“Fontanka” learned about the cases of withdrawal of the euro from the Russians on the Finnish border

Last week, Finnish customs officers confiscated 1,390 euros in cash from a resident of St. Petersburg at the border. About it informs “Fontanka” with reference to the Russian.

The interlocutor said that he was returning to Russia by car through the Vaalimaaa-Torfyanovka checkpoint. According to him, after passing through passport control, customs officers asked if he had euros in cash. Then the Russian confirmed that he was carrying 1,390 euros with him, after which the customs officers took the money from him.

The withdrawal of cash was explained by the imposed sanctions on Russia. Employees showed Yuri an excerpt from the customs regulations of Finland, which states that “the export of banknotes of the official EU currency to Russia is prohibited.” The only exception is money for “personal use”.

This item includes the cost of accommodation, food, travel and shopping. It is clarified that the removal of cash for relatives and friends, as well as unused money, is not considered “personal use”. At the same time, the ban has no lower limit – sanctions apply to any amount.

As a result, Yuri was offered to either transfer cash euros to someone who travels to Finland, or pick up the money when re-entering the country through the same point.

Fontanka points out that Russians have previously reported similar cases of cash withdrawal in the On the Border Telegram chat, which publishes reports on crossing the Finnish border. So, in the chat published a form of seizure in Imatra 9400 euros in small bills. However, other users claim that usually the customs officers are not interested in the amount being transported. If it comes to cash, then they are satisfied with the answer “300”.

In March, as part of sanctions against Russia, the European Union banned the sale and delivery of euro banknotes to Russia. The ban applies to all Russian individuals and legal entities, organizations and bodies, including the government and the Central Bank. However, the restrictions do not apply to tourists who use the money “for personal use” and diplomats, who enjoy immunity under international law.

Subscribe on “Vedomosti” in Telegram and stay up to date with the main news of the economy and business