenger is entitled to a refund for the difference in price.  
• Charter Flights  -  A flight contracted for a specific trip that is not part of an airline’s regular schedule.  
• Small Aircraft  - Scheduled flights on planes holding fewer than 30 passengers.  
• Flights Departing a Foreign Location  - International flights to the United States.  However, some airlines on these routes may provide compensation voluntarily. Also, the European Commission has a rule on bumping passengers from flights that apply to passengers departing from a European Union member state; ask the airline for details, or  visit this page . 

Situations when bumped passengers ARE eligible for compensation:

• You have a confirmed reservation,  
• You checked-in to your flight on time,  
• You arrived at the departure gate on time, and  
• The airline cannot get you to your destination within one hour of your flight’s original arrival time.

If I am entitled to compensation, how is the amount of compensation calculated?

• Passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily due to oversales are entitled to compensation that is based on the price of their ticket, the length of time that they are delayed in getting to their destination because of being denied boarding, and whether their flight is a domestic flight or an international flight leaving from the United States.  This is called “denied boarding compensation” or “DBC” for short.  
• Most bumped passengers who experience short delays on flights will receive compensation equal to double the one-way price of the flight they were bumped from, but airlines may limit this amount to up to $775.  Passengers experiencing longer delays on flights will receive payments of four times the one-way value of the flight they were bumped from, but airlines may limit this amount to up to $1,550.  Please see the tables below.

Domestic - Denied Boarding Compensation (DBC)

International - Denied Boarding Compensation (DBC)

When will I receive compensation if I am eligible to receive it?

• Following a bumping incident, airlines must offer passengers compensation at the airport on the same day.   
• If the airline provides substitute transportation that leaves the airport before the airline can pay the passenger, the airline must pay the passenger within 24 hours of the bumping incident.   

Is there is a limit on how much money airlines are allowed to give me when I am involuntarily bumped?

• No.  Although airlines are required to give you a certain amount of money by law, airlines are free to give you more money than is required if they want to.

Other Reasons You May Be Removed From a Flight

An airline can refuse to transport a passenger for the reasons listed in its contract of carriage, a legal agreement between the passenger and airline, so long as the refusal is not discriminatory, such as:

• Being intoxicated or under the influence of illegal drugs.  
• Attempting to interfere with the duties of a flight crew member.  
• Disrupting flight operations or engaging in unruly behavior.  
• Having an offensive odor that is not caused by a disability or illness.

FAA regulations state that “no person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with a crewmember in the performance of the crewmember’s duties aboard an aircraft being operated.”  

To read the federal regulation implementing these rules, click  here .

DOT Relaunches Air Consumer Website

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Sakhalin: Your Essential Guide to Russia’s Enigmatic Eastern Island

• January 14, 2024

A Journey Through Giant Burdocks, Wild Bears, and the Echoes of Ancient Japanese Temples

From the most dreaded place of exile in the Russian Empire to a Japanese industrial base and one of the most attractive and inaccessible places for domestic tourism in Russia.

Table of Contents

An island that was Russian, then Japanese, and then Russian again

From the 17th to the mid-19th century, it was believed that Sakhalin was a peninsula. This misconception firmly established itself on the maps of the time, as navigators failed to circumnavigate the island. The proximity of Sakhalin’s southern tip to the mainland created a false impression of being impassable for ships. An additional complexity arose from the fact that the route taken by ships from the Russian Empire involved passing through a narrow strait, which Nevelskoy managed to navigate only in 1849.

For a long time, people did not believe Nevelskoy, but he insisted that he had discovered a route through the strait, for which he became something of a hero in Primorye. Monuments and plaques dedicated to him can be found in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Vladivostok, and Khabarovsk. The H4H creative association created a graphic novel based on this story, which won a cultural initiatives contest and became part of the interior of the Khabarovsk Airport. By the way, the Sakhalin region is the only Russian entity entirely located on islands.

The remote and isolated location of the island during the Russian Empire was used as a natural barrier, and it became the site of penal colonies for hard labor prisoners. Its geographical position led to Sakhalin’s hard labor being regarded as particularly cruel.

During the period of the island’s development, Russian ships followed the Amur River and reached the island from the north, where the oldest port, Alexandrovsk, was founded. The Japanese attempted to develop the island from the south, entering through the Kuril Islands (part of the Sakhalin region) and Aniva Bay. For a long time, the Kurils were inhabited by the Ainu, representatives of a small indigenous people. The very word “Kurils” comes from the Ainu: “kuru” means “man.”

