Foreign Currency Limit When Leaving Pakistan: USD 5,000 a Trip
Adults leaving Pakistan can carry USD 5,000 in foreign cash a trip and USD 30,000 a year, under 18s half that. See the rupee limit, card cap and customs rules.
An adult leaving Pakistan can carry foreign currency worth up to USD 5,000 per trip and USD 30,000 in a calendar year. Anyone under 18 can carry USD 2,500 per trip and USD 15,000 a year. Pakistani rupees are capped at Rs 10,000 a trip. You must declare the foreign cash to Customs when you leave.
These limits come from State Bank of Pakistan Notification No. F.E.2/2022-SB, dated 8 November 2022. It replaced the older, higher limits of USD 10,000 a trip. The same caps apply whether you are going for Umrah, a holiday, study or a business meeting, and whether you carry dollars, riyals, dirhams or pounds.
We read the notification and the older ones it replaced in Appendix III of SBP's Foreign Exchange Manual on 3 October 2026. We also checked SBP's list of foreign exchange circulars from 2023 onwards and found nothing that changes the travel cash limits.
Foreign currency limits for travellers leaving Pakistan
The foreign currency limit when leaving Pakistan depends on your age and where you are going. Adults get USD 5,000 per visit and USD 30,000 a year. Minors get half. Travel to Afghanistan has its own, lower cap of USD 1,000 a visit.
| Who is travelling | Per trip | Per calendar year |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 18 years and above | USD 5,000 or equivalent | USD 30,000 or equivalent |
| Minor, below 18 years | USD 2,500 or equivalent | USD 15,000 or equivalent |
| Anyone travelling to Afghanistan | USD 1,000 or equivalent | USD 6,000 or equivalent |
| Pakistani rupee notes, any country except India | Rs 10,000 | No annual figure set |
| Pakistani rupee notes, to India | Rs 3,000 | No annual figure set |
"Or equivalent" matters. The cap is set in US dollars, but it covers every foreign currency. If you carry Saudi riyals for an Umrah trip, their dollar value on the day must stay within USD 5,000. Mixing currencies does not give you a second allowance.
The annual limit runs on the calendar year, January to December. It started counting from 1 January 2023, so a person who travels often should keep a rough record of what they took out on each trip.
Rules for children, families and frequent travellers
Each traveller has their own limit. A child under 18 is allowed USD 2,500 per trip, and an adult USD 5,000. The notification sets the limit "per person", so it does not say a parent may carry a child's share as well as their own.
Take a family of two parents and two children aged 10 and 15. On paper, the family's combined limit for one trip is USD 15,000: USD 5,000 for each parent and USD 2,500 for each child. That is a fair amount for a holiday. But we would not put it all in one parent's pocket. The text gives each limit to the person, not the family.
Frequent travellers hit the annual cap first. Six trips at the full USD 5,000 use up the whole USD 30,000 for the year. After that, the rules leave you with cards or bank channels, not more cash.
Afghanistan is the exception. SBP Notification No. F.E 2/2021-SB of 6 October 2021 sets USD 1,000 a visit and USD 6,000 a year for anyone travelling there. The 2022 notification says that limit stays unchanged, and it does not split it by age.
How to carry foreign currency out of Pakistan legally
Buy the currency from a bank or a licensed exchange company, keep the receipt, stay within your limit, and declare it to Customs at departure. The 2022 notification says anyone taking foreign currency out of Pakistan must make a declaration to Customs when leaving.
- Work out your limit: USD 5,000 if you are 18 or older, USD 2,500 if younger, USD 1,000 for Afghanistan.
- Buy the currency from a bank or licensed exchange company. SBP's daily and yearly limits on buying dollars apply when you buy.
- Keep the system-generated receipt with your passport. It shows where the money came from.
- At the airport, tell Customs you are carrying foreign currency and declare the amount.
- Keep Pakistani rupee notes to Rs 10,000 or less, or Rs 3,000 if you are going to India.
