Tax Refund in Korea for Tourists: Instant, Airport and How Much Back

If you are a foreign visitor staying in Korea for less than six months, you can get part of the tax back on goods bought at shops that take part in the refund scheme. Each receipt has to come to at least 15,000 won (about US$10). The easiest way is the instant refund. You show your passport when you pay and the refund comes off the price right away. It works for single payments of 15,000 won up to just under 1,000,000 won, and for up to 5,000,000 won of shopping across your whole trip. For anything bigger, you claim the tax back at a downtown refund booth or at the airport.

This guide covers how a tax refund in Korea works, step by step: who qualifies, the three ways to claim, what to do at Incheon Airport, roughly how much you get back, and the mistakes that cost travelers money. Rules and amounts are as of November 5, 2026.

Who can get a tax refund in Korea?

The Korea Tourism Organization's VisitKorea site says you qualify if:

• You are not a Korean citizen and are staying in Korea for less than six months, or
• You are an overseas Korean staying less than three months who has lived abroad for more than two years or holds permanent residency in another country.

The purchase also has to meet these conditions:

• 15,000 won or more on one receipt. Several small receipts cannot be added together to reach the minimum.
• Bought at a participating store. Look for a TAX FREE or TAX REFUND sign at the entrance or till.
• New goods. Items must be unopened and unused when you take them out of the country.
• Taken out of Korea within three months of the purchase date.

The refund is for goods only. Refund calculator K-Calc notes that hotel nights, restaurant and cafe bills, and transport fares are not covered.

How does the instant tax refund work?

Most visitors use the instant refund (also called an immediate or on-the-spot refund). You get the money back at the till and skip the airport queue.

1. Ask the cashier whether the shop offers an instant tax refund. Not every TAX FREE store does, so check before you pay.
2. Hand over your passport before you pay.
3. Pay the reduced price. The refund amount has already been taken off.
4. Keep your receipt, and keep the goods unopened until you leave Korea.

VisitKorea says certified stores offer it, mainly department stores, large supermarkets and some smaller shops and convenience stores. On August 13, 2025, the Korea Tourism Organization, BGF Retail (which runs the CU chain) and the refund company Lordsystem launched an instant VAT refund service at CU convenience stores. At those stores the refund comes off at the till, so there is nothing left to do at the airport.

What are the instant refund limits?

The instant refund limits doubled on January 1, 2024. Before that they were 500,000 won per payment and 2.5 million won in total. If one purchase is 1,000,000 won or more, or you have already used your 5,000,000 won total, pay the full price, ask for a tax refund receipt, and claim the money at a downtown booth or the airport instead.

How do you get a tax refund at Incheon Airport?

If you paid full price and got a refund receipt, the airport is where most people claim. VisitKorea gives these steps, and the order matters:

1. Get your boarding pass, but keep your bags with you. Have your refund receipts ready.
2. Get the customs stamp. Show the goods and receipts to the customs officer and ask for the Customs Export Approval stamp on each receipt. Skip this and you may lose the refund.
3. Check your bags at the oversized baggage counter in the check-in area.
4. Claim your refund at a tax refund counter or kiosk with your passport and stamped receipts. If you want cash, you collect it in the Duty Free Zone after security and immigration.

If no counter is open, VisitKorea says you can write your details on the receipt and drop it in the refund box provided. It also warns that the steps can differ between airports and seaport terminals.

Incheon Airport refund locations listed by VisitKorea (they can change, so check the signs on the day):

Airport and seaport counters take receipts from every refund company, so you can claim everything in one place. If you choose a refund to an international credit card, Alipay or WeChat Pay instead of cash, VisitKorea says the money can take one to two months to arrive. Allow extra time on busy days. For getting to and from the airport, see our guide to Incheon Airport to Seoul: AREX vs Airport Bus vs Taxi.

Can you get a tax refund in Seoul before the airport?

Yes. Downtown tax refund booths in shopping areas can pay you before you fly, for receipts of up to 6,000,000 won each. You can take the refund in cash or to a credit card, including Alipay and WeChat Pay. Bring the goods, your refund receipts, your passport and an international credit card.

There are two catches. First, a downtown booth only handles receipts from its own refund company, so check the company name printed on your receipt before you queue. Second, an early refund is not the last step. You still have to report it at customs or an airport refund counter when you leave.

The refund companies VisitKorea lists are Global Blue, Global Tax Free, Easy Tax Refund, CubeRefund and eTAX FREE.

How much do you get back from a tax refund in Korea?

Korea's value-added tax (VAT) is 10%, and it is already included in the shelf price. On a 110,000 won item, 10,000 won is tax, which is about 9% of what you paid.

You won't get all of that tax back. The refund company keeps a service fee, and refunds are paid in fixed amounts by price band. K-Calc puts the amount you actually get back at about 3.3% to 8.2% of the price, and larger receipts get a better rate. On a 100,000 won purchase it shows a refund of 7,000 won. The exact figure depends on the refund company and your price band, and your refund receipt shows the amount.

What are the most common tax refund mistakes?

• Splitting purchases into small receipts. Two 10,000 won receipts do not qualify, but one 20,000 won receipt does. Pay in a single payment at the same shop.
• Shopping without your passport. Instant refunds need your passport at the till.
• Opening or using the goods. Goods must be new and unused, and customs checks them before stamping your receipts.
• Checking your bags before customs. Once your suitcase is gone, you can't show the goods.
• Queuing at the wrong downtown booth. Booths in the city only take their own company's receipts. At the airport, any company is fine.
• Arriving at the airport late. Customs and refund queues at Incheon can be long at peak hours.

Good to know

• Carry your passport whenever you go shopping. It is the most useful habit for getting tax refunds.
• Keep all your refund receipts in one envelope, with your boarding pass on departure day.
• Doing big shopping on your last day? If one receipt is 1,000,000 won or more, you can't get an instant refund, so plan to use a downtown booth or the airport.
• For help in English, call the Korea Travel Helpline on 1330 (+82-2-1330 from a foreign phone).
• A data connection makes it easier to check store details and refund apps on the go. See Korea eSIM vs SIM Card vs Pocket Wi-Fi.

FAQ

What is the minimum purchase for a tax refund in Korea?

One receipt has to come to at least 15,000 won (about US$10) at a participating store. Receipts can't be combined, so if you are near the minimum, pay for everything in one go.

Can I get a tax refund at the store instead of the airport?

Yes, at shops that offer the instant refund. Show your passport before you pay and the refund comes off the price. As of November 5, 2026, this works for single payments from 15,000 won up to just under 1,000,000 won, with a limit of 5,000,000 won per trip.

Do I need a customs stamp for my tax refund?

If you paid full price and are claiming at the airport, yes. Before you check your bags, show the goods and receipts to customs and get the Customs Export Approval stamp. Without it, you may not get your refund.

Can foreign residents in Korea get a tax refund?

The tourist tax refund is for foreigners staying in Korea for less than six months, so long-term residents don't qualify. Overseas Koreans qualify only for stays of under three months, and only if they have lived abroad for more than two years or hold permanent residency in another country.

How long does a tax refund in Korea take?

An instant refund is applied the moment you pay. Cash refunds at airport counters and downtown booths are paid on the spot. If the refund goes to an international credit card, Alipay or WeChat Pay, VisitKorea says it can take one to two months.