Korea Tax Refund Calculator

How Korea's tourist VAT refund actually works

Almost everything you buy in Korea already has 10% value-added tax baked into the shelf price. Visitors can claim most of that back, but only if the purchase is made at a shop enrolled in the tax-free scheme and only if the goods leave the country with you.

Who can claim

• Foreign visitors who have been in Korea less than six months.
• Overseas Koreans who have been in Korea less than three months and have lived abroad for more than two years.
• You need your passport — a photo or a copy is not accepted at most counters.

The thresholds worth memorising

• ₩15,000 — the minimum on a single receipt. Below that, no refund.
• ₩1,000,000 — the ceiling for an immediate refund deducted at the till.
• ₩5,000,000 — the total immediate-refund ceiling across your whole trip. Past that you claim at the airport instead.
• 3 months — goods must be bought within three months of the day you fly out.

Two ways to get the money

At the shop. Large cosmetics chains, department stores and many clothing shops deduct the tax on the spot. You show your passport, the discount appears on the receipt, and there is nothing to do at the airport. This is the easiest route and covers most ordinary shopping.

At the airport. For bigger purchases, keep the refund slips. Before you check in, take the goods and the slips to the customs declaration counter for export approval, then collect the money — cash or a card credit — at a refund service counter after security. Allow an extra 30–40 minutes; the queues at Incheon get long in the afternoon.

If the items are going into your checked bag, do the customs step before you drop the bag off. Once the suitcase is gone, so is your proof.

What you will actually receive

Not the full 10%. The refund operator keeps a handling fee, so the real figure lands somewhere around 5–8% of the price for typical purchases, and proportionally less on small ones. The calculator above uses that range rather than the headline rate, which is why its answer looks lower than "10% back".

What does not qualify

• Anything used, opened or consumed before you leave.
• Tobacco.
• Cosmetic surgery and aesthetic procedures — removed from the scheme on 1 January 2026.
• Services in general: restaurants, hotels, transport and tickets are not refundable.

Common questions

Can I combine several small receipts to reach ₩15,000? No. The threshold applies per receipt, per shop, per day.

I already got the discount in the shop — do I still stop at customs? No. Immediate refunds are settled; only paper refund slips need the customs step.

I am leaving by ship or from Gimhae/Jeju. The same rules apply; the counters are smaller, so leave more time.

Figures checked against the Seoul Metropolitan Government's official tax refund page in August 2026. Rules and operator fees change — confirm at the counter before you rely on a number.