National Customs Agency

in force as of 03.06.2021

 

 ‘Cash’ shall mean:

 

currency – banknotes and coins, which are in circulation as a medium of exchange or have been in circulation as a medium of exchange and can still be exchanged through financial institutions or central banks for banknotes and coins that are in circulation as a medium of exchange; 

 

bearer negotiable instruments – instruments other than currency which entitle their holders to claim amount upon presentation of the instruments without having to prove their identity or entitlement to that amount. Those instruments are:                                            

                     -  traveller’s cheques; and

                     -  cheques, promissory notes or money orders that are either in bearer form, signed but with the payee’s name omitted, endorsed without restriction made out to a fictitious payee, or otherwise in such form that title thereto passes upon delivery;

 

‘commodity used as a highly liquid store of value’ is a good that presents a high ratio between its value and its volume and that can easily be converted into currency through accessible trading markets while incurring only modest transaction costs:

             - gold coins with gold content of at least 90%; and

             - gold bars, nuggets or clumps with a gold content of at least 99.5 %

 

 

DECLARING OF CASH WHEN TRAVELLING FROM OR TO THIRD COUNTRIES, OUTSIDE THE EU

 

If you carry cash of a value of EUR 10 000 or more or their equivalent in another currency you must fill in cash declaration when entering or leaving the Union and present it to a customs officer.

The amount that shall be declared totals EUR 10 000 or more or their equivalent in another currency and is a sum of the values of the carried cash.

If the cash carried across the border of the country is for a non-EU country and is in the amount of BGN 30 000 or more or its equivalent in another currency, the persons have to pay off their debt to the National Revenue Agency (NRA) in advance and not to have overdue debts as of the date of leaving the country. When there is data for availability of public receivables for more than BGN 5000, the customs authorities do not allow the carrying of cash. 

 

Who must declare?

Any carrier who enters or leaves the EU territory and carries with him cash totalling to EUR 10 000 or more, is obliged to declare this cash before the customs authorities at the point, through which he enters the Union or exits from it, and makes it available for control.

‘Carrier’ means any natural person entering or leaving the Union carrying cash on their person, in their luggage or in their means of transport.

The carrier crosses the border on foot or as a passenger (including as a crewmember) by air, road, rail or water transport.

The person who carries the cash must declare it regardless he is their owner or not. These circumstances shall be entered in the cash declaration.  

When the carrier of cash has no legal capacity to sign the declaration, the declaration shall be lodged by the legal representative of the carrier.  

 

Where to declare?

Cash declaration should be filled in and presented before a customs officer at a customs point through which the person enters or leaves the EU territory.

When 2 corridors – ‘Green’ or “Red’ are available, the declaration shall be presented at ‘Red’ corridor. 

The declaration upon entry or exit is required also in case of transit through the EU. 

 

How to fill in a cash declaration?

The EU Member States use a harmonized declaration template.

In case the available space in the form is not sufficient and/or the carried cash has more than one owner or recipient, you can enclose additional sheets, which are considered inseparable part from the declaration.

The forms are available at any customs point in Bulgaria, through which you can enter or leave the Union territory.

No fees are due upon presentation of cash declaration. 

 

Cash Declaration from and to third countries and Additional sheet to the declaration

 

What’s next if the obligation to declare cash is not fulfilled?

In case of non-compliance of the obligation to declare cash or the declared information is incorrect or incomplete or if the cash is not made available for control, the customs authorities may detain the carried cash.

Failure to comply with the cash declaration obligation is also considered when incorrect or incomplete information is presented, or if the cash were not made available for control. In these cases the customs authorities may detain the carried cash. A penalty will be imposed pursuant to the national legislation. 

 

DECLARING OF CASH WHEN TRAVELLING FROM OR TO EU MEMBER STATE

 

If you carry cash of a value of EUR 10 000 or more or their equivalent in another currency, you have to declare it upon request on behalf of the customs officers.

The amount liable to declaration totals to EUR 10 000 or more and it is a sum of the values of the carried cash.

 

Who to declare?

Any natural person who enters or leaves the territory of the country and carries with him cash of a value of EUR 10 000 or more, shall declare this amount upon request on behalf of the customs authorities.

 Any natural person shall mean a person, who crosses the border on foot or a passenger (as well as a crewmember) who enters or leaves the territory of Bulgaria by air, road, rail or water transport.

