EU Court rules against bringing euro cash to Russia for medical treatment

Brussels – Banned from taking money to Russia, even if for medical treatment: the Court of Justice is interpreting narrowly the EU sanctions regime against the Russian Federation over the war in Ukraine. In a judgment, the Luxembourg judges ruled that carrying currency from an EU member state or the single European currency (euro) can be justified for “sums necessary to pay travel and subsistence expenses.” In all other cases, such as medical treatment, traveling with currencies other than rubles “does not constitute a necessary export for his or her personal use,” and, therefore, the EU sanctions outlined and enforced in the packages adopted so far apply and prevail.

The Court of Justice was compelled to interpret the law this way following a court case in which customs checks found 15 thousand euros in cash in the luggage of a passenger bound for Russia from Frankfurt to undergo dental, hormone, and plastic surgery treatments. However, the EU banned the transfer or export of European currencies to Russia, and so the person was left with 1,000 euros for travel expenses, with customs authorities seizing the rest.

It will now be up to the German national court to take the appropriate measures in light of the ruling of the EU Court of Justice, which reminds us, however, that “the European Union has not restricted the right to travel to Russia.” Therefore, it remains possible to stay in the country, but it is necessary to calculate well how much money one’s national currency should bring.