Cash-declaration thresholds at the border across African markets
This rule differs from market to market. Below is each African market's published position on cross-border cash-declaration threshold, as stated in the cited official instrument — the record, not a verdict. Rules, not rates — no exchange rate is recorded.
Where a rule is set at union level it appears once: the WAEMU (UMOA/UEMOA) rule applies in all 8 member states.
The comparable axis is the normalized facet cross-border cash-declaration threshold — which makes each market's rule comparable on one table, market to market, without flattening the differences between them.
Facet id (as used by the Afriset MCP): xborder:CASH_DECLARATION_THRESHOLD
The record, market by market
| Market | The record | Source | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burundi | Travellers entering or leaving Burundi must declare cross-border cash at the border posts when it exceeds ten thousand US dollars (USD 10,000) or the equivalent in another foreign currency; a separate lower threshold applies to Burundi-franc cash (Réglementation des changes du 28.12.2023, art. 13). Verbatim"les voyageurs se rendant à ou venant de l'étranger doivent déclarer aux postes-frontières les sommes en cash, si celles-ci dépassent dix mille dollars américains (10.000 USD)" | Banque de la République du Burundi — Réglementation des changes du 28.12.2023 — art. 13 (cash declaration), art. 15 (resident FX accounts), art. 38 (repatriation delay), art. 39 (repatriation channel + coffee/tea surrender) | 2023-12-28 |
| DR Congo | Foreign-currency cash carried across the border, on entry or exit, may not reach USD 10,000 (or its equivalent in other foreign currencies); amounts above that ceiling must move by bank transfer. (USD 10,000) Verbatim"le montant en monnaies étrangères à détenir en espèces à l'entrée et à la sortie du territoire national ne peut être égal ou supérieur à dollars américains dix mille (USD 10.000) ou son équivalent en d'autres monnaies étrangères. Les sommes excédant ce plafond à l'entrée comme à la sortie du territoire national doivent faire l'objet d'un transfert bancaire." | Réglementation du Change en République Démocratique du Congo (base text; JO reproduction, 71 pp) | 2014-03-28 |
| Ghana | A traveller may carry up to US$10,000-equivalent without declaration; above that the whole amount must be declared on the Currency Declaration Form. (US$10,000) Verbatim"…permitted to carry up to $10,000.00 or its equivalent in any other monetary instruments without declaration. However where the amount is in excess of $10,000.00, the whole amount shall be declared…" | BoG Notice No. BG/GOV/SEC/2019/05 — Importation and Exportation of Foreign Currency (Cash Couriers) | 2019 |
| Kenya | Cross-border cash up to KES 500,000 or US$5,000-equivalent may be carried without declaration; larger amounts are permitted but must be declared at the point of entry or exit. (KES 500,000 / US$5,000) Verbatim"Any person leaving or entering Kenya may take out or bring into Kenya currency upto a maximum of five hundred thousand (KSh. 500,000) shillings or the equivalent of five thousand United States dollars (US$ 5,000) in foreign currency." | Central Bank of Kenya (Declaration of Currency) Regulations (Legal Notice 118 of 1998) | 2022-12-31 |
| Nigeria | Travellers must declare foreign currency exceeding US$5,000-equivalent at the border (for statistics); below that, no declaration is required. (US$5,000) Verbatim"No person shall be required to declare at the port of entry into Nigeria any foreign currency unless its value is in excess of US $5,000 or its equivalent." | Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap F34 LFN 2004 (Decree No 17 of 1995, commenced 16 Jan 1995) — the enabling Act | 1995-01-16 |
| Rwanda | A rule has been located but not yet verified, so we don't publish its terms here. | FIC (Financial Intelligence Centre) official explainer: "Understanding the Cross Border Cash, BNIs Declaration/Disclose" | not dated |
| Tanzania | A person entering or leaving Tanzania with foreign currency exceeding US$10,000-equivalent must declare it to Customs. (US$10,000) Verbatim"A person who enters or leaves the United Republic while in possession of foreign currency exceeding ten thousand United States dollars or its equivalent shall declare to the Customs authorities at the time of arrival or departure as provided for under the Anti-Money Laundering (Cross Border Declaration of Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments) Regulations, 2016." | Foreign Exchange Regulations, 2022 (GN No. 294 of 2022, made under s.6(1) FX Act Cap 271) | 2022-05-13 |
| Uganda | A traveller entering or leaving Uganda with cash or bearer instruments exceeding 1,500 currency points (UGX 30,000,000) must declare it to the Uganda Revenue Authority. (1,500 currency points (UGX 30,000,000)) Verbatim"A person— (a) entering or leaving the territory of Uganda and carrying cash or bearer negotiable instruments exceeding one thousand five hundred currency points or the equivalent value in a foreign currency; or (b) arranging for the transfer of cash or bearer negotiable instruments exceeding [the same] … by mail, shipping service or any other means, shall declare that amount to the Uganda Revenue Authority…" | Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2013 (Act 12 of 2013), consolidation incl. Act 3 of 2017 | 2020-11-27 |
| WAEMU Crossing the union border BeninBurkina FasoCôte d'IvoireGuinea-BissauMaliNigerSenegalTogo | Resident travellers to non-member states must declare foreign-currency cash they carry when its FCFA counter-value exceeds 3,000,000. (3,000,000 XOF) Verbatim"…sont tenus de déclarer les moyens de paiements, en espèces, libellés en devises dont ils sont porteurs, lorsque leur contre-valeur en francs CFA excède le montant de trois millions." | Instruction n°06/07/2025/RFE … délivrance des allocations en devises aux voyageurs résidents et non résidents et au contrôle des moyens de paiement transportés… (abrogates 05-07-2011/RFE) | 2025-08-01 |
| WAEMU Crossing the union border BeninBurkina FasoCôte d'IvoireGuinea-BissauMaliNigerSenegalTogo | Non-resident travellers must declare, in writing, on entry and exit, foreign-currency means of payment exceeding a counter-value of 500,000 FCFA. (500,000 XOF) Verbatim"…à l'entrée et à la sortie du territoire national… lorsque leur montant excède la contre-valeur de cinq cent mille francs CFA." | Instruction n°06/07/2025/RFE … délivrance des allocations en devises aux voyageurs résidents et non résidents et au contrôle des moyens de paiement transportés… (abrogates 05-07-2011/RFE) | 2025-08-01 |
| South Africa | South Africa sets no numeric cash-declaration threshold — a departing traveller must, on request by the appropriate officer, declare and produce any banknotes, gold, securities or foreign currency; undeclared holdings may be seized (a separate R100,000 banknote-export cap also applies). Verbatim"Every person who is about to leave the Republic … who is requested to do so by the appropriate officer shall - (a) declare whether or not he has with him any bank notes, gold, securities or foreign currency; and (b) produce any bank notes, gold, securities or foreign currency which he has with him" | Exchange Control Regulations, 1961 (GN R.1111 of 1961-12-01, "amended up to Government Notice No. R.445 in Government Gazette No. 35430 of 8 June 2012") — SARB-hosted consolidation | 2012-06-08 |
| Zambia | A rule has been located but not yet verified, so we don't publish its terms here. | Zambia Revenue Authority — official currency-declaration notice (ZRA verified account) | not dated |
The record as published in each cited instrument, as of its source date — not legal or compliance advice. The record can change — a new rule can appear or an existing one lift — so verify current status with the regulator. Rules, not rates: no exchange rate is recorded here.
Maintained: this official source is re-checked on a weekly schedule — last checked 2026-08-04 · unchanged since the previous check.
Related
Cross-border rules by market