Liquid Len

Hi, hope I can get some help on the following,
a good friend of mine spent 30 years or more using their apartment in Spain once a year for their summer holidays. During these many years he used to bring out small sums of money mainly incase of emergencies. It became a habit and upon selling his apartment he had amassed 25k in stirling.

The question we would like an answer to is he has a friend in spain who has an English bank account. Is there any reason why the money could not be paid into his account in stirling and money transferred over to the UK?

The other option is to just pop on a coach and bring the cash back, if this is decided upon, is there a limit to the amount of stirling he can bring back to the UK?

Very much appreciate a response as he is keen to resolve this.

Fred James

You can carry as much money within the EU as you like but you must be prepared to prove exactly where it came from which could be very difficult in this case.

The same rule applies to paying it into banks or transferring it.

If they are not happy with your answer it will be confiscated.

Liquid Len

Fred, many thanks for getting back to me so promptly. Who do we need to satisfy, is it the Spanish or the English authorities?

Fred James

It depends who stops you and asks for proof.

It's most likely to be a problem entering the UK if you carry it.

If you want to pay it into a Spanish bank and transfer it, then it will be the bank that need the proof.

Liquid Len

Fred, would it help if the money was transferred in small amounts of say 5K? a month or so apart? The wost part is this money is legitimately his savings and he just wants to get it back. I guess in hind sight he should not have collected so much but what can you do now, it has been done!

Sally Redux

Stirling is in Scotland.

Liquid Len

Suitably embarrassed

Fred James

Yes, that could work.

I am not sure of the current limit (it's not a problem I currently face) but it's probably around €3000 or less - try asking your bank.

jackytoo

You can take up to 10,000 cash into the UK. Over this needs to be declared. Not sure a bank would accept it though without a paper trail. Even GIBraltar banks won't accept cash over about 5000.

Some airports now have dogs that can sniff out banknotes.

Fred James

That rule only applies to bringing cash from outside the EU.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...heUK/DG_173289

Even bringing cash from the EU has to be explained if they find it.

They may well use sniffer dogs but a friend of mine brought in 15k in a bag from Cyprus (which is in the EU now) and was spotted by the X-ray machine in Malaga in transit and when he arrived at Gatwick he was met by the police.

He had a perfectly good explanation with receipts from the bank he withdrew it from but it cost him a connecting flight.

Fredbargate

I recently took £1000 in Euros out of Barclays Gib and got the third degrees as to what I intended to do with it

The exchange bureaus will not handle more than £2000 without photocopying your passport etc.

JLFS

wow training dogs to sniff out banknotes, thats a good trick, but my missus can do that too,

She always seems to know when I have some banknotes about my person, and always has an excuse to relieve me of them.

HBG

Using his cash card in the UK would only take a month or so, and if he paid in 3K once a week in the UK it wouldn't raise any eyebrows.

Also, if it was done by electronic transfer from his Spanish bank to his UK bank, I doubt if they would come knocking on his door for that amount.

Jur

It´s the cocaine on the notes they smell. There´s also been a measurement on which city has the highest scent/amount of cocaine in the air. Think it was in Hamburg.

Liquid Len

HBG, thanks for your input. Just to clarify, he has a friend expat who may have an English account, if this was the case could the sterling be paid in as is and sent across to a UK bank?