The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Saturday reminded travelers of long-standing rules governing the entry and exit of Philippine and foreign currencies, warning that failure to declare excess amounts could lead to confiscation.

In an advisory, the BOC said passengers may freely carry foreign currency, including cash and similar travel funds. However, any amount exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent in other foreign currencies must be declared upon arrival or departure.

The declaration may be completed in advance through the government’s e-Travel System or at designated BOC counters in airports and seaports nationwide.

For Philippine currency, the rules are stricter

Travelers are allowed to bring in or take out up to P50,000 without prior approval. 

Any amount beyond that threshold requires written authorization from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and must also be properly declared to Customs.

The BOC said requests for BSP authorization must be filed before departure from the country of origin and are granted only for specific purposes, such as numismatic collections; currency awareness activities (e.g., museums, exhibits, literary materials); and testing, calibration, or configuration of money counting and sorting machines.

The rule covers Philippine banknotes, coins, checks, and other peso-denominated instruments.

The BOC also stressed that Philippine currency exceeding the P50,000 limit without proper BSP authorization will be subject to confiscation.

‘Standard procedure’

The bureau said the reminder aims to ensure smooth and transparent processing at ports of entry and exit across the country.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno emphasized that currency declaration requirements are standard safeguards.

“These rules have long been in place to promote transparency and protect both the travelling public and the integrity of our financial system. Declaring currency is a standard procedure and does not prevent travelers from carrying lawful amounts of cash,” Nepomuceno said.

The BOC encouraged passengers to complete their Customs and currency declarations through the e-Travel platform before traveling to speed up processing and avoid delays at inspection counters.