Dfyjkt

I am traveling from the US to France, but my flight has a short lay-over in Oslo; can someone explain the currency restriction for entry/exit and whether it applies to travelers passing through.

Edit - Thank you for the answers! I was indeed asking about the money question, and am happy to hear it is a max not a min, as I'm traveling on a shoestring!

When entering or leaving Norway with more currency than the equivalent of NOK 25,000 (appr. USD 3,000), you have to provide a declaration to the Norwegian customs. You can find a more detailed description of the procedure at their
web page on this subject.

If you are only transiting between international flights in Oslo, you are however for the purpose of custom's regulations not entering Norway. As you are transiting to an intra-schengen flight to France, you will go through immigration check in Norway, but not through customs.

You are not entering Norway, so you are not subject to any currency restrictions; however you will be crossing into Schengen so you'll pass through immigration.

However, to combat money laundering any combination of currency that is in excess of EUR 10,000 (when converted) should be declared at your final destination.

If you do not declare it and are caught later, you may end up forfeiting the entire amount (not just the value greater than 10,000 EUR).

The relevant regulation (PDF) has the following to state about it:

Any natural person entering or leaving the Community and carrying cash
of a value of EUR 10 000 or more shall declare that sum to the
competent authorities of the Member State through which he is entering
or leaving the Community in accordance with this Regulation. The
obligation to declare shall not have been fulfilled if the information
provided is incorrect or incomplete.

Further,

‘cash’ means: (a) bearer-negotiable instruments including monetary
instruments in bearer form such as travellers cheques, negotiable
instruments (including cheques, promissory notes and money orders)
that are either in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out
to a fictitious payee, or otherwise in such form that title thereto
passes upon delivery and incomplete instruments (including cheques,
promissory notes and money orders) signed, but with the payee's name
omitted; (b) currency (banknotes and coins that are in circulation as
a medium of exchange).