Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Hi All,

I know you can bring in up to $10,000 cash without any problem. What happens if you have more than that? Of course you have to declare it, but what do they do at the POE? Examine the money or what?

My husband is selling some property in Iran and wants to bring the money over. There is no way of transferring the funds by bank or Western Union or wire, from Iran to the USA, so I believe he has to just carry the cash.

Thanks,
Rene

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Can he get a bank/cashier's check in US Dollars made out to him and just bring the check?

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

I went through the same thing bringing money over from the UK. I didn't/don't understand money transfers and the like, so I eventually resorted to bringing $10k exactly in cash, and left the rest in the UK bank account.

Someone suggested to me at the time that I load up some pre-pay visa cards and bring those...

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

While that would solve the issue of carrying large amounts of cash I believe that the check would still be considered to be a "monetary instrument" and he would still have to declare it at the POE.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/va...kbyg/money.xml

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Unfortunately, no, because Iran has absolutely no ties to the USA, therefore no way of getting anything made out there in USD.

But I found this, which says he can bring in more than $10K, he just has to declare it and fill out a form:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/va...kbyg/money.xml

Rene

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Ah, thank you! I ended up finding the same link. :)

Sounds like it will all be OK, though...just have to fill out a form. I told him to also bring the proof of sale of property, both in Farsi and an English translation.

Rene

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Declare it at customs, fill in some forms that a bank would ordinarily do for you and that's it.

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Cool, thanks. Now here's hoping it's OK to bring that much OUT of Iran. :) He was told the same thing, sort of, that he fills out a form when he sells the property and shows it as he exits the country. Let's hope!

Rene

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Well that bit, you're on your own, I've no idea :lol:

Good luck with it!

Though the idea of a bank cheque, or gift card is a good idea...it's a large wedge of money, kind of bulky, wouldn't want the bag to get lost. Certainly worth getting travel insurance for it.

Perhaps convert it into a third party currency that's doing okay? Canadian Dollars, or the Euro perhaps and then a bankers cheque from that, if you can't get it done directly into US Dollar currency.

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

They may examine the money. It would be a good idea to have proof of the source of the money. I think the concern is money laundering and money being brought into the country for terrorism. Unfortunately as your husband is Iranian and he is bringing the money from Iran...he maybe under more scrutiny than say a Brit bringing a very large amount of cash from the UK.

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Yep, that's what I'm thinking, too. He will have a document of sale of the property, the original in Farsi and a translation to English. Hopefully that will be enough.

It really sucks having to deal with a country where the relations between US and that country keep getting tighter and tighter. It's really put a dent in Sadegh's long-term work plan. :(

We are hoping to sell this property, get the money to the USA, and just forget all about Iran in the future!

@ Bob....that's an idea, I'll have to look into it.

Rene

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

I'd imagine putting it into an offshore account would allow you to circumnavigate the whole process.

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Neither one of us has any idea how to do that....

Rene

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

A quick google brings up this:

http://forums.iransportspress.com/sh...762#post479762

While it dates from 2007, post #6 suggests the private banks Saman, Parsian, sarmayeh can do SWIFT transfers.

Re: Bringing in more than $10K cash
 

Not really.

First you would have to set up an offshore account and find a way of making a cash deposit into it (which might require getting a flight from Iran to the Cayman Islands) and even if you did that you would still need to comply with the FBAR reporting requirements for foreign accounts valued at over $10,000.

Plus, I imagine that they probably want the money in the US so that they have ready access to it ...