Question About Leaving Through The Airport...

jimmythegreek

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Dec 4, 2008
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In DR with over $10K USD in currency. Is it allowable? It looks like the export of currency rules allow for only a max of $10K USD equivalent per family. Is that correct?

Can you bring more than that amount with proper documentation to prove the funds?

The DGA form upon exiting only asks if one has over $10K USD...what the amount is and what form of currency.

Doesn't explain what happens thereafter....LOL.
 

Uzin

Bronze
Oct 26, 2005
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Remember to count any money in your wallet or pocket too, to add up correctly, I know a friend who was fined last year (actually in Canada) because his total cash on him was over what he declared on the form ... !
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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The $9999.99 or equivalent amount in all currencies is the per family maximum allowed without filling out a single purpose declaration form and presenting it to immigration/customs.

You may have as much cash as you would like with you, but if any amount over the limit is not declared all funds may be seized if discovered here in the DR or at the other airport upon arrival. An honest mistake usually results in a cash penalty based on the total amount of cash that was not declared, but not always.

If you declare the funds on your customs declaration card but do not make a declaration at the point of departure, you'll have some explaining to do but probably won't lose your cash as long as you can show where the funds came from.

Regardless $10,000.00 (or equivalent) in cash, or other banking instrument, is supposed to be declared prior to proceeding through customs at the point of departure when traveling internationally. Having a withdrawal slip or other means of documenting where the money came from is a good idea.
 
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SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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This is a bad idea on both ends. You could easily miss your outgoing flight due to a "back room" talk. And I can tell you that going to the US and checking the over 10k form will for SURE result in a not so nice "back room" talk. I know a few people it happened to in the US. Some for hours, not minutes either. Find another way to transport the cash. A check will do the trick. They will never see it if placed properly.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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This is a bad idea on both ends. You could easily miss your outgoing flight due to a "back room" talk. And I can tell you that going to the US and checking the over 10k form will for SURE result in a not so nice "back room" talk. I know a few people it happened to in the US. Some for hours, not minutes either. Find another way to transport the cash. A check will do the trick. They will never see it if placed properly.

I have a hard time convincing myself to carry cash ANYWHERE.

Folks have no idea who is watching them when they handle cash. I've lost count of how many persons I know of who have been robbed shortly before or leaving a bank.

I seldom have more than 2-3 thousand pesos in my pocket at any given moment to keep thieves happy if the rob me some day and the account my bank card is associated with has 2-3 as well.

If anybody wants to rob me they are more than welcome to whats in my pocket.

No offense Jimmy, Carrying 500K or more in cash is just plain crazy.
 

steffanjas047

Newbie
Jan 29, 2019
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There's no limit to bring money so far I know. However, $10k USD is a limit where you don't need declaration. Above that you'll have to declare your money or funds otherwise it might cause a serious issue for you.
 

Uzin

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Oct 26, 2005
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Ah, I remembered now, he did not declare anything and had USD stashed on his person when exiting Canada, they searched him and found the money bag on him, he also had a couple of hundreds CAD in his wallet, so all added up over the permitted amount undeclared (USD10k), I think he was find CAD250.... (about the same amount he was over the permitted limit.. !!!?)
 

jimmythegreek

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Dec 4, 2008
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I have a hard time convincing myself to carry cash ANYWHERE.

Folks have no idea who is watching them when they handle cash. I've lost count of how many persons I know of who have been robbed shortly before or leaving a bank.

I seldom have more than 2-3 thousand pesos in my pocket at any given moment to keep thieves happy if the rob me some day and the account my bank card is associated with has 2-3 as well.

If anybody wants to rob me they are more than welcome to whats in my pocket.

No offense Jimmy, Carrying 500K or more in cash is just plain crazy.


I hear what you are saying here and have heard many stories myself.....Also, the SKY poster...I've read his posts from prior about the friend going through Miami that is a major real estate developer.....

One option might be just to remain under the $10K amount and make multiple trips, but not sure if that is a problem as well.