The receipt is not named as a legal requirement in the travel notification. We still think it is worth carrying. If anyone asks where the cash came from, a printed receipt from a licensed dealer is a quick and clean answer.
Do not try to split a large amount across relatives who are not travelling with you, or hide notes in checked luggage. Cash belongs in your cabin bag in any case, because airlines do not cover it under baggage allowance rules or lost bag claims.
Card spending abroad has a separate USD 30,000 limit
Debit and credit card payments abroad have their own annual cap of USD 30,000 per person. SBP set it in FE Circular No. 07 of 2022, dated 8 November 2022. It is counted across all your banks and cards together, and the card year starts on 1 November.
The circular is aimed at personal spending. It says cards issued to individuals should not be used for cross-border commercial payments. Hotel bills, shopping and taxi fares on holiday are personal. Paying a foreign supplier for your business is not.
| Channel | Annual limit | Year runs from |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign cash, adult | USD 30,000 | 1 January |
| Foreign cash, minor | USD 15,000 | 1 January |
| Debit and credit cards, including virtual cards | USD 30,000 across all banks | 1 November |
A card is often the better choice anyway. You carry less cash, and a lost card can be blocked. If your bank card struggles abroad, virtual dollar cards also count toward the same USD 30,000.
Bringing currency into Pakistan when you return
There is no limit on foreign currency you bring into Pakistan, except notes that were never issued. But if the total is above USD 10,000 or equivalent, you must declare it to Customs on Form CD-1. Pakistani rupee notes are capped at Rs 10,000 per person.
SBP Notification No. F.E.2/2017-SB allows anyone to bring in foreign currency notes "without limit". A separate SBP notification, in force since 1 July 2012, makes the CD-1 declaration compulsory above USD 10,000. It covers cash and bearer instruments such as traveller's cheques, bank drafts and pay orders.
Overseas Pakistanis who send money home regularly have a better route than cash. A Roshan Digital Account moves money through a bank, with a record, and avoids carrying large sums through two airports.
Common questions
How much foreign currency can I take out of Pakistan?
USD 5,000 or its equivalent per trip if you are 18 or older, with a yearly cap of USD 30,000. Under 18, the limits are USD 2,500 per trip and USD 15,000 a year.
How many Pakistani rupees can I carry abroad?
Up to Rs 10,000 in rupee notes per trip to any country except India. To India, the limit is Rs 3,000.
Do Saudi riyals count toward the USD 5,000 limit?
Yes. The limit covers US dollars "or equivalent thereof in other foreign currencies", so riyals, dirhams, pounds and euros all count at their dollar value.
Do I need to declare foreign currency when leaving Pakistan?
Yes. The 2022 SBP notification says anyone taking foreign currency out of Pakistan must declare it to Customs at the time of leaving.
Is there a limit on dollars I can bring into Pakistan?
No upper limit, but you must declare anything above USD 10,000 or equivalent to Customs on Form CD-1 when you arrive.
Does card spending abroad count toward the cash limit?
No. Cards have their own USD 30,000 yearly limit per person under SBP FE Circular No. 07 of 2022, counted across all banks.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 3 October 2026. The per-trip and annual cash limits for adults and minors, the Afghanistan exception and the duty to declare at departure are read in SBP Notification No. F.E.2/2022-SB of 8 November 2022, and the Afghanistan limits in Notification No. F.E 2/2021-SB of 6 October 2021, both in Appendix III of SBP's Foreign Exchange Manual. The Rs 10,000 and Rs 3,000 rupee limits are read in Notifications No. F.E.1/2017-SB and F.E.2/2017-SB of 30 August 2017, and the USD 10,000 Form CD-1 declaration in the 2012 notification in the same appendix. The card limit is read in FE Circular No. 07 of 2022. SBP's press release of 8 November 2022 confirms the cash limits. We found no later SBP circular changing them, but SBP's main website did not load on the day, so we read its archive copy.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
