Tax refund & shopping in Korea

Tourists can get most of the 10% VAT back — here's the actual process

Korea includes 10% VAT in displayed prices, and short-term visitors can claim most of it back on purchases at "Tax Free" labeled stores. The system is one of the smoothest anywhere — much of it happens right at the register.

Who qualifies

Foreign visitors staying in Korea less than 6 months (and Koreans living abroad meeting conditions).
The goods must leave Korea unused within 3 months of purchase — don't open the sealed bag if it's sealed.
Minimum spend: ₩15,000 per receipt at a participating store.

The easy way: instant refund at the register

At big chains — Olive Young, department stores, large marts, many Myeongdong shops — just show your passport at checkout and the VAT portion is deducted on the spot. No paperwork, no airport queue. This "immediate refund" works up to per-purchase and per-trip limits; beyond those, you use the airport process instead.

The airport way (for bigger purchases)

At the store: ask for a tax refund slip with your receipt (passport needed).
At the airport before checking your bags (if refund items are in them): scan your passport at the tax refund kiosks. If the screen tells you to visit customs, show the goods at the customs desk nearby.
After security: collect cash (KRW or other currencies) at the refund counters, or choose card/Alipay credit at the kiosk.

💡 Give yourself an extra 30–40 minutes at the airport if you have refunds to process during busy hours — the kiosks are fast, but lines happen.

Where foreigners actually shop

Olive Young — the K-beauty one-stop; the flagship stores in Myeongdong are tourist central and handle instant refunds smoothly.
Daiso — ₩1,000–5,000 household goodies; souvenirs that don't feel like souvenirs.
Department store basements (식품관) — gift-grade snacks and gorgeous food halls.
Traditional markets (Gwangjang, Namdaemun) — atmosphere, food, fabrics; mostly cash-friendly, generally not tax-free.
Duty free shops — a separate system from tax refund: you buy with passport + flight info and often pick items up at the airport departure gate area.

Card tip while shopping

When a terminal asks to charge you in your home currency instead of KRW — decline it. That's DCC, a hidden 3–8% markup. Details in the money guide. Check what your purchases cost in your currency with the live exchange-rate tool.

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