In the 17th century, Japan conducted its first expeditions towards the islands and began their development. Russia reached them later. The first mentions of the islands in Russian language date back to the late 17th century. For a long time, Russian, Dutch, Japanese, and Anglo-French navigators studied the islands, landed on them, and disputed their territorial ownership. However, only Russia and Japan managed to establish a foothold. To end the territorial disputes, the governments of the two countries signed an agreement under which the Kuril Islands went to Japan, and Sakhalin to Russia, which continued to develop the island mainly from the north. After the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, which ended in Russia’s defeat, the southern part of Sakhalin became part of Japan as the Karafuto Prefecture.

Until the second half of the 20th century, the island was owned by Japan and was quite successful in developing its resources. A huge number of mines were opened, several cities and lighthouses were built. In particular, the current regional center, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, was the former Japanese city of Toyohara. The famous Aniva lighthouse, now considered a symbol of Sakhalin, was built by Japanese engineers. After Japan’s defeat in World War II, the island passed to the Soviet Union. Contrary to history, the main life of the island moved from the north to the south. Alexandrovsk, which was convenient to reach by water, lost to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with its infrastructure built by the Japanese, connections to neighboring cities, and airport. Interestingly, before leaving, the Japanese buried and hid the mining sites, and locals say that not all the old mines have been found yet, and they are sometimes stumbled upon during walks.

Because the island belonged to three different countries in just over a hundred years, it did not have time to develop any significant urban infrastructure. The cities lack outstanding architectural monuments and unique museums. However, some unusual Japanese architecture has remained. Meanwhile, Sakhalin compactly houses incredible natural attractions. Here, one can climb through forests and bamboo thickets to breathtakingly beautiful mountains as if outlined in graphite, and through a mountain pass reach the sea, into which clear mountain rivers flow with fish splashing in them.

The Ainu and Nivkh: Inhabitants of Sakhalin

For a long time, the island was mainly inhabited by the Ainu and Nivkh peoples. These ethnic groups are very different, making their coexistence as unusual as the neighboring of birch and bamboo on the slopes of Sakhalin’s mountains. Both are isolate peoples . However, the Ainu belong to the Australoid race, while the Nivkh are Mongoloids (the main population of Asian territories). It’s fascinating how representatives of different races have coexisted for ages on a small piece of land at the edge of the world.

There is no single version regarding the origin of the Ainu, leading to a multitude of theories — both scientific and conspiratorial. One theory suggests that the Ainu are the ancestors of the indigenous population of Australia, remaining in the north after continental migration. Some researchers write that the Ainu are the forebears of the Japanese. This theory is supported by the fact that before Japanese expansion, the Ainu mainly inhabited the Japanese island of Hokkaido. However, the Ainu suffered greatly from Japanese imperialism, and their culture and language were almost completely destroyed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, there are just over two thousand Ainu living on Sakhalin.

The Nivkh are among the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the north. They suffered less from Japanese rule. However, during the Soviet era, they experienced a difficult phase of literacy development, destruction of tribal communities, and relocation to cities. About 2,200 Nivkh live in the Sakhalin region and another approximately two thousand in Khabarovsk.

During the Karafuto period, Japan brought captured Koreans to Sakhalin for hard labor. By the mid-20th century, the Korean population of the island was about 45,000 people. For comparison, the current population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is 180,000. This large number of people, deprived of their homeland, was forced to adapt to life first under Japanese and then Soviet rule. In the USSR, Koreans were issued passports, and there were national kindergartens and schools. However, Sakhalin Koreans did not feel part of the larger community of Soviet Koreans (Koryo-saram) and struggled to integrate. Moreover, they were considered members of an ‘unreliable nation’ because they had lived in the Japanese Empire.

In the late 1990s, three countries – Russia, South Korea, and Japan – began a repatriation campaign for the first generation of Sakhalin Koreans (born before August 15, 1945) to their historical homeland. Now, about 3,500 repatriates from Russia live in South Korea. Under the program, the Korean government provides medical insurance and a monthly allowance to the repatriates. The Japanese government, in turn, buys housing (apartments up to 40 m²) and covers transportation costs. Additionally, every two years, Sakhalin Koreans who have moved to their homeland have the right to visit Sakhalin for free, funded by the Japanese government. Most Sakhalin Koreans settled in the city of Ansan , where 500 apartments were specially built for them.

