While You're Here

Tax Refund

Getting the VAT back on what you buy — at the shop, downtown, or at the airport.

The short answer

Show your passport when you pay. Many shops then refund the tax on the spot, and you are done. If they can't, keep the receipts and claim at the airport — before you check your bags.

Do you qualify?

You're a foreign visitor who has been in Korea less than six months.
You're taking the goods out of the country with you, within three months of buying them.
The shop takes part in the scheme — look for a Tax Free sticker on the door or at the till.
The purchase is over the minimum amount, which is small — a normal clothing or cosmetics purchase clears it easily.

Services don't count. Hotels, restaurants and tickets are not refundable — this is for goods you carry out.

The three ways to claim

Where	How it works
At the shop (immediate)	The easiest by far. Show your passport at the till and the tax is simply taken off the price. There are per-purchase and per-trip limits, so very large purchases fall back to the airport route.
Downtown kiosks	Machines in big shopping districts and department stores. Scan the receipts and your passport, get the money back before you fly. You may be asked to register a card as security.
At the airport	The fallback for everything else. Self-service kiosks for ordinary amounts; a customs desk if the goods need to be seen.

Doing it at the airport

Arrive earlier than you otherwise would. This is the step people underestimate.
Before checking your luggage, go to the customs desk if your purchases are large, expensive, or in your checked bag — they may want to see them.
Otherwise go straight to a self-service kiosk with your passport, boarding pass and receipts.
Collect the refund after security, at the refund counter in the departure area. It can be cash or a card refund.

The order matters: goods in a checked bag can't be shown to customs once the bag is gone. If in doubt, do the paperwork first and check in afterwards.

Four numbered steps in order: customs desk, then checking luggage, then security, then the refund counter. — The order at the airport. Customs comes first — once the bag is checked, what's inside can no longer be shown.

Worth knowing

The refund is not the full 10% — the operator takes a fee, so expect somewhat less.
Keep the goods unused and, ideally, unopened until you leave. In practice they're rarely inspected, but that is the rule.
Immediate refund at the shop is the version with the least that can go wrong. Prefer it whenever it's offered.
Department stores often have their own refund desk on site — ask before you leave the building.