How much tax refund will you get in Korea?
Korea refunds the 10% VAT on Tax Free purchases of ₩15,000+ per receipt. In-store instant refunds take the full VAT off at checkout (purchases under ₩1,000,000, up to ₩5,000,000 per trip); airport refunds pay a bit less after operator fees. This calculator shows both, from official sources.
You get back about
₩4,545≈ $3.2*
Instant: −₩4,545 at checkout (full VAT portion)
- Spend
- ₩50,000
- Instant (at till)
- −₩4,545
- Airport kiosk
- ₩0
- Total back
- ₩4,545
At the airport, in three steps
- Shop at Tax Free stores (15,000 KRW+ per receipt), show your passport, keep the refund slips.
- At the airport BEFORE security: scan your passport at a refund kiosk. Only go to the customs desk if the kiosk tells you to — bring the items unopened and unused.
- Collect your refund: 24h kiosks (KRW cash, Alipay, WeChat Pay) or staffed counters airside (T1 near gate 28, T2 near gate 250). Checked-bag items: tell the check-in agent first, then drop the bag at the oversize belt after customs.
Questions travelers actually ask
What is the minimum purchase for a tax refund in Korea?
₩15,000 per receipt at Tax Free stores, VAