Money at UK border control

If I'm travelling to the UK for a couple of days as a visitor:

do I need to have cash on me?
if I only show my bank cards will I be asked to withdraw to prove I have funds?
do I need a bank statement?
if I have a letter from work stating my salary and three months of payslips, will this be enough or do I still need the bank statement?

uk customs-and-immigration money borders

Best Answer

a) what country are you from?

b) what do you look like?

I put my first-world passport¹ on the counter and I wear a dress shirt when I get off the plane. Haven't been asked once about money in any form, itinerary, employment or really anything else other than the standard "where are you going", "how long" and "anything to declare" questions. Even the newly-hired girl going through the standard question list in order didn't ask about money.

If you look like a backpacker and come from a place that has a high volume of people trying to work illegally in the UK you can probably expect an interview room. £200 in cash, detailed itinerary, bank statements showing another £2000 available and a credit card with a good balance will go a long way to supporting your status as a short-stay visitor. Don't bring too much cash - only the foolish carry huge amounts of cash around London, Immigration knows this.

I will expand this a bit by adding that the UK routinely approves work and immigration visas from my country, so I have zero incentive to work illegally.

Pictures about "Money at UK border control"

Money at UK border control - Silver and Gold Coins on White Printer Paper

Money at UK border control - Unrecognizable male in casual clothes and wristwatch leaning on metal concert crowd control barrier while standing on street in city

Money at UK border control - Prohibition parking road sign with Subject To Ticket inscription placed on street of city near concrete barrier in evening time

How much cash can you legally bring into the UK?

If you're travelling to the UK from a country outside of the EU, you can bring in up to \u20ac10,000 - or the equivalent in another currency - without needing to take any specific action. Carry in excess of that, and you'll have to complete a declaration when you arrive - more on that later.

How much cash can you travel after Brexit?

How much money can I travel with? If your money isn't in cash, there's no limit to how much you can travel with. If it is in cash, however, you'll have to declare it if it's over 10,000 euros (or the equivalent in your local currency) when entering or exiting an EU member state from outside of the EU.

How much money do you need to enter UK?

How much money will you need for your trip to the United Kingdom? You should plan to spend around \xa3122 ($150) per day on your vacation in the United Kingdom, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

What happens when you declare cash at the border?

U.S. Customs notes that consequences can include: Forfeiture of the money you're carrying\u2014that means they take the money at customs and you don't get it back. Civil penalties such as fines. Criminal penalties, including prison time if you're convicted of a crime related to illegally transporting money.

Border Force Stop a Man With a Massive Amount of Cash! | Heathrow: Britain's Busiest Airport

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Anthony, Alaur Rahman, Dayvison de Oliveira Silva, Erik Mclean