Can I pay in cash without limits?
Conditional: you can pay cash only for amounts below €5,000. The basis is art. 49 of D.Lgs. 231/2007 (anti-money-laundering). Since 1 January 2023 it's prohibited to transfer cash of €5,000 or more between different parties, for any reason (sale, loan, gift, salary). The limit applies to the whole transaction: you can't artificially split a payment into smaller tranches. For €5,000 and up you need a traceable means (bank transfer, card, cheque). For money transfers the limit is lower (€1,000). Note: both payer and receiver are sanctioned. In short: yes, but only below €5,000.
📋 The rules
- Cash of €5,000 or more is prohibited
- Applies to the whole transaction: no splitting
- From €5,000 up: transfer, card or cheque
- Money transfer: lower limit, €1,000
- Both payer and receiver are sanctioned
🔓 Exceptions
- Withdrawals/deposits on your own account: no limit
- Non-EU non-resident tourists: up to €15,000 (derogation)
- It's a 'below' threshold: €4,999.99 ok, €5,000.00 not
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The administrative fine runs from €1,000 to €50,000 (for amounts up to €250,000); for the more serious bracket the minimum rises to €5,000. It's a fixed, not proportional fine: a €5,500 and a €15,000 breach both expose to the same minimum. Both the one who pays and the one who receives the cash are liable (including the merchant who accepts it). Professionals (notaries, accountants, banks) who learn of a breach and don't report it risk €3,000–€15,000. Beware a myth: "only the payer is fined" is false — the receiver is liable too. And "you can't withdraw more than €5,000 from your own account" is false: there's no withdrawal cap, only a cap on transfers between parties. To comply: from €5,000 up use a traceable means and don't split the transaction.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
What's the cash payment limit?
Since 1 January 2023 it's prohibited to transfer cash of €5,000 or more between different parties. Below that threshold cash payment is lawful; from €5,000 up you need a traceable means, like a bank transfer, card or cheque. The limit applies to any reason for the payment.
Can I split the payment to stay below €5,000?
No. The limit applies to the whole economic transaction, so it's not allowed to artificially split a single payment into several cash tranches below €5,000 to get around the threshold. This splitting is considered a way to evade the ban and is sanctioned like breaching the limit.
Who is fined, the payer or the receiver?
Both. The fine hits both the one making the payment and the one receiving cash over the threshold. For example, a merchant accepting a cash payment of €5,000 or more is sanctioned exactly like the customer. It's therefore a shared responsibility between the two parties to the transaction.
Can I withdraw more than €5,000 from my account?
Yes. There's no cap on withdrawals or deposits on your own account, because it's not a transfer between different parties. Very large movements may, however, trigger the bank's anti-money-laundering checks. The €5,000 limit concerns payments between different persons or parties, not personal withdrawals.
What's the fine for exceeding the limit?
The administrative fine runs from €1,000 to €50,000 for amounts up to €250,000, with a minimum rising to €5,000 for the most serious bracket. It's a fixed fine, not proportional to the excess. Both payer and receiver are hit, and professionals who fail to report risk additional fines.
🔎 Common searches
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