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ER · Africa

Eritrea

Partially verified · Research reviewed 2026-09-27

This destination has partial coverage. The procedures below have recorded supporting sources; other requirements remain unverified. Check the destination authority before traveling.

1 published procedures; 0 recorded procedures withheld; 2 open research questions.

At a glance

  1. Declaration to Eritrean Customs of foreign currency strictly exceeding USD 10,000 (or equivalent) carried by travelers arriving into or departing from Eritrea Customs declaration · Conditional · Not verified

Source-backed procedures

Customs declaration

Declaration to Eritrean Customs of foreign currency strictly exceeding USD 10,000 (or equivalent) carried by travelers arriving into or departing from Eritrea

Open the official page ↗https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/lleritrea/eritrean-proc-173-2013/eritrean-proc-173-2013.pdf
Channel
Conditional
Fee
Not verified
Authority
Eritrean Customs Officers at the port of entry or departure in Eritrea, on declaration forms prepared by the Bank of Eritrea (Proclamation No. 173/2013, Article 6)
Source verification date
2026-09-27

When to apply

At the moment of arrival into or departure from Eritrea, at the port of entry or departure, by submitting the completed Bank of Eritrea declaration form to Eritrean Customs Officers (Article 6). The form itself was not located in any official publication (see unresolved er-boe-declaration-form-and-amendments); ESAAMLG's July 2025 evaluation confirms travellers submit the written declaration form to Eritrean Customs officers.

Who it applies to, exceptions and limits (full text)

Proclamation No. 173/2013 (Government of Eritrea, Gazette of Eritrean Laws Vol.21/2013 No.1, Asmara, 20 February 2013), Article 6: there is no limitation on the amount of foreign currency travelers may bring into or take out from Eritrea, but where the amount they bring into or take out EXCEEDS US Dollars ten thousand (10,000) or its equivalent in other convertible currencies, they must complete a declaration form prepared by the Bank of Eritrea and submit the same to Eritrean Customs Officers at the port of entry or departure. The threshold is strict: only amounts above USD 10,000 equivalent trigger the declaration; carrying exactly USD 10,000 does not. The duty is conditional and applies in BOTH directions (arriving into and departing from Eritrea) to convertible foreign currency; Article 6 does not cover bearer negotiable instruments, and must not be inferred to cover goods or personal electronics (see unresolved er-goods-electronics-primary-source). The July 2025 ESAAMLG mutual evaluation independently reports Eritrea still implements this Article 6 written incoming/outgoing declaration above USD 10,000 and that bearer negotiable instruments, mail and cargo are not covered — that report is currentness corroboration, not Eritrean law. Article 7(3): bringing into or taking out of Eritrea foreign currency exceeding USD 10,000 equivalent without completing and submitting the declaration form is punishable, upon conviction by the competent civil court, in addition to confiscation of the money, with simple imprisonment (10 days up to three years) or a fine not exceeding 50,000 Nakfa. Article 2 repeals and replaces Legal Notices 101/2005 and 102/2005, which must not be cited as current law. Article 8: the Proclamation entered into force on Gazette publication, i.e. 20 February 2013. A UK FCDO advice page says '10,000 US dollars or more', which conflicts with the Gazette at exactly USD 10,000; the Government of Eritrea Gazette is the primary source and controls — FCDO is not used to support this procedure.

Based on: er-gazette-173-2013-art6-threshold · er-gazette-173-2013-art6-form-customs · er-gazette-173-2013-art6-no-limit · er-gazette-173-2013-art2-repeal · er-gazette-173-2013-art7-penalty · er-gazette-173-2013-art8-force · er-gazette-173-2013-asmara-date · er-esaamlg-2025-r32-written-declaration · er-esaamlg-2025-r32-bni-not-covered

