Taking Cash to TRNC

[DenizIsmail]

I will be travelling to Northern Cyprus from the UK next month and I need to purchase certain items for my villa that I have just purchased which would equate to around £5000 and would appreciate if anyone is aware if there are any upper limits taking cash through UK Customs ?

[tomsteel]

I'm pretty sure its €10K or the GBP equivalent. A call to HMRC will confirm this. All sums over that amount must be declared.

[Keithcaley]

tomsteel is right, according to this UK Government website

[soyelcin]

Also take receipts for money withdrawal from bank or show proof of where the money came from. They wanted to see this when I brought money over a few years ago. Saves hassle if you have everything.

[Meggymoo]

Just make sure you can prove it's come from your bank account so take all receipts

[Shell232]

Hi, this has been answered a fw times before. If you are carrying in excess of £1000 per person and you are stopped by UK Border Force officers or the police leaving the UK they will ask you to provide evidence of where the money has come from and what it is going to be used for. Yes you only have to declare over £10,000 but if stopped you will be questioned for £5000 so be prepared and have proof of the withdrawal from your bank account.

[Briannu]

Also bringing money into the UK has a £1000 limit unless you have proof of withdrawal. I got pulled over 2 weeks ago when Customs checked my hand luggage, fortunately I always carry my TRNC Bank books so there was no problem as such just a bit of a delay.

[ITFCMike]

The last two posts maybe typing errors but are wrong.

The limit is 10000 euros (or stirling equalivent)
This applies to money taken out of the UK to another EU country (TRNC included)
Any amount over that has to be declared,BEFORE CHECK IN in at the customs office (easy to find at Stansted)

Exactly the same applies to taken money out of TRNC.
I have checked with the most senior customs guy I could find at Ercan.
He was well aware of the rules.
Again up to 10000 euros just go through as normal, over 10000 euros declare it BEFORE CHECK IN.
If you have a receipt no problem you can take out as much as you like.

The rule is 10000 euros per person

[Shell232]

Itfcmike mine was not a typo it is a correct posting. Yes you have to declare if taking over 10000 £ out of the UK but as I said you may still get questioned by UK border force for any amount over £1000 under money laundering laws. Trust me I know as I have dealt with people who have had less than £10000 taken from them as they could not prove where it had come from or what it was going to be used for and this was going between EU countries let alone TRNC.

[ITFCMike]

Apolgise, just found this

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... nnex_B.PDF
which is a new one on me.

So if there are suspicions they can use the £1000 rule as a catch all,
To be entirly safe you need a receipt for anything over a £1k which is not always pratical.

[Meggymoo]

If you have a Nationwide Flex account we found it easier to just draw out £400 each day from each of our accounts. You can get at least £8000 in 10 days and bring the rest with you.

If you use this method make sure you draw out GBP from the cashpoints. These are Garanti ATM's or the HSBC one in Girne as you don't get charged for taking the money out.

[sammydavis]

Couldn't agree more, Nationwide so easy but also Halifax I think. there is an ATM at Alsancak Starling, pays out sterling in £20s but usually no problem.

[Meggymoo]

Never knew about Halifax. Will have to try them.

I know Garanti bank ATM's give sterling and apparently there is a new bank opening in Lapta somewhere that is supposed to be doing the same. Don't know what one but will keep you posted if I find out.

Also I always let Nationwide (via online banking) know when we're going away and always put Turkey and Cyprus as our destination, just in case.

We've drawn out over £7000 in this way in the past and not had any trouble and NO charges, which is great

[Deniz1]

Halifax charge for withdrawals £1.50 each time for sterling. If you withdraw TL it varies but is expensive.

[davedee]

I was stopped @ Gatwick with £5k had to explain why I was taking this much cash (Larnaca) the guy got the ok from his superior on the phone by which time every body around me knew I had £5k in my pocket.

[Cally]

When I have been over in September, management fees are due, (less than £10,000) I have taken money in an envelope & written all the withdrawls out of it & bring back what is left. One time at Stansted a dog showed interest in my bag & knowing certainly no drugs I jokingly said to handler "is he after what is left of my lunch". No but have you cash, I never knew they had dogs to sniff out cash. I said yes & showed him the envelope showing how much I had brought out & every time I took some out for exchange etc, ok fine & no probs.

[jofra]

Halifax charge for withdrawals £1.50 each time for sterling. If you withdraw TL it varies but is expensive.

Just had a look at the Halifax site, and for Debit cards it says (tried for both Turkey and Cyprus):

Debit card details
You can use your debit card to withdraw £500 or equivalent per day. We’ll make the following charges when you use your debit card to make a transaction in a currency other than sterling:

Non-sterling transaction fee 2.75%
Non-sterling purchase fee £1.50
Non-sterling cash fee £1.50
Foreign cash fee £1.50

....Makes it sound as though sterling withdrawal is free! Nice thought, but I'll believe it when I've tried it (but I hope it's true..!)