Korean influence is weakly traced on Sakhalin: many Sakhalin Koreans no longer know the language and do not associate themselves with Korea. However, there are several authentic restaurants (for example, “Koba” ) on the island where you can try traditional dishes.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — the capital and base for exploring the island

The city is predominantly characterized by typical Soviet architecture, with almost no remaining Japanese buildings. This is because during the Soviet period, the city was radically rebuilt after being liberated from ‘imperialist Japanese rule.’ Many buildings were demolished, and from the few that remained, some were turned into museums. Perhaps the main thing that has been preserved from the Japanese period is the layout. The city was founded from scratch near the Russian village of Vladimirovka, and Chicago was chosen as the model for its layout. Toyohara was divided into four parts by two main streets, O-dori (now Lenin) and Maoka-dori (Sakhalinskaya).

Japan established itself thoroughly on the island. In Toyohara, trade routes converged, new bays were developed, and roads were built. The city’s population grew steadily. Initially due to the military garrison, and later due to a paper mill, a sugar and distillery plant. Now, the buildings of the former Japanese factories are abandoned. Many of them can only be accessed with rare tours, while others are completely closed. However, their presence is still recalled by street names, such as Paper Street.

Another building in the Neo-Japanese style is the Karafuto Governorate Museum built in the 1930s (29 Communist Avenue). It now houses the Sakhalin Regional Museum . And in the former bank of colonial development, there is the Art Museum (137 Lenin Street).

Several other iconic buildings constructed by the Japanese have been preserved: the central hospital of Toyohara (41 Chekhov Street), the conference hall of the Karafuto Governorate (30 Dzerzhinsky Street), and the Toyohara City Hall (41 Communist Avenue). The Sakhalin Railway Museum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is distinct from many similar museums in Russia due to its exhibits. This is because the island long maintained the Japanese standard of railway gauge, which differs from the Russian standard. Accordingly, the rolling stock was entirely different.

If in Vladivostok everything is named after the Far Eastern explorer and writer Vladimir Arsenyev, then in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, mentions of Chekhov are everywhere. At the end of the 19th century, Sakhalin was both the most dreaded place for exile to hard labor and one of the most tempting corners of Russia, which was not so easy to access. Chekhov received an editorial assignment and embarked on a ship along with prisoners, military personnel, and sailors to the most remote point of the empire. In his notes, which Chekhov compiled under the title ‘The Island of Sakhalin,’ the writer talked about many things: the geography and climate of the island, the life of the convicts, and ordinary residents. This book caused a great resonance at the time, and even now it was very interesting to read it while traveling to Sakhalin: some things have changed drastically, while others have remained the same. Now in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is even a museum dedicated to this one book, which turned out to be so significant for the island.

GoSakhalin is the website of the Sakhalin Tourist and Information Center. And in their official Telegram channel , you can find announcements of affordable excursions shortly before they start.

In any case, for travelers, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk remains primarily a hub and a place of rest. Here they return for the night and dinner, and it seems that real adventures begin outside the doorstep.

Surrounding Area

10–20 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The main reason people visit Sakhalin is for its unique nature. Mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and the sea, all on a small piece of land. In one day, you can travel from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Sea of Japan, cross several climate zones, see bamboo groves, birches, and spruces in one place, spot a running fox and a swimming orca. The island’s landscapes can boldly compete in Instagram appeal with Iceland or Norway.

Within Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk alone, there are about 30 kilometers of marked ecotrails, with brief descriptions and routes available on the official tourism portal. I also found an ecotrail in Nevelsk, which is not mentioned on the official website.

The ecotrails in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk start from the ‘Mountain Air’ ski center on the sopka (a term for mountains in the Far East) Bolshevik. There are five in total: ‘Children’s’ (2.7 kilometers), ‘Eight’ (8 kilometers), ‘Northern Ring’ (9 kilometers), ‘Russian’ (3.2 kilometers), and ‘Yelanka’ (5 kilometers). You can take a cable car to the start of the trails and then slowly descend through the forest and park to the city. However, the lift does not operate in rainy and windy weather.

Hiking the ‘Eight’ trail took me no more than three hours, including stops to catch my breath and take photos. Every kilometer and a half along the route, there are benches. From the top of the mountain, there is a view of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and it seems you can see a piece of the Sea of Okhotsk.

Chekhov Peak

The route to Chekhov Peak is a high-mountain trekking path that requires a certain level of physical fitness. Chekhov Peak has an elevation of 1045 meters, with an absolute altitude gain of 752 meters. The trail is narrow and slippery in places, hardly suitable for children or people with limited mobility.

