Most visitors to Korea pay a 10% value-added tax on everything they buy and never think about getting it back. Foreign tourists can claim much of it, but the rules are specific, and the usual way to lose a refund is a small mistake at the airport, such as checking your suitcase too early. This guide explains how the refund works in 2026, the two ways to claim it, and the order of steps on departure day.
The short version
- You need at least 15,000 KRW on a single receipt from a participating store.
- Show your passport at the register. The store records the number on the refund slip.
- Instant refund takes the tax off at the till (single payment under 1,000,000 KRW, and up to 5,000,000 KRW for the whole trip). Post-departure refund means you pay full price and claim at the airport.
- Keep the goods unused and in your carry-on or in hand until customs has checked them, and leave Korea within 3 months of buying.
- Expect to get back roughly 7% to 9% of the price, because refund operators take a handling fee.
1. Who Can Claim, and What You Can Claim On
The refund is for people who are not Korean citizens and who stay in Korea for less than six months. Overseas Koreans can qualify in some cases if they have lived abroad for a long time, so check the rule on the official tourism site if that is you.
It applies to goods you carry out of the country, such as cosmetics, clothing, bags, electronics and souvenirs. It does not apply to services. Restaurant meals, hotels, taxis and tours do not qualify, and neither does anything you eat, drink or use before you leave. Only stores that display a Tax Free sign or tell you they handle refunds are participating. A convenience store or a small market stall usually is not, and our convenience store guide explains why snacks are rarely worth planning around.
2. The 15,000 KRW Rule
The minimum is 15,000 KRW per receipt, not per day and not per store chain. You cannot combine two small receipts from the same shop to reach the minimum, so ask the cashier to ring everything up in one payment when it is close. The minimum was higher in earlier years, which is why you may still see older figures such as 30,000 KRW on blogs. Treat those as out of date.
3. Two Ways to Get Your Money: Instant vs. After You Leave
| Instant refund (at the store) | Post-departure refund (at the airport) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | The tax is removed at checkout. You show your passport and pay the lower price. | You pay full price with tax, keep the refund slip, and claim before you leave. |
| Limits | Under 1,000,000 KRW per single payment, and up to 5,000,000 KRW in total for the trip | No purchase limit at airport counters during your stay |
| Good for | Cosmetics, clothes and everyday shopping at big chains | Large purchases, electronics, or stores that do not offer instant refunds |
| Risk | You promise to take the goods out of Korea. If you do not, the tax may be charged back to you. | You must reach the customs and refund steps with the goods still in hand |
Instant refund is the easier option, and large chains such as Olive Young usually offer it. Our K-beauty shopping guide shows what that looks like in practice. For a big electronics purchase, post-departure is often the only route.
Always ask before paying. A sign on the door does not guarantee that the shop offers instant refunds. Say “Tax free, please” and hand over your passport before the card goes in, because adding a refund afterward is often impossible.
4. Departure Day, Step by Step
This is the part that costs people refunds, so keep the order. Procedures vary by airport and terminal, and counters move, so read the signs on the day. The sequence below follows the Incheon pattern in the official guidance.
- Arrive early. Add at least an hour to your normal airport buffer if you are claiming. Queues for customs and refunds are unpredictable. Our Incheon airport guide covers the airport layout.
- Do not check your bags yet. Keep the goods and the receipts or refund slips with you.
- Get the customs stamp. At a kiosk or the customs counter, scan your passport and the receipts. If customs wants to see the items, show them. Only then do you receive the Customs Export Approval.
- Check in and drop your luggage once customs is done.
- After security, claim your money. Go to the refund counter or kiosk with your passport. You can usually take cash in Korean won or a card or digital-wallet refund. If the counter is closed, you can often drop the slip in a box and the money is sent to your card later, which can take one to two months.
Cash won is easiest. Currency conversion at the counter is rarely a good rate. If you leave with won in your pocket, spend it at the airport or keep it for your next visit. Our money guide has more on handling cash.
5. How Much You Actually Get Back
The Korean VAT is 10%, but the refund is lower, because operators deduct a fee. In practice, expect about 7% to 9% of the pre-tax price. On a 100,000 KRW purchase that is a few thousand won, which is helpful, but not a reason to buy something you would not have bought otherwise. The savings are noticeable on larger items like electronics or a designer bag. For small cosmetic hauls, the difference is minor, so do not stack extra visits to a refund counter into a tight day.
6. Common Mistakes
- Checking the bag first. If the goods are already in a checked suitcase and customs asks to see them, you may lose the refund.
- Using the products. Items should be new and unused at inspection. Do not wear the new jacket on the flight, and do not open boxes before the stamp.
- No passport at the register. The store has to record the number. Photocopies and phone photos generally will not do.
- Splitting small buys. Several 10,000 KRW receipts will not add up to the minimum.
- Waiting too long. You must leave Korea within three months of buying. Losing the slip means losing the refund.
- Shopping in one area and claiming in another. Downtown refund booths only handle their own company’s slips. Airport counters accept all companies.
7. Where It Pays Off
Refunds matter most where you spend the most. Beauty shops in Myeongdong, wholesale and fashion stores around Dongdaemun, and department stores or electronics shops are the common places. Pack so that the purchases are easy to pull out at the customs step, and remember that once customs has stamped your slips you can put them in your checked bag. Our packing list has airline and carry-on basics.
Rules last checked in November 2026 against the Korea Tourism Organization’s tax refund page and several travel guides. Limits, fees, counters and the refund process can change. For current details, check the official Visit Korea page or call the 1330 Korea Travel Helpline. This page is general information, not tax advice.
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