Sources

  1. Gazette of Eritrean Laws Vol.21/2013 No.1 — Proclamation No. 173/2013, Article 6 (PDF p.7, printed p.5): declaration trigger where amount exceeds USD 10,000 or its equivalent in other convertible currencies (strict inequality) · Government of Eritrea — Gazette of Eritrean Laws (issuer); digital scan hosted by the Law Library of Congress (loc.gov), host not publisher
    https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/lleritrea/eritrean-proc-173-2013/eritrean-proc-173-2013.pdf [er-gazette-173-2013-art6-threshold]
  2. Proclamation No. 173/2013, Article 6 (PDF p.7): Bank of Eritrea declaration forms submitted to Eritrean Customs Officers at the port of entry or departure · Government of Eritrea — Gazette of Eritrean Laws (issuer); Law Library of Congress (loc.gov) digital host
    https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/lleritrea/eritrean-proc-173-2013/eritrean-proc-173-2013.pdf [er-gazette-173-2013-art6-form-customs]
  3. Proclamation No. 173/2013, Article 6 (PDF p.7): no limitation on the amount of foreign currency travelers may bring into or take out · Government of Eritrea — Gazette of Eritrean Laws (issuer); Law Library of Congress (loc.gov) digital host
    https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/lleritrea/eritrean-proc-173-2013/eritrean-proc-173-2013.pdf [er-gazette-173-2013-art6-no-limit]
  4. Proclamation No. 173/2013, Article 2 (PDF p.6, printed p.4): repeal and replacement of Legal Notices 101/2005 and 102/2005 · Government of Eritrea — Gazette of Eritrean Laws (issuer); Law Library of Congress (loc.gov) digital host
    https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/lleritrea/eritrean-proc-173-2013/eritrean-proc-173-2013.pdf [er-gazette-173-2013-art2-repeal]
  5. Proclamation No. 173/2013, Article 7(3) (PDF p.7): non-declaration of currency above USD 10,000 — confiscation plus simple imprisonment (10 days to 3 years) or fine up to 50,000 Nakfa · Government of Eritrea — Gazette of Eritrean Laws (issuer); Law Library of Congress (loc.gov) digital host
    https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/lleritrea/eritrean-proc-173-2013/eritrean-proc-173-2013.pdf [er-gazette-173-2013-art7-penalty]
  6. Proclamation No. 173/2013, Article 8 (PDF p.8, printed p.6): entry into force on publication in the Gazette of Eritrean Laws · Government of Eritrea — Gazette of Eritrean Laws (issuer); Law Library of Congress (loc.gov) digital host
    https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/lleritrea/eritrean-proc-173-2013/eritrean-proc-173-2013.pdf [er-gazette-173-2013-art8-force]
  7. Proclamation No. 173/2013 signature block (PDF p.8) and Gazette cover Vol.21/2013 No.1 of 20 February 2013 (PDF pp.1–2): fixing the Article 8 force date · Government of Eritrea — Gazette of Eritrean Laws (issuer); Law Library of Congress (loc.gov) digital host
    https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/lleritrea/eritrean-proc-173-2013/eritrean-proc-173-2013.pdf [er-gazette-173-2013-asmara-date]
  8. ESAAMLG Mutual Evaluation of Eritrea, July 2025, R.32 Criterion 32.2 (PDF p.110): written declaration still required above USD 10,000 pursuant to Article 6 of Proclamation 173/2013 · Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) — intergovernmental assessment body; currentness corroboration only, not Eritrean law or the issuing authority
    https://www.esaamlg.org/reports/MER%20of%20Eritrea-July%202025.pdf [er-esaamlg-2025-r32-written-declaration]
  9. ESAAMLG Mutual Evaluation of Eritrea, July 2025, R.32 Criterion 32.1 (PDF p.109): Article 6 declaration does not cover bearer negotiable instruments, mail or cargo · Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) — intergovernmental assessment body; corroboration of Article 6 scope, not Eritrean law
    https://www.esaamlg.org/reports/MER%20of%20Eritrea-July%202025.pdf [er-esaamlg-2025-r32-bni-not-covered]

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