From 10 July 2027, an EU cash payment limit of €10,000 applies: businesses across the European Union can no longer accept or make cash payments above that amount for goods or services. The ceiling comes from Article 80 of the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2024/1624, which applies directly in all 27 member states. It does not ban cash, it does not cover payments between private individuals, and it leaves stricter national limits in place.
The EU cash payment limit at a glance
- The rule: a person trading in goods or providing services may accept or make a cash payment only up to €10,000, or the equivalent amount in another currency.
- Legal basis: Article 80 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 (often called the AMLR), part of the EU’s 2024 anti-money-laundering package.
- Start date: 10 July 2027.
- Linked payments count together: several cash payments that appear to be linked are treated as one transaction.
- Outside the limit: payments between private individuals who are not acting professionally, and payments or deposits made at banks, e-money issuers and payment service providers.
- Lower national caps stay: member states may keep or adopt lower limits, and several already have them.
What the €10,000 limit covers
Article 80 is addressed to “persons trading in goods or providing services”. In practice, the limit applies whenever at least one side of the payment acts in a business or professional capacity. It works in both directions: a car dealer cannot accept €12,000 in banknotes from a buyer, and it cannot pay a private seller €12,000 in cash for a used car either.
The ceiling applies to the transaction, not to each handover of cash. If a €15,000 purchase is settled through two linked cash payments of €7,500, the transaction is above the limit, and the same goes for a cash down payment followed by a cash balance on the same order. In member states outside the euro area, the limit is the equivalent amount in the national currency.
What stays outside the limit
- Private transactions: payments between natural persons who are not acting in a professional function are exempt at EU level, for example selling your own car or furniture to a neighbour. National law can still restrict some of these, as the country table below shows.
- Payments and deposits at financial institutions: cash paid in or deposited at the premises of a credit institution, an electronic money issuer or a payment service provider is exempt. Amounts above the limit are reported to the national financial intelligence unit (FIU).
- Holding and withdrawing cash: Article 80 deals with payments for goods and services. It sets no cap on cash kept at home or withdrawn from your own account, although banks keep applying their own anti-money-laundering checks.
An emergency safety valve
If non-cash payment methods become unavailable across a country because of force majeure, such as a large-scale outage, that member state may temporarily suspend the limit. It must inform the European Commission without delay, and the Commission can require the suspension to end if it is not justified.
When does the EU cash limit apply?
The European Commission proposed the regulation in July 2021, as part of a package that also proposed a new EU anti-money-laundering authority. The European Parliament approved the final text in April 2024 and the Council in May 2024. Until 10 July 2027, only national cash limits apply.
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| July 2021 | The Commission proposes the anti-money-laundering package |
| April and May 2024 | The European Parliament and the Council adopt the texts |
| 19 June 2024 | Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 is published in the Official Journal |
| 9 July 2024 | Entry into force, twenty days after publication |
| 10 July 2027 | General date of application, including the €10,000 cash limit |
| 10 July 2029 | The regulation’s AML obligations start for professional football clubs and football agents |
National cash limits that are already lower
Article 80 sets a maximum, not a uniform figure. Member states may keep the lower limits they already have, and they may introduce new ones after consulting the European Central Bank. The table summarises the general rules in a selection of countries as of October 2026. Thresholds, exemptions and fines change, so check the official source in your country before a large payment.
| Country | Cash limit for payments involving a business | Points to note |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | €3,000 | Cash is not allowed at all for the purchase price of real estate, which must be paid by bank transfer or cheque. |
| France | €1,000 for people whose tax home is in France | Individuals whose tax home is abroad and who pay for personal expenses have a higher limit (€15,000 when the seller is subject to AML obligations, otherwise €10,000); from July 2027 the EU ceiling of €10,000 caps both. Fines can reach 5% of the amount paid illegally, shared between payer and payee. |
| Spain | Payments of €1,000 or more are banned when one party acts as a business or professional | The threshold is €10,000 for individuals with no tax residence in Spain who are not acting professionally. |
| Italy | Cash transfers of €5,000 or more are banned | The Italian rule covers transfers between different persons, not only payments to businesses. |
| Netherlands | Cash payments of €3,000 or more for goods have been banned since 1 January 2026 | Sales between private individuals are exempt. The ban is due to extend to services from 10 July 2027. |
| Greece | €500 | One of the lowest thresholds in the EU. |
| Germany | No general limit until July 2027 | Since 1 April 2023, property purchases cannot be paid in cash, crypto-assets, gold, platinum or gemstones. |
| Austria | No general limit until July 2027 | The EU €10,000 ceiling becomes the general limit. |
Where a national limit is lower, it is the one that counts. A Belgian customer paying a Belgian dealer remains bound by €3,000, not €10,000, after July 2027.
What the limit changes for individuals
- Everyday spending: groceries, restaurants, fuel and most household purchases are far below the threshold and are not affected.
