ID and Cash Limits for Buying or Selling Gold, by Country
Most countries let you buy gold with cash and without ID up to a threshold, then the dealer must identify you and often report the sale. India needs your PAN for a bill over ₹2 lakh and bans cash of ₹2 lakh or more; in the US a dealer files Form 8300 for cash over $10,000; the UAE reports cash of AED 55,000; Germany checks ID for cash from €2,000. Some countries cap cash outright: France €1,000, Netherlands €3,000, Italy €5,000, Kuwait none at all, and the whole EU €10,000 from July 2027. Selling to a dealer or pawnshop usually needs ID at any amount. Splitting a purchase to stay under a limit counts as one purchase, and can be an offence.
Facts checked 31 October 2026 · Not financial, legal or tax advice
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All 37 countries at a glance
| Country | ID needed when buying from | Cash you can pay | Reported automatically |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | No federal rule; $10,000+ cash | No legal cap | Cash over $10,000 (Form 8300) |
| Canada | C$10,000 cash | No legal cap | Cash C$10,000+ in 24 hours (LCTR) |
| Mexico | 805 UMA (MX$94,435) | Under 3,210 UMA (MX$376,565) | Aviso from 1,605 UMA (MX$188,283) |
| Brazil | R$10,000 (CPF and ID) | No legal cap | Cash R$30,000+ (Coaf and DME) |
| United Kingdom | £10,000 in cash (HVDs) | No legal cap | Suspicious only (SAR to the NCA) |
| Ireland | €10,000 in cash | No cap (€10,000 from July 2027) | Suspicious only (FIU and Revenue) |
| Germany | €2,000 in cash | No cap (€10,000 from July 2027) | Suspicious only (FIU) |
| France | €10,000 (dealer AML checks) | €1,000 (€15,000 non-residents) | Suspicious only (Tracfin) |
| Italy | €10,000 (UIF gold declaration) | Under €5,000 | Gold deals €10,000+ declared to UIF |
| Netherlands | No fixed rule | Under €3,000 | No FIU duty for traders since 2026 |
| Switzerland | Over CHF 15,000 in cash | No legal cap | Suspicious only |
| Turkey | 370,000 TL (from 7 Oct 2026) | Up to 30,000 TL | Suspicious only (MASAK) |
| UAE | AED 55,000 in cash | No legal cap | Cash AED 55,000+ (DPMSR via goAML) |
| Saudi Arabia | SAR 50,000 in cash | No legal cap | Suspicious only |
| Kuwait | Any sale; extra above KWD 3,000 | No cash at any amount | Suspicious only (to Kuwait FIU) |
| Qatar | QAR 50,000 (full checks) | Up to QAR 50,000 | Suspicious only (to the FIU) |
| Bahrain | Any sale (ID copy) | Under BD 3,000 | Suspicious only (STR) |
| Oman | Any amount | Under OMR 5,000 | Suspicious only |
| Egypt | EGP 150,000 (national ID) | No legal cap | Suspicious only (EMLCU) |
| South Africa | R100,000 (registered dealers) | No legal cap | Cash over R49,999.99 (s28 CTR) |
| India | Over ₹2 lakh (PAN) | Under ₹2 lakh | Cash sales over ₹2 lakh (SFT) |
| Pakistan | PKR 2 million cash (CNIC) | No legal cap for buyers | Cash PKR 2m+ (CTR to FMU) |
| Bangladesh | No fixed amount found | No legal cap found | Suspicious only (to BFIU) |
| Nepal | NPR 1 lakh cash a day | Under NPR 5 lakh | NPR 10 lakh+ a day (TTR to FIU) |
| Sri Lanka | US$15,000 cash (NIC) | No legal cap found | Suspicious transactions |
| China | RMB 100,000 in cash (a day) | No legal cap | Cash ≥ RMB 100k (dealer), 50k (bank) |
| Hong Kong | Cash of HK$120,000+ | No legal cap | Suspicious only |
| Japan | Over ¥2 million in cash | No legal cap | Bullion sold for over ¥2 million |
| South Korea | No fixed rule | No legal cap | Bank cash ₩10m+ (CTR); receipt ₩100k+ |
| Singapore | Cash over S$20,000 | No legal cap | Cash over S$20,000 (CTR to STRO) |
| Malaysia | Cash of RM50,000+ | No legal cap | Suspicious only (no dealer CTR) |
| Thailand | No fixed public threshold | No cap yet; ฿1–10m cap planned | Cash of ฿2 million+ (to AMLO) |
| Vietnam | Gold bars: any amount | Under VND 20 million a day | Gold-bar deals to SBV; VND 400m+ |
