Can I pay more than €5,000 in cash?
No — you can pay at most €5,000 in cash for a single transaction. This is a rule many people still do not know: since 1 November 2022 the Law on Restrictions on Cash Payments (No. XIV-1165) has set a €5,000 ceiling per transaction — whether you buy from a company or a private person, and whether you pay all at once or in instalments. What counts is the whole transaction value, not the individual payment, so splitting one deal into several smaller parts to dodge the limit is not allowed. A popular myth is that Lithuania's cash limit is €10,000; that confuses two things: €10,000 is the EU-wide limit that only takes effect from 10 July 2027, while Lithuania already applies the stricter €5,000 national limit. Cross it and the fine falls on both parties — the payer and the one who accepts the cash.
📋 The rules
- €5,000 — the maximum cash sum per transaction (since 2022-11-01)
- The limit applies both when buying from a company and between private persons
- The whole transaction value counts, not separate payments — splitting is banned
- The fine falls on both parties — the payer and the recipient
- The EU-wide €10,000 limit only takes effect from 2027-07-10
🔓 Exceptions
- Bank transfers and card payments are not restricted — the €5,000 limit applies only to cash settlements
- Depositing cash into your own account or exchanging currency is not a transaction settlement, so the limit does not apply
- Several separate, unrelated transactions are assessed individually, but artificially splitting one transaction counts as a breach
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The fine is imposed on both sides of the deal — the one who pays and the one who accepts the cash. Liability is set by Article 207-1 of the Code of Administrative Offences (added in 2022 by Law No. XIV-1400), and the amount grows with how far the limit is exceeded. For a small overshoot an individual faces €100–500, and company managers €200–1,000; for a repeat offence it is €200–1,000 for an individual and €1,000–2,000 for a manager. For large breaches the fines climb to €2,000–3,000 for an individual and €3,000–4,000 for a company manager. What nobody expects: it is not only the payer who is punished but also the seller or service provider who accepted too much cash. On top of that, if a person is fined €1,500 or more within a year, the tax authority (VMI) may treat them as failing the minimum reliable-taxpayer criteria — which restricts taking part in public procurement and draws extra tax scrutiny.
📎 Official sources
- e-seimas · Law on Restrictions on Cash Payments (XIV-1165) →
- e-seimas · Code of Administrative Offences (Art. 207-1) →
- VMI · cash payments →
❓ Frequently asked
What is the cash payment limit in Lithuania?
For a single transaction you can pay at most €5,000 in cash — this limit has applied since 1 November 2022. It applies both when buying from a company and when settling between private persons, and the whole transaction value counts, not the individual payment.
Is the cash limit in Lithuania €10,000?
No. The €10,000 figure is an EU-wide rule that only takes effect from 10 July 2027. Lithuania already applies a stricter national limit of €5,000 per transaction, which is why the two numbers are so often confused.
Can I split a transaction into several smaller payments?
No, artificially splitting a transaction to get around the limit counts as a breach. The law makes clear that the whole transaction value is assessed, not individual cash payments, so several part-payments for the same purchase are added together.
Who pays the fine — the buyer or the seller?
Under Article 207-1 the fine is imposed on both sides of the deal — the one paying cash and the one accepting it. For an individual it starts at €100 and can reach several thousand euros, and for company managers the fines are higher still.
Does the limit apply to bank transfers?
No, the €5,000 limit applies only to cash settlements. Bank transfers, card payments and other non-cash operations are not restricted at all, so any larger sum can always be paid safely and lawfully by bank transfer instead of in cash.
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