- Large purchases from a business: a car, a boat, jewellery, a watch, renovation work or a wedding venue costing more than €10,000 (or your national cap) cannot be paid fully in cash, so plan for a bank transfer, card or another non-cash method.
- Selling to a business: a car dealer, jeweller or gold buyer cannot pay you more than the limit in cash either.
- Private sales: the EU limit does not apply between private individuals, but keep a written record of the sale and the payment, and check national rules first. Property purchases in Belgium and Germany, for example, cannot be paid in cash at all.
- Paying cash into your bank: deposits remain possible, but the bank may ask where the money comes from, so keep supporting documents such as a sale contract.
What the limit changes for businesses
- Incoming and outgoing payments: the ceiling covers cash a business receives from customers and cash it pays out, for example to suppliers or to private sellers of second-hand goods.
- Processes: quotes, terms of sale and invoices should state the accepted payment methods. The most exposed sectors include car and boat dealers, jewellers, art and antique dealers, renovation, and buyers of gold and scrap metal.
- Customer identification from €3,000: businesses that are “obliged entities” under AML rules, such as banks, payment and crypto-asset service providers, notaries, accountants, estate agents, dealers in precious metals and stones, traders in certain high-value goods, and gambling operators, must at least identify the customer and verify their identity for occasional cash transactions of €3,000 or more, whether single or linked. In member states whose national cash cap is already €3,000 or lower, this specific rule applies only to cash paid in or deposited at banks, e-money issuers and payment service providers.
- Sanctions: penalties are set nationally and must be proportionate to the seriousness of the breach. France’s fine of up to 5% of the amount is one existing example.
Travelling with cash: a separate €10,000 declaration rule
The payment limit is often confused with the border rule. Since 3 June 2021, Regulation (EU) 2018/1672 has required anyone entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash to declare it to customs. “Cash” here includes banknotes and coins, bearer-negotiable instruments such as traveller’s cheques, and gold coins or bullion. It is a declaration duty, not a ban, and the AMLR does not change it.
- Unaccompanied cash: cash of €10,000 or more sent by post, courier or freight can be subject to a disclosure request from customs.
- Non-declaration: undeclared or wrongly declared cash can be temporarily detained, and penalties are set by each member state.
- Travel inside the EU: some countries, including France and Germany, have their own declaration or disclosure rules for €10,000 or more moved between member states. Check the customs guidance of the countries you cross.
Why the EU introduced a cash ceiling
Large cash payments leave little trace, which makes them useful for laundering criminal proceeds and for tax evasion. National rules still range from €500 in Greece to no general limit in countries such as Germany and Austria, so large cash deals can move to the most permissive country. A single EU ceiling closes part of that gap.
The cap is one piece of a wider package. The AMLR also extends AML duties to new sectors and bans anonymous accounts, including anonymous crypto-asset accounts (see our guide on how to evaluate a cryptocurrency). Directive (EU) 2024/1640 strengthens national supervisors and FIUs, and Regulation (EU) 2024/1620 created the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) in Frankfurt. Other EU rules that reach retail savers include the PRIIPs key information document for packaged investment products.
The measure has critics, who see a step towards a cashless society and raise concerns about privacy, about people with limited access to digital payments, and about outages. The final text keeps cash usable for everyday and private payments and adds the force majeure suspension described above.
Frequently asked questions
Is the EU banning cash in 2027?
No. From 10 July 2027, the EU caps cash payments for goods and services at €10,000 when a business or professional is involved. Euro banknotes and coins remain legal tender, everyday payments are unaffected, and payments between private individuals are outside the EU limit.
Does the €10,000 limit apply to private sales between individuals?
Not at EU level, as long as neither person acts professionally. National rules can go further: Italy limits cash transfers between any two persons, and Belgium and Germany ban cash for property purchases.
Can I split a large payment into several cash payments below €10,000?
No. The limit covers a transaction carried out in a single operation or in several operations that appear to be linked. Two payments of €7,500 for the same €15,000 car are treated as one €15,000 cash payment.
Can I still deposit or withdraw more than €10,000 in cash?
Yes. Cash paid in or deposited at banks, e-money issuers and payment service providers is outside the limit, but amounts above it are reported to the FIU. Article 80 does not cap withdrawals, although your bank may ask about the purpose of a large one.
How much cash can I carry when travelling to or from the EU?
There is no maximum, but you must declare €10,000 or more to customs when you enter or leave the EU. This applies to every traveller, including visitors from the UK or the US.
What is the cash payment limit in Germany and in Belgium?
Germany has no general limit until the EU’s €10,000 ceiling applies on 10 July 2027, but property cannot be paid for in cash. Belgium already caps cash payments involving a business at €3,000, and because that cap is lower than the EU ceiling, it continues to apply after July 2027.
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Educational content, not investment, legal or tax advice. National thresholds checked in October 2026.
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