Chekhov Peak is part of the Susunai Range, which supports Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from the southeast. You can exit from Gagarin city park to the foothills in about half an hour. The ascent to the peak itself cannot be missed: a marked trail and informational signs lead to it. On particularly steep ascents, ropes are hung for safety, but it is possible to walk up the slope without them.

In late spring, the forest trail has many streams, as well as May primroses and butterflies. The foothills are scattered with rare, incredibly large, and wonderfully fragrant marsh callas. Halfway to the peak, bamboo thickets are encountered, through which birches break through. This is also a kind of magic because, as a biologist friend explained to me, birch and bamboo are not supposed to coexist in the natural environment, but somehow they manage to do so. Occasionally, spruces are encountered — not tall, but very fluffy. Closer to the top, the vegetation becomes sparser, and the impressive views of the sea, mountains, and lakes open up from the height.

• The entire hike takes five to six hours.
• Even in summer, there is snow on the summit. In the afternoon, it starts to melt, making it more difficult to walk.
• Don’t forget to bring food and water.
• Wear boots with covered ankles, a jacket, and a head covering.
• Inform your family and friends, and someone living in Sakhalin, before setting out on the route. If you’re traveling alone, you could notify, for example, the hotel receptionist or roommates in a hostel.
• Snakes and bears are found around the trail. Watch your feet and try to make as much noise as possible. For example, play music on your phone and sing along occasionally.
• The ascent to Chekhov Peak can be the start of a journey to the village of Lesnoye on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. The distance to the village is 27 kilometers. With good preparation and an early start from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, this distance can be covered in one day.

Mud Volcano in Klyuchi

A mud volcano is an eruption on the earth’s surface of clay masses, mineralized waters, and gases. The mechanism of formation of these volcanoes is not fully understood. According to the existing theory, such volcanoes are formed near oil fields.

The mud volcano in Klyuchi consists of a mud field about 200 meters in diameter. There, you can see about 20 points of activity, resembling miniature volcano craters. This mud volcano became active in 1959, 1979, 2001, and 2011 (the last time due to a strong earthquake in Japan). During these eruptions, mud columns reached several tens of meters in height. Bus 189 goes to Klyuchi from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The distance from the village to the top of the volcano is nine kilometers and takes about two and a half hours to walk.

Ecopark in the Vestochka area: Frog Rock, Aikhor Waterfall, ‘Sunny Glade’ Recreation Park

Not far from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is a fairly large ecopark, known primarily for the Frog Rock outcrop. An outcrop is a remnant of harder rock around which softer rock has eroded over time. Outcrops are often known for their unusual shapes and are natural monuments. Frog Rock is part of a series of rocks standing one behind the other. This was once the seabed of an ancient sea, and fossilized shells can be found in its vicinity. From the top of the rock, amazing views of the Aniva Bay, Tunaycha and Changeable Lakes open up. This place was sacred to the Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of the island.

The trail to the ‘Sunny Glade’ ecopark begins behind the ‘Electron’ culture house. Despite its name, it is not a city park, but a full-fledged forest with laid-out paths. There are houses, glades with tables for rest where you can cook barbecues, and wooden walkways leading to various attractions. These are all paid services.

The path to Frog Rock outcrop goes along the Komissarovka River. In areas of spring flooding, callas bloom and bamboo grows. The outcrop is located on a hill, with a total elevation gain of about 300 meters. The road is quite challenging, usually taking from an hour to an hour and a half. The higher you climb, the more you can see: the sea, the mountain gorge, the road to Vestochka. In the same park is the Aikhor Waterfall, which is also a short climb away, but along a less well-maintained trail. You can plan a whole day to visit Vestochka and even spend the night, without returning to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Vestochka is three high-rise buildings on one side of the road and a cottage settlement on the other. It is part of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, though located 15 kilometers from the main part of the city. A taxi there costs about 1000 rubles and takes 40 minutes. About a kilometer after turning off the main road, the asphalt ends and a terribly dusty dirt road begins. If you’re lucky, you can catch a bus that runs three times a day.

What else to see on the island

40 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The oldest city in the south of Sakhalin, founded by Nevelskoy’s expedition. Here you can find a huge number of monuments dedicated to sailors, naval battles, and ships. The most significant monument in the city in recent decades has become the stele dedicated to ‘Koreans interned by the Japanese in Sakhalin, who never returned to their homeland,’ located on Mount Sorrow, created through the efforts of three countries’ governments (Russia, Japan, and Korea).

