How Much Dollars Can I Take Out of Sri Lanka? Currency Allowance Checker

Sri Lanka's cash-carry rules come from three places: the Foreign Exchange Act No. 12 of 2017, the Central Bank's Department of Foreign Exchange (which sets the travel allowance and possession limits), and Sri Lanka Customs (which enforces the declaration duty at the airport). This checker puts your own numbers against each limit. Because every threshold is published as “USD or equivalent”, the tool converts non-dollar notes to a USD figure first, then runs four independent checks.

1. Normalise to USD. Cash notes are multiplied by the exchange rate you supply ( cashUSD = amount × rate; the rate is fixed at 1 for US dollars). The conversion is clearly labelled indicative — the tool never claims a live rate.
2. Cash-notes travel allowance. When departing, physical foreign currency notes are capped at USD 5,000; the balance of your travel allowance belongs on a Travel Card. If your cash is over the cap the tool shows exactly how much to move onto the card.
3. Possession limit. A resident may hold foreign currency notes up to USD 10,000 in possession. Cash above this must come from a documented, permitted source.
4. Customs declaration. Total foreign currency (cash plus card) above USD 15,000 must be declared to Customs in either direction. Arriving passengers with more than USD 10,000 in notes should also declare to preserve the right to re-export.
5. Rupee-note limit. Sri Lanka rupee notes are capped at LKR 20,000 taken out or brought in.

The four checks are independent, so you can be within the declaration threshold yet still flagged on the cash-notes cap — the headline banner reconciles all four into a single sentence. Comparisons are strictly greater-than, so an amount exactly equal to a limit is treated as within it. Every threshold in the code is a named constant with a LAST_VERIFIED date, and the “declaration required” result is computed a second, independent way as a self-check.

• CBSL Department of Foreign Exchange — travel allowance & possession of foreign currency notes
• CBSL — Amending Limits and Terms and Conditions on Possession of Foreign Currency
• Sri Lanka Customs — Travellers / currency declaration
• Foreign Exchange Act No. 12 of 2017 (enabling law)

Every threshold on this page was last cross-checked against the CBSL and Sri Lanka Customs sources on 2026-07-12. Foreign-exchange rules change by CBSL directive — confirm the current limits with your bank or Customs before a large or unusual transaction. This tool states published limits and is not legal advice.