Do I need to do anything at the airport if I got the refund in the store?

No. With an instant refund the tax is taken off at the till, and the VisitKorea guide lists no extra airport step. Keep the goods unused until you leave.

What if one purchase is ₩1,000,000 or more?

It cannot be refunded at the till. Pay the full price, keep the refund voucher, and claim it at a downtown refund counter (up to ₩6,000,000 per receipt) or at the airport after customs export confirmation.

Can I combine two small receipts to reach ₩15,000?

The official pages set the ₩15,000 minimum per receipt, so plan each purchase to reach it on its own.

How is the refund paid at the airport?

VisitKorea lists won, US dollars, yuan, yen or Alipay at staffed counters (varies by airport), and won, Alipay or WeChat Pay at unmanned kiosks.

I live in Korea on a work visa. Can I claim?

No. The scheme is for visitors staying less than 6 months, and VisitKorea excludes people employed in Korea, long-term residents, diplomats and US military personnel.

Korea Tax Refund for Tourists: Limits, Kiosks, Deadlines

What to do

Shop at stores showing a Tax Free or Tax Refund sign, spend at least ₩15,000 on one receipt, and show your passport at the till. For most purchases under ₩1,000,000 the tax is taken off right there, so there is nothing left to do.

For bigger purchases, or stores without the instant service, you pay the full price and get a refund voucher. You then claim the money at a downtown refund counter, through a mobile app, or at the airport when you leave. These figures come from the VisitKorea tax refund guide, checked on 5 October 2026.

Check that you qualify

You can use the scheme if you are not a Korean citizen and have been in Korea for less than 6 months. Overseas Koreans also qualify if they have lived abroad for at least 2 years and have been in Korea for less than 3 months.

The goods must be new, unopened and unused when they leave the country. The Korea Customs Service requires them to be taken out within 3 months of the purchase date.

People who work in Korea, long-term residents, diplomats and US military personnel are excluded, and so are company purchases.

Step by step: instant refund in the store

Look for a Tax Free or Tax Refund sign at the entrance or till. VisitKorea names Global Blue, GLOBAL TAX FREE, Easy Tax Refund and CubeRefund as the operators whose logos you will see.
Hand over your passport before you pay. The store checks your eligibility.
Pay the price with the tax already deducted. Each purchase must be at least ₩15,000 and under ₩1,000,000.
Keep the receipt. Your instant refunds over the whole trip are capped at ₩5,000,000 in total.

These caps doubled on 1 January 2024, when the per purchase limit rose from ₩500,000 and the trip limit from ₩2,500,000, according to Korea.net. Some older guides still quote the old numbers.

Step by step: refund at the airport

Before you check in your bags, keep the purchased goods, refund vouchers and passport at hand.
At airports with customs kiosks, enter your passport and sales details on the kiosk. If the system selects you for inspection, take the goods to the customs desk. At airports without kiosks, go straight to the customs desk.
Once export is confirmed, check in your luggage.
After immigration, collect the money at the refund counter in the duty free area, as the Korea Customs Service describes.

The VisitKorea duty free page also tells you to present the goods to customs before checking baggage. If you pack them in a checked bag first, customs cannot see them.

Downtown and mobile refunds

Staffed downtown refund centers and unmanned kiosks in major cities can pay out a voucher before you reach the airport, up to ₩6,000,000 per receipt. Bring your passport, the refund voucher and a credit card.

VisitKorea also lists mobile apps and mailbox submission as claim methods. All of these general refund routes still require customs export confirmation when you leave.

Limits, hours and payout options

Item	Rule (as of October 2026)
Minimum per receipt	₩15,000
Instant refund per purchase	₩15,000 to under ₩1,000,000
Instant refund trip total	₩5,000,000
Downtown refund per receipt	Up to ₩6,000,000
Export deadline	3 months from purchase
Incheon T1 staffed counter	07:00-22:00
Incheon T2 staffed counter	07:30-21:30
Gimpo staffed counter	06:30-20:00
Gimhae staffed counter	06:30-21:00
Jeju staffed counter	06:00-22:00
Unmanned kiosks	24 hours at most locations

Staffed counters pay in won, US dollars, yuan, yen or Alipay depending on the airport. Unmanned kiosks pay in won, Alipay or WeChat Pay.

Common mistakes

Checking bags before customs. The goods must be shown to customs first, so do the export confirmation before bag drop.
Opening or using the item. Used or opened goods are not eligible, even if you have the voucher.
Splitting a large purchase to stay under ₩1,000,000. Your instant refunds still count toward the ₩5,000,000 trip cap, so track the total.
Leaving the claim too late. Staffed counters close at night at several airports. If you fly early or late, plan to use a kiosk or a downtown counter.
Relying on old numbers. The ₩30,000 minimum and ₩500,000 instant cap are pre 2024 rules.

When the refund does not apply

You cannot claim if you have stayed 6 months or more, if you are working in Korea, or if the goods leave the country more than 3 months after purchase. Purchases under ₩15,000 on a single receipt are also out.

Stores without a Tax Free or Tax Refund sign do not take part, so ask before you pay. Rules and counter hours change, so check the official page before you fly.