Korea Tax Refund Guide for Tourists
Foreign tourists in Korea can get a refund of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on eligible purchases at stores displaying a Tax Free logo. This guide covers who qualifies, the two refund methods, and exactly what to say at checkout.
1. Who is eligible
- You must be a foreign passport holder who has stayed in Korea for less than 6 months (not a Korean resident).
- The store must display a Tax Free sign — not every shop participates.
- Minimum purchase is 15,000 KRW on a single receipt. This was lowered from 30,000 KRW in 2024, so older guides you may find online are out of date.
- You must leave Korea with the purchased goods within 3 months of the purchase date.
2. Two refund methods
| Method | Where | When you get the money |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate refund (즉시 환급) | Selected large stores (Olive Young, some department stores) | At the register — VAT is deducted from the price immediately. Limits: under 1,000,000 KRW per transaction and 5,000,000 KRW total across your whole stay |
| Standard refund | Refund kiosk or counter at the airport (or downtown refund office) | After passport and receipt verification, before departure |
Immediate refund is faster, but it is capped: under 1,000,000 KRW on a single transaction and 5,000,000 KRW in total for your stay. Purchases above those caps go through the standard airport process instead. Thresholds are set by the Korean tax authorities and can change — confirm at the register before you pay.
3. Step-by-step at the airport (standard refund)
- Arrive at the airport at least 3–4 hours before departure — refund counters can have lines during peak travel times.
- Keep your refund items in carry-on luggage until you know whether customs needs to see them. Do not check them in yet.
- Scan your passport at a tax-refund kiosk. The kiosk tells you whether a customs inspection is required — there is no fixed purchase amount that decides this, so follow what the screen shows rather than guessing.
- If an inspection is required, take the unused goods and your receipts to the Customs (세관) desk for a stamp. High-value items are the ones most often pulled for physical checks.
- Once cleared, complete the refund at the counter or self-service kiosk matching the operator on your receipt (Global Tax Free, Easy Tax Refund, KTP and others each have their own counters).
- Choose your refund method: cash, credit card refund, or a digital wallet where offered, then collect your confirmation before boarding.
4. Phrases to use at checkout and the refund counter
5. Common mistakes that cost tourists their refund
6. Learn the phrases before you shop
The SEOULMATE app has these tax-refund phrases and 380+ other travel Korean phrases with native audio, offline access, and one-tap copy — so you can show your phone at checkout without typing.
Practice these phrases with native pronunciation, offline, before you shop.
Get SEOULMATE on Google PlayRelated guides
Tax-refund rules, minimum amounts and refund caps are set by the Korean tax authorities and can change. Figures on this page were checked in September 2026 — confirm at the store or the airport counter before you rely on them.