Bandaranaike Airport 2 AM customs inspection: declared gold jewelry and cash limits?
3 Answers from travellers
Under Sri Lanka Customs and Central Bank regulations, incoming passengers carrying foreign currency notes exceeding USD 10,000 (or equivalent in other currencies) must file a formal Passenger Customs Declaration form at the Red Channel. Personal gold jewelry worn in reasonable quantities for travel is duty-free, but carrying commercial quantities of gold biscuits, bullion, or multiple unworn sovereign bangles without an import license triggers seizure under the Customs Ordinance. Red-eye arrivals from Dubai, Doha, and Chennai face enhanced baggage x-ray profiling for precious metals.
Failing to declare currency over the threshold can result in currency confiscation and money-laundering investigation holds by airport enforcement branches.
Currency exchange counters operated by Bank of Ceylon, Commercial Bank, and Sampath Bank inside the arrivals lobby remain open 24 hours to cash wire advice.
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