In Korsakov, some Japanese heritage has been preserved: the former building of the Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, a colonial development bank (Sovetskaya Street, 3), trade warehouses in the port, a document storage facility ‘Bunsyoko’ (Krasnoflotskaya Street, 1), a couple of rusty fire hydrants, and remnants of Shinto temples in the form of pillars with hieroglyphs. One of the local nighttime entertainments is watching the lights of the gas processing plant.

How to get there. Three electric trains a day, the journey takes just over an hour, and the ticket costs 75 rubles (0.73 euros).

Bird and Giant Capes

90 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Two capes, recognized as natural monuments in 1990, along whose coasts are many wind and wave-carved grottoes, caves, arches, and columns of various sizes and whimsical shapes, among which colonies of sea birds reside.

The place is not very close, but it’s very picturesque at any time of the year. In the area of one of the rocks, there is a pool where, during the salmon spawning period, you can observe a fascinating spectacle — a huge gathering of pink salmon.

Many tourists stay on the coast overnight to witness the sunset and sunrise. Near Cape Giant, there is a toilet, parking, and a rest area with benches.

How to get there. The journey from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk goes through the village of Okhotskoe, where you can buy fresh crabs, and takes about three hours one way. The road is fully passable only by high vehicles like Mitsubishi Pajero, Suzuki Jimny, as the last ten kilometers of the route have deep puddles, potholes, small cliffs, and rivers.

Nevelsk and Steller Sea Lions

Nevelsk is nestled between mountains and sea. The rocky mountains and the coast, which consists of small stone needles and shells, in every way explain why Chekhov so often mentioned in ‘The Island of Sakhalin’ how harsh the land of Sakhalin is.

Steller sea lions are the largest of the eared seals. One of their habitats is the breakwater in Nevelsk. As soon as you arrive in the town, the smell from the Steller sea lions’ haul-out site hits you. ‘They eat there, live, give birth to their young – that’s why it smells,’ the locals explain. Another feature is the noise. Steller sea lions are very loud!

You can view the sea lions from the central square, where binoculars are installed. However, tourists usually hire a boat and approach the haul-out site to get a closer look at the seals. You can see how the Steller sea lions bark, lie in the sun, jump into the sea and, most interestingly, try to jump back. The views from the square through binoculars are not as detailed and impressive. A place on the boat will cost 1000–1500 rubles (9.76 – (14.65 euros). You can also buy a tour from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for 3500 rubles (34.18 euros). The most animals are present in spring and early summer. In autumn, there may be a couple of dozen individuals left.

From the embankment, you can observe the huge kelp laminaria floating in the sea. Some travelers catch them themselves and eat them. Although dishes made from seaweed are found in cafes and also sold in stores. Signs are installed on the shore indicating where to run in case of a tsunami. The last major earthquake with waves was recorded in 2007. Many houses were destroyed and two people died. The most famous Sakhalin tsunami was the 1952 tragedy , when the aftermath of the earthquake almost completely destroyed Severo-Kurilsk.

How to get there. From the bus station (Karl Marx Street, 51b) in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, buses go to Nevelsk, the ticket costs 300 rubles (2.93 euros), and the journey takes about an hour. Tickets can be purchased at the bus station ticket office or from the driver (cash or transfer). It’s not possible to board the bus somewhere in the city, as the bus does not make stops. It’s better to buy a return ticket immediately upon arrival in Nevelsk at the Nevelsk bus station ticket office (Lenina Street, 1). The bus is popular with locals, and there may simply be no seats left.

Remnants of structures from the Karafuto period include the Maoka-Jinja temple with a Japanese-style garden and an abandoned railway built by the Japanese. It used to connect Kholmsk with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Tourists usually come to see two photogenic bridges – Devil’s and Witch’s – and a tunnel in the mountain that makes a full circle inside it. The trail passes along the old rails, and there are many vipers, so one needs to watch their step.

How to get there. The bus to Kholmsk takes two hours, the ticket costs 450 rubles (4.39 euros), with 14 trips a day.

Slepikovsky Cape and Lighthouse

120 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

At Slepikovsky Cape, there is the only relic grove of Korean cedar on Sakhalin. Also located here is the functioning Slepikovsky Lighthouse, which is a 27-meter tall round tower, connected by corridors to utility and residential buildings.

The cape and lighthouse are named after the commander of the Russian partisan detachment Bronislav Grotto-Slepikovsky, who operated in Southern Sakhalin during the 1904–1905 war. The route to the lighthouse goes through the villages of Yablochnoe and Sadovniki, where some of the best beaches on Sakhalin are located — with the cleanest water and white sand.