The person who carries the cash, shall declare it regardless whether he is their owner or not. These circumstances shall be entered in the cash declaration.

When the carrier of cash has no legal capacity to sign the declaration, the declaration shall be lodged by the legal representative of the carrier.  

 

Where to declare?

Cash declaration should be filled in and presented when crossing the border of the Republic of Bulgaria to or from another EU Member State, upon a request on behalf of a customs officer.

 

How to fill in a cash declaration?

The template of the Cash Declaration is endorsed by the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Bulgaria.

No fees are due upon presentation of cash declaration. 

 

Declaration of cash to and from EU Member State

 

What’s next if the obligation to declare cash is not fulfilled?

In case cash is not declared upon a request of a customs officer, or the declared information is incorrect or incomplete, penalty will be imposed pursuant to the national legislation.

 

DISCLOSURE OF UNACCOMPANIED CASH

 

Unaccompanied cash is cash, making up part of a consignment without a carrier, e.g. postal or courier consignment, unaccompanied luggage, container.

Where unaccompanied cash of a value of EUR 10 000 or more or their equivalent in another currency is entering or leaving the Union, the customs authorities may require the sender or the recipient of the cash respectively, or a representative thereof, as the case may be, to make a disclosure declaration within a deadline of 30 days.

 

How to fill in a cash disclosure declaration?

The EU Member States use a harmonized declaration template.

In case the available space in the form is not sufficient and/or the disclosed cash has more than one owner or recipient, you can enclose additional sheets, which are considered inseparable part from the declaration.

No fees are due upon presentation of cash disclosure declaration.

 

Declaration of unaccompanied cash  and  Additional sheet to the disclosure declaration

 

What’s next, if the disclosure obligation is not fulfilled?

In case the obligation for disclosure of unaccompanied cash is not fulfilled – when the disclosure declaration is not presented before the expiry of the deadline, the information provided is incorrect or incomplete, or the cash was not made available for control, the customs authorities may detain the cash. A penalty will be imposed pursuant to the national legislation.

 

How to calculate the equivalence in EUR of the carried cash?

When carrying of cash through the border of the country, their equivalence in EUR is calculated at the rate for customs purposes, which is published at the webpage of the National Customs Agency.  

 

 

CARRYING OF PRECIOUS METALS, which do not fall within the scope of cash, GEMSTONES AND ITEMS OF THEM OR MADE WITH THEM

 

Any natural person, carrying precious metals, which do not fall within the scope of cash, gemstones and items of them or with them should fill in and present before the customs authorities a cash declaration:

- mandatorily, in case of entering or leaving the EU territory;  

- upon request by the customs authorities when travelling to or from another EU Member State.

 

Precious metals, gemstones or items of them or made with them over the following quantities shall be declared:

 

- 37 grams of gold and platinum in unprocessed and semi-processed form and coins regardless of the content of the gold or platinum; and  

 

- 60 grams of jewels and accessories from alloys of gold or platinum regardless of the content of the gold or platinum;

 

- 300 grams of silver in unprocessed and semi-processed form and coins, as well as jewellery and accessories from silver alloys regardless of the content of the silver;  

 

- gemstones, embedded in the above-mentioned products.

  

The declaration, which is filled in when carrying across the borders of the country of precious metals, which do not fall in the scope of cash, gemstones and items of them or made with them is endorsed by the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Bulgaria. 

 

Declaration for carrying of precious metals and jewellery

 

In case of non-declaration or if the declared information is incorrect or incomplete, the customs authorities may detain the carried precious metals, gemstones and items of them or with them. Penalty will be imposed pursuant to the national legislation.

More detailed information you can find in:

 

Regulation (ЕU) 2018/1672 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on controls on cash entering or leaving the Union and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1889/2005,

 

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/776 of 11 May 2021 establishing templates for certain forms as well as technical rules for the effective exchange of information under Regulation (EU) 2018/1672 of the European Parliament and of the Council on controls on cash entering or leaving the Union

 

Currency Act  and  Ordinance № Н-1 of 01.02.2012 г. on the carrying across the border of the country of cash, precious metals, gemstones and items of them and with them and keeping of customs registers under Art. 10a of the Currency Act 

More information on the control of cash entering or leaving the Union you can find on the webpage of the European Commission.

 

The EU Member States have different national provisions on the carrying of cash within EU.

 

See more materials

 

Information Sheet

Infographics