Belarus Unifies Regulations for Taking Cash Foreign Currency Out of Country with Russia

Starting March 15, the National Bank of Belarus (NBB) allowed taking foreign cash equivalent of $3,000 without declaration, while amounts of between $3,000 and $10,000 must be declared at customs, but proof of the money's origin will not be required. The procedure for taking foreign currency out of Belarus will be similar to Russia's regulations, which also took effect starting March 15. The new rules for taking foreign currency out of the country apply to all individuals leaving Belarus, irrespective of their citizenship. The NBB reports that over January-September 2002, the volume of cash foreign currency export from Belarus totaled $427 million, which is up by 34.6% as against the same period of 2001.