How to get there. The cape is located 29 kilometers north of Kholmsk. From Kholmsk to the turn towards the lighthouse, there is asphalt with dirt sections. From the turn to the lighthouse, there is first a dirt road, then beach sand, which is recommended to be driven on with deflated tires. Visiting time is from spring to autumn, as the road to the cape is not cleared in winter.

110 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

In 1891, when the island had a penal colony, this was the Russian village of Siraroko, named after a nearby Ainu settlement. In 1905, the south of Sakhalin was given to the Japanese, and the village was renamed Higashi Shiraura. Here there were a railway station, a brick factory, and a coal mine. 40 years later, the settlement was renamed Vzmorye.

During the Japanese times, there was the Shinto shrine Higashi Shiraura Inari-Jinja. Only the torii gates remain — P-shaped gates without doors that are placed on the path to a Shinto shrine. These are the only torii on Sakhalin. On the torii, there is an inscription ‘In honor of the 2600th anniversary of the foundation of Great Japan’ — this mythological date was widely celebrated in 1940.

On the way to the torii, you can see the famous giant burdocks and bear’s garlic. Vzmorye is also known as a place where poached crabs are sold along the highway.

How to get there. Two electric trains and one train that start from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk stop in Vzmorye. Unfortunately, all three are in the evening. You can also get there on passing buses that go to the north of the island.

Tikhaya Bay

140 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

On one side, the bay is framed by Mount Smely, and on the other side, the majestic Zhdanko Ridge begins. To the left in the bay itself is an island-kekur, which can be reached during low tide, as well as the epic cliffs of Tikhaya Cape. By the way, behind this cape, there are waterfalls that become icefalls in winter. At the base of the bay is the mouth of the Tikhaya River, where during the season you can see the spawning of pink salmon and chum salmon. Bears are aware of this, so they are often encountered here.

How to get there. Buses going to Poronaysk stop in the village of Tikhoye, near which the bay is located. There are four trips a day.

Aniva Lighthouse

The lighthouse has a complex history: there were attempts to maintain it under Soviet rule, but Aniva was so remote from inhabited areas that it was not profitable. Eventually, the lighthouse was switched to autonomous mode, bringing in a radioactive isotope to sustain its operation, and then it was completely closed. To this day, you can find signs on the walls reading ‘Caution, radioactive’. But now this warning is outdated, as the radioactive isotope was removed when the lighthouse was decommissioned. The lighthouse is very beautiful, offering views of the island and sea, and inside you can explore the remnants of rooms and working areas.

On the return trip, tourists are also taken to Mramornaya Bay, where you can also climb a mountain and view the jagged coast of Sakhalin from above. Orcas and whales are often encountered in these areas, most frequently in summer. I would also recommend taking a combined tour in summer to Aniva Lighthouse, the Blue Lakes, and Busse Lagoon, where you can see the amazingly blue waters and try sea urchins.

A kilometer from Novikov is Cape Tri Kamnya (46.320342 143.373006), which can even be reached by car. Four kilometers from the cape is the small Strelka waterfall , which requires a walk. If you stay in the village overnight, you can take a hike to the Blue (turquoise) Lakes (46.359603, 143.471909). On the way, there’s an abandoned Japanese power station. You can extend your route by another 15 kilometers and reach the opposite shore of the peninsula – to Cape Evstafiya. The road from Novikov to Cape Evstafyeva through the Blue Lakes can be driven in a jeep, if there hasn’t been prolonged rain before. But it’s better to ask in advance those who have recently been there, and get the phone number of a local tractor driver in Novikov, so that if something happens, he can pull you out.

How to get there. Getting there independently is almost impossible. The lighthouse is located on a rocky outcrop in the sea, and the nearest land is a high cliff. However, some people do reach Novikovo (the nearest village) by bus or car, and then walk 44 kilometers on foot to Aniva (the name of both the lighthouse and the bay). It takes about one and a half hours to drive from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Novikovo. And then another two hours of rough dirt road to the boat dock. A tour from the company ‘Friends-Hikers’ costs 6000 rubles (58.59 euros) in May (in summer – 7000 rubles (68.35 euros)).

Klokovsky Waterfall

190 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Klokovsky Waterfall is one of the highest waterfalls on Sakhalin Island. Its height is variously reported to be 48–49 meters, with a width of up to nine meters. The waterfall is accessible year-round, but is most full in late spring and early summer.

Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky

The ‘Tri Brata’ (Three Brothers) rocks are definitely a symbol of Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, and perhaps of the entire island. They are located in the Alexandrovsk Gulf almost opposite Cape Zhonkiyor. From the cape, there is a stunning view of the vast Tatar Strait and the Three Brothers. At low tide, it’s possible to calmly explore all the attractions of the gulf, collect seaweed and shells, see hermit crabs scuttling along the seabed with their shells on their backs, or watch the leaves of laminaria sway. At the strongest low tide, you can even walk to the Three Brothers through the water.

In the 19th century, convicts carved a 90-meter tunnel through Cape Zhonkiyor to service the lighthouse. To reach the tunnel by land, you need to come at low tide. Otherwise, you’ll have to climb the rocks. The tunnel is lined with logs, but there is almost always water at the bottom and a strong wind howls through it. If you pass through the tunnel, you will see the ‘Tri Sestry’ (Three Sisters) rocks and an old lighthouse from the end of the 19th century. All these places are described by Chekhov in ‘The Island of Sakhalin’: ‘Most often we went to the lighthouse, which stands high above the valley, on Cape Zhonkiyor. During the day, the lighthouse, if looked at from below, is a modest white house with a mast and lantern, but at night it shines brightly in the darkness, and then it seems that the penal colony looks at the world with its red eye. The road to the house climbs steeply, winding around the mountain, past old larches and firs. The higher you climb, the freer you breathe; the sea spreads before your eyes, thoughts gradually come, having nothing to do with the prison, the penal colony, or the exile settlement, and only then do you realize how dull and difficult life is down below.’

How to get there. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, there is one bus trip per day – at 12:10. The ticket costs 2200 rubles (21.48 euros), and the journey takes nine hours.

600 kilometers from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The main transit point on the way to the oil refineries. The village might be of interest to those curious to see a harsh northern town living off production: low-rise buildings made of siding and unexpectedly bright murals on the walls of five-story buildings. There is a local history museum in the village (Sovetskaya Street, 3) – it is praised for its excellent exhibition of the Nivkh culture and a monument to Nevelskoy. Also, one of the longest rivers of Sakhalin, the Tym (which translates from Nivkh as ‘spawning river’), flows through the town.

How to get there. A night train goes to Nogliki every day, taking almost 12 hours. The cheapest ticket in a seated carriage costs 1100 rubles (10.74 euros), a compartment – 4100 (40.03 euros). There is even a luxury (SV) carriage for 12600 rubles (123.03 euros).

Where to Stay

Hostels in the Far East are divided into work and tourist types. The former will also accommodate tourists, but the atmosphere there is like a dormitory where their own rules are already established, and you may feel like an uninvited guest. To avoid such a hostel, it’s important to carefully read the reviews, not book the cheapest hostels, not stay on the outskirts or near airports and train stations.

In the Islander hostel , mainly travelers stay, it’s very cozy, with convenient kitchen and showers with toilets. A double room costs 3000 rubles per day, and dorms – from 900 rubles (8.79 euros) per night. If you book directly through the website and for a long term, you can get a good discount.

The ‘Moneron’ hotel is located near the railway and bus stations. It’s a classic budget hotel with small clean rooms. The ‘comfort’ class rooms have a bath, and the hotel provides a complete set with slippers, towels, and a hairdryer. Prices start from 2800 rubles (27.34 euros) per night for a single economy room, while ‘comfort’ costs 4900 rubles (47.85 euros). Breakfast is included in the price.

The ‘Belka’ hotel building is made using Finnish technology in a wooden style from milled timber. The cost of large rooms with wooden walls and huge beds starts from 5800 rubles (56.63 euros). Breakfast is also included in the price. The hotel complex includes a sauna, spa, tavern, and gym.

Near Bussé Bay is the island’s only dome-shaped glamping site. A night for two costs 8000-10,000 rubles (78.12 – 97.65 euros). An extra bed is 2000 (19.53 euros). Each dome has a shower, toilet, and electricity. On cooler days, you can light the stove and sit by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa.

In other towns, apart from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the choice of hotels is quite modest and usually limited to one or two hotels, which cannot always be booked online. They have to be found on the map and booked by phone.

Transport on the Island

Car. If you’re only traveling between cities, there won’t be any problems – the roads between them are mostly paved, and the dirt roads are of more or less good quality. It gets more complicated with natural attractions. Almost all of them are accessed by dirt roads, which not every car can navigate.

In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, ‘Yandex.Taxi’ and ‘Maxim’ operate (also in Korsakov and Kholmsk). A trip within the city limits will cost a maximum of 300 rubles (2.93 euros).