The option of a bank account and international wire transfer may not be as good an option for certain individuals for legitimate reasons. A lot of people often do not understand the unique and legitimate-lawful circumstances of every individual or family. Not everyone that carries cash is a criminal as the laws are making it out to be now.
 

cavok

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Jun 16, 2014
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With all the money laundering operations going on here in the DR, I think you can be sure you will be subject to intense scrutiny if you have more than $10K on you. Having just under $10K, if found, will look even more suspicious.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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I carry $7-8-9,000 quite often -- I wire too

I have wired $20-30k for car buys etc.... never a problem being flagged.

Much ado about nothing....

I once declared, US to Canada... had sold a car.
The border agent was ticked.... paperwork... back room to fill out
I suggested what I had in my pocket should be included --
Forget that - he said

It varies all the time I guess
 

cavok

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Jun 16, 2014
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If you have less than $10K, no need to declare and no problem unless found. Just under $10K, like $9900 will look suspicious if found. Many money launderers have used this trick many times, as well as trying to wire just under $10K. The DEA is on to this.

US/Canada is a lot different than US/DR with all the drug smugglers and money launders down here. The DEA is on this like white on rice.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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I was in the Check Cashing business -- we had report 'structuring'

which is multiple transactions that cumulatively add up to $10+
they've been on it a loooong time
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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I was in the Check Cashing business -- we had report 'structuring'

which is multiple transactions that cumulatively add up to $10+
they've been on it a loooong time

Multiple transactions is the way to go, but not from yourself to yourself.
I always stay under 2k or 3k, both ways ( to and from the dr ).
You need 10k? Do multiple envios in diffrent names from diffrent people. The pool of people is infinite, parents, friends, co-workers, maid, etc.......
And if you dont live in a goverment-controls-all country, you only need those persons once : to issue the "card" .
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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Multiple transactions is the way to go, but not from yourself to yourself.
I always stay under 2k or 3k, both ways ( to and from the dr ).
You need 10k? Do multiple envios in diffrent names from diffrent people. The pool of people is infinite, parents, friends, co-workers, maid, etc.......
And if you dont live in a goverment-controls-all country, you only need those persons once : to issue the "card" .

P.S. All my money is legal....... i just dont want the prying eyes of the US looking into what i do with my money.
 

jimmythegreek

Bronze
Dec 4, 2008
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Multiple transactions is the way to go, but not from yourself to yourself.
I always stay under 2k or 3k, both ways ( to and from the dr ).
You need 10k? Do multiple envios in diffrent names from diffrent people. The pool of people is infinite, parents, friends, co-workers, maid, etc.......
And if you dont live in a goverment-controls-all country, you only need those persons once : to issue the "card" .

Well I did some investigating about all of this. Doing the remesas through services like Caribe Express, etc in the way you are suggesting could be quite expensive over time as over $151 they charge 6% of the total for the service.

Conversely, you could do an international wire transfer through some of these cambios like MoneyCorp for $60USD plus .15% of the total.

The issue being a wire transfer over $10,000 USD the bank in the U.S. will have to file the CTR-currency transaction report. Depositing funds over the threshold looks far less suspicious than trying to break up into smaller amounts over time from what I have read, but all depends on how legitimate is your documentation to prove the source of funds.
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
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I highly recommend you do not travel into the USA carrying that amount of
cash from the Dominican Republic. It will make for a very long day. They will
confiscate it until you can prove where it came from.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
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Well I did some investigating about all of this. Doing the remesas through services like Caribe Express, etc in the way you are suggesting could be quite expensive over time as over $151 they charge 6% of the total for the service.

Conversely, you could do an international wire transfer through some of these cambios like MoneyCorp for $60USD plus .15% of the total.

The issue being a wire transfer over $10,000 USD the bank in the U.S. will have to file the CTR-currency transaction report. Depositing funds over the threshold looks far less suspicious than trying to break up into smaller amounts over time from what I have read, but all depends on how legitimate is your documentation to prove the source of funds.

Yeah it is much more expensive to send money from the dr compared as to the dr........