South Korea Tax Refund 2026: Tourist VAT Refund Guide

South Korea charges 10% VAT, and it is one of the easiest places in the world to get it back. For everyday purchases the shop can take the tax off at the register, so there is nothing left to do at the airport. Bigger purchases go through a refund kiosk in the city or at Incheon.

South Korea Tax Refund Calculator

Enter what you plan to spend to see the VAT you can reclaim and what you’d actually receive after fees.

Shopping in

Total spend (shelf price)

VAT inside your purchase · 10% rate

₩90,909reclaimable

Typical refund desk~70% of the VAT₩63,636
GoodVat app90% of the VAT₩81,818

Minimum spend in South Korea: ₩15,000, per receipt. South Korea refund rules

GoodVat is coming to South Korea. Be first in.

The GoodVat app handles your tax-free claim automatically, with no refund-desk queue, and pays out 90% of the VAT. 1,300+ refunds issued so far. It's in private beta, and South Korea is next. Join now to get in first.

Private beta members get their first refund fee-free. We'll only email you about the beta. Privacy

See how the app works

Estimate only. Uses the standard tax rate and a typical operator commission; your refund depends on the goods, the retailer and the refund operator.

Who Can Claim a Tax Refund in South Korea?

You are a foreign visitor who has been in Korea for less than six months.
Overseas Koreans qualify if they have lived abroad for more than two years, or have been in Korea for less than three months.
You don’t work or pay income tax in Korea.
You have your passport with you when you buy.

Minimum Purchase Amount

Most current guides give the minimum as ₩15,000 on a single receipt at a participating shop. Some still quote the older ₩30,000 figure, so confirm at the register if you are close to the line. Look for the “Tax Free” or “Tax Refund” sign.

Three Ways to Get Your Refund

1. Instant refund at the register

The shop scans your passport and charges you the price without VAT. This works for receipts up to ₩1,000,000, and up to ₩5,000,000 in total across your trip. Nothing more is needed at the airport.

2. Downtown refund kiosk

If the shop gives you a tax refund slip instead, you can cash it at a kiosk or counter in areas such as Myeongdong and Hongdae and in the big malls. You get the money on the spot, and you leave a credit card as a guarantee that you will take the goods out of the country.

3. Airport refund

For anything over the instant limit, or for slips you didn’t cash in town:

Before check-in, scan your passport and receipts at a tax refund kiosk.
If the kiosk asks for a customs check, take the goods to the customs desk to be stamped. Don’t pack them in checked luggage until this is done.
After immigration, collect cash or confirm the refund to your card at the refund desk.

How Much You Actually Get Back

VAT at 10% is 9.09% of the price you pay. On a ₩1,000,000 purchase that is ₩90,909.

The refund companies keep a fee, and they pay from a fixed table by price band rather than a straight percentage. Expect roughly 4% to 7% of what you spent, which is between half and three-quarters of the VAT. Global Blue, Global Tax Free and Easy Tax Refund are the operators you’ll see most.

Deadlines and Common Mistakes

Three months. The goods have to leave Korea within three months of purchase.
Opening or using the goods before you leave.
Checking bags before the kiosk when a customs check turns out to be required.
Expecting a refund on cosmetic procedures. The VAT refund on medical and cosmetic treatments ended on 1 January 2026.
Missing the downtown guarantee. If you cash a slip in town and don’t complete the departure step, the amount is charged to your card.