Railway. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, about 30 electric trains depart daily. Most of them go to nearby areas like Dalnyaya, Khristoforovka, and Novoaleksandrovka stations – 8–23 minutes travel time.

To other cities, there’s only one electric train per day. It takes an hour to Korsakov and the ticket costs 80 rubles (0.78 euro). To Tomari, it’s four hours and 300 rubles (2.93 euros). To Poronaysk, it’s five hours of travel and 500 rubles (4.88 euros) for a ticket. Long-distance electric trains depart in the evening, as these routes are used by residents of the province who return from work in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to their homes.

There is also one train on the island – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Nogliki, 12 hours of travel and 1100 rubles (10.74 euros) for a ticket in a sitting carriage.

Buses. It seems you can reach even the most remote settlements by bus. Often there’s only one trip per day, but at least it exists. To Kholmsk, Nevelsk, and Korsakov, the journey takes about an hour and a half, with tickets costing around 300 rubles (2.93 euros); to Poronaysk and Uglegorsk, it’s four to five hours and 1200 rubles (11.72 euros) for a ticket. You can check the current schedule on avtovokzaly.ru . But it’s always better to double-check by phone: +7 (4242) 72-25-53. The address of the bus station is Karl Marx Street, 51b.

Airplane. Sakhalin has a quite extensive network of airports, and you can fly from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Okha, Zonalnoye, Shakhtyorsk, Poronaysk, Smirnykh, Yuzhno-Kurilsk, and Iturup. Flights are operated by the Far Eastern airlines ‘Aurora’ and ‘Taiga’ . These routes are served by small propeller planes Bombardier and Mi-8 helicopters. Such a flight is an interesting experience in itself. Moreover, some flights are quite inexpensive. For example, to Zonalnoye, Shakhtyorsk, and Poronaysk, tickets cost 2000–3000 rubles (19.53 – 29.29 euros) one way. To Okha and the Kurils – from 6000 rubles (58.59 euros).

Ferry. From Korsakov, ferries run to different settlements in the Kurils every three to four days. The ferry to Kurilsk takes about 22 hours, to Yuzhno-Kurilsk – 22–30 hours, and to Malokurilskoye – about 40 hours. Interestingly, a ticket to any of these settlements costs from 2800 rubles (27.34 euros), available on the website of the ferry company.

How to get there

By plain. To travel to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from Europe, passengers typically fly through major transit hubs. Common routes involve flying from a European city to one of the major Russian airports offering direct flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, such as Moscow’s Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo airports. In 2023 it is only possible to fly to Moscow from major transit hubs such as Istanbul or Erevan. From there, travelers can catch one of the direct flights to the island. Some routes might also include stops or transfers in other large cities in Russia or Asia, depending on the airline and the flight itinerary, for instance, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Sovetskaya Gavan, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There is even one international flight from Harbin, China.

In good weather, on approach to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, you can see the Tatar Strait, the Western Ridge, and the city itself. The airport is located within the city limits, and from there, you can easily reach any point by public transport (buses 63 and 3) or taxi.

Ferry. Vanino (Khabarovsk Krai) to Kholmsk (Sakhalin) . Passenger tickets for the ferry are sold at the Vanino railway station or at the ticket office in Kholmsk (Lenin Square, 5). They can also be reserved by phone: +7 (42137) 74088 (Vanino), +7 (42433) 50880 (Kholmsk). The ferries run daily, with a journey time of 18–20 hours. A seat costs 650 rubles (6.35 euros), while the cheapest cabin spot is 1400 rubles (13.67 euros). There is a dining room on board.

I was on the island in early May, and this has its pros and cons. On one hand, it’s already not very cold in Sakhalin at this time, and you can walk around in a light jacket or sweatshirt, and sometimes even just in a T-shirt. At the end of spring, you can catch the largest number of Steller sea lions in Nevelsk (closer to summer they migrate towards Avacha Bay). Also at this time, you can see the forest awakening: streams penetrate it from all sides, in their floodplains swamp callas bloom, meadows fill with primroses, and the hills are covered with bright green bamboo shoots. On the other hand, there is still snow in the mountains, in which you can get stuck while climbing, and the sea, which is not very warm in these areas, is completely unsuitable for swimming.

In summer, Sakhalin is not very hot, the coast blooms with wild roses, the sea warms up a bit, and there is less chance of bad weather when visiting remote attractions. Also, it’s precisely at this time you can see orcas (June – July) and whales (July – August), as well as the salmon spawning.

In winter, snowboarders and skiers come to Sakhalin. The mountains on the island are not high, so they are suitable even for beginners.

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