| Indonesia | Rp100 million (NIK + NPWP) | No legal cap | Any deal of Rp500 million+ (PPATK) |
| Philippines | Deals over ₱1 million | No legal cap | Over ₱1 million (CTR to AMLC) |
| Australia | A$10,000 cash; A$5,000 bullion | No legal cap | Cash of A$10,000+ (TTR) |
| New Zealand | No fixed rule | Under NZ$10,000 | Suspicious only (banks: cash NZ$10k+) |
European Union: the rules common to all member states
- Today (AML directives): traders in goods are covered only where they make or receive cash payments of €10,000 or more, single or linked; national laws can go lower (Germany €2,000 for precious metals) or ban cash outright (France €1,000, Italy €5,000, Netherlands €3,000).
- From 10 July 2027 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1624): traders may accept or make cash payments only up to €10,000, single or linked. Payments between private individuals are exempt, and existing lower national caps stay.
- Dealers who trade precious metals and stones as a regular activity become obliged entities whatever the payment method. They must apply full customer due diligence for occasional transactions of €10,000 or more (card and transfer included) and identify customers for cash transactions from €3,000. The €3,000 rule doesn't apply in countries whose cash cap is €3,000 or lower.
- Traders in high-value goods are covered too, for example jewellery, gold and silver articles and watches above €10,000. AMLA can propose lower thresholds for higher-risk sectors.
- Borders: anyone entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash must declare it. Cash includes gold coins with at least 90% gold and gold bars, nuggets or clumps of at least 99.5% (Regulation (EU) 2018/1672).
Gold ID and Cash Limits: FAQ
How much gold can I buy without ID?
It depends on the country and how you pay. Typical cash thresholds: ₹2 lakh in India (PAN), €2,000 in Germany, AED 55,000 in the UAE, S$20,000 in Singapore, HK$120,000 in Hong Kong, ¥2 million in Japan, $10,000 in the US (Form 8300) and C$10,000 in Canada. Dealers can ask for ID at lower amounts, and in Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain shops record ID on every sale.
Can I buy gold with cash?
Yes in most countries, but some cap cash payments: France €1,000 for residents, the Netherlands under €3,000, Italy under €5,000, Turkey 30,000 TL, Vietnam VND 20 million a day, India under ₹2 lakh, Qatar QAR 50,000, New Zealand NZ$10,000, and Kuwait bans cash for gold entirely. From 10 July 2027 the EU caps cash payments to traders at €10,000.
Do I need ID to sell gold?
Usually yes, at any amount: second-hand dealer, pawnshop and gold-buyer rules in the UK, US states, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Italy, Switzerland and many others require photo ID from sellers, and some pay only by bank transfer (France, Kuwait, Vietnam above VND 20 million).
Is buying gold reported to the tax office?
Some purchases and sales are: US dealers file Form 8300 for cash over $10,000 and 1099-B for certain large bar sales; Indian jewellers report cash sales over ₹2 lakh (SFT); Japanese dealers report bullion they buy from you for over ¥2 million; Mexico's SAT gets notices from 1,605 UMA. Elsewhere dealers mostly report only suspicious or large cash transactions to the financial-intelligence unit.
What is structuring?
Splitting a purchase or sale into smaller payments to stay under a reporting or ID threshold. In the US, Canada, Australia and many other countries linked payments are added together, and structuring is a criminal offence even if the money is legal.
Sources (5)
General information for individuals buying or selling gold, checked October 2026. Rules change and dealers may ask for more than the legal minimum; check with the dealer or the regulator. Not legal advice.