New Cross-Border Cash Declaration Rules Take Effect from 1 July 2026
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From 1 July 2026, anyone crossing a South African border, whether by air, land, sea, or rail, must declare if they are carrying cash, foreign currency, or bearer negotiable instruments above R100 000 must declare them through the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs and Excise traveller management system. This applies to both South African residents and foreign travellers. This follows the commencement of section 30 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FIC Act), which was activated by Presidential Proclamation. This requirement is now law. It comes from the activation of Section 30 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (Act 38 of 2001), which was gazetted on 5 June 2026.
What has changed?
Although section 30 has formed part of the FIC Act since 2001, it only came into operation on 1 July 2026. The new reporting requirement creates an additional regulatory reporting stream, known as cash conveyance reporting (CCR), with declarations collected by SARS and made available to the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).
How does the FIC receive CCR reports?
For cash conveyance reports specifically, the FIC does not receive them directly from travellers or accountants. SARS collects the declarations at the border through the Customs and Excise traveller management system, then passes that data to the FIC. The FIC and SARS worked together to pilot this system at various air, land, and seaports before the 1 July 2026 launch.
For all other regulatory reports (cash threshold reports, suspicious transaction reports, terrorist property reports), accountable institutions submit them electronically through the FIC's goAML platform.
Are Trust and Company Service Providers (TCSPs) Responsible to Provide CCR Reports?
No. CCR is not a TCSP obligation. It sits entirely with travellers and SARS at the border. If a client or director crosses a border with R100 000 or more in cash or bearer instruments, they declare it to SARS customs, and SARS handles the rest.
Where TCSPs do have ongoing obligations is on their existing goAML reporting duties:
Cash threshold reports for cash transactions over R50 000, submitted within 3 days
Suspicious transaction reports within 15 days of suspicion arising
Terrorist property reports where applicable
Risk and Compliance Returns under Directive 11 (the submission window for TCSPs closed 30 June 2026, so if a client missed that, it is worth flagging urgently)
The main practical implication of CCR for TCSPs is indirect. The FIC now has a broader data set. If a client's cross-border cash movements show up in CCR data and look inconsistent with what your practice has reported (or not reported) through goAML, that could trigger scrutiny. So knowing what your clients are doing across borders remains important context for your own compliance work.
Why it matters
The FIC uses regulatory reports to identify the proceeds of crime and to support efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. Cash conveyance reports will complement existing reports submitted by accountable institutions, including:
Cash threshold reports (transactions exceeding R50 000)
Suspicious and unusual transaction reports
Terrorist property reports
The new reporting stream also supports South Africa's compliance with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendation 32, which aims to combat the illicit cross-border movement of cash and bearer negotiable instruments.
What accountants should do
If you advise clients who travel internationally or operate businesses that move cash or negotiable instruments across borders, ensure they are aware of the new declaration requirement. Clients should review their travel and treasury procedures to ensure compliance before crossing South African borders.