The Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division has cautioned travellers carrying foreign currency to declare the money before checking in their luggage at the airport.
According to a Senior Revenue Officer at the Accra International Airport Preventive Unit, Comfort Dedaa Omari, a currency declaration office is available at the departure area where passengers can obtain and complete the required declaration forms.
“At departures, when you are departing, there’s a Customs office located there. And then it’s written with the currency declaration. You enter, and then you give. The officer will give you the form. Fill out the details for you,” she explained.
Speaking at JoyFM Super Morning Show on Tuesday, September 1, Ms Omari said passengers carrying currency up to US$10,000 or its equivalent in other currencies fall within the prescribed threshold, while amounts exceeding the threshold must be declared.
“If it is 10,000 plus one, you are supposed to fill out the form when you are exiting the country,” the official said.
For amounts exceeding US$50,000, passengers are required to provide additional supporting documentation, including relevant bank receipts.
“When it is 50,000 plus one, then you are supposed to fill the form and then add the necessary documentation and the receipt from banks,” she added.
Customs stressed that the declaration must be completed before passengers check in their luggage.
“As a passenger, you are supposed to do your declaration,” Ms. Omari said. “Before you check in, you are supposed to go through all these necessary procedures before you even check in your luggage.”
She warned travellers against placing undeclared currency in checked luggage, noting that all bags are screened before departure.
“If you decide to put them in your luggage to be checked in, mind you, all the bags go through the scanner. So, if it’s detected there, that is a seizure,” she cautioned.
The official also warned that passengers carrying undeclared currency on their person could face similar action if the money is detected during screening.
“If you also decide to carry them on you, once you go through the same scanner, they will be detected on you,” she said.
In such circumstances, passengers may be asked to produce evidence that the currency was declared.
“That is when they normally request to know if you are carrying a receipt of Customs to show that you have declared them,” she explained.
Failure to declare the currency could result in seizure and forfeiture.
“If you haven’t declared, it’s outright seizure and leads to forfeiture,” she stressed.
Ms Omari added that cases involving complex circumstances may require further engagement with the relevant authorities, particularly because Customs reports currency declarations to the Bank of Ghana.
Meanwhile, she advised passengers arriving in Ghana with large amounts of foreign currency to retain declaration documents issued by the country from which they are travelling.
“When you are exiting the other country into Ghana, you are supposed to declare in the other country, so you also have their declaration as a source document,” she explained.
Upon arrival in Ghana, passengers are expected to present the relevant declaration documents and make the necessary declaration to Customs.
The Customs Division is therefore urging travellers to comply with currency declaration requirements and complete the process before checking in their luggage to avoid seizure, forfeiture and other penalties.
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