Romania's Ministry of Finance has published findings from a report prepared with the Romanian Customs Authority on cash declarations filed at Romania's border points. The report identifies large, repetitive and concentrated cross-border cash movements exceeding EUR 1.7 billion over 2024 and 2025, involving recurring routes, a small number of individuals and major money laundering risks. The detailed findings have been transmitted to the competent authorities responsible for investigating economic and financial crime. Across 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025, the databases reviewed recorded 7,593 cash declarations, including 5,758 on entry into the European Union through Romania and 1,835 on exit, with EUR 1.261 billion declared on entry and EUR 511.7 million on exit. Ukraine was the main origin of funds, accounting for 73% of declarations filed on entry through Romania, followed by Moldova and Turkey, while declared destinations were mainly Turkey, Austria and Romania. Of 1,464 declarations linked to persons entering the EU from Ukraine, 943 were filed by just 21 individuals. The analysis also found repeated use of the Ukraine-Romania-Austria and Ukraine-Romania-Turkey routes, while two border customs offices accounted for more than 92% of the national total, with around EUR 793.9 million and EUR 362.7 million respectively. Cash flows rose sharply in early 2025, peaking at about EUR 72 million in March, EUR 67 million in April and nearly EUR 100 million in May, before falling markedly from June 2025 and remaining lower in the second half of 2025 and early 2026. The ministry linked that decline to intensified control and monitoring measures and said it and the Romanian Customs Authority are continuing checks on compliance with legal requirements and internal rules for cash entering or leaving the European Union, including the handling of the common border cash declaration form for 2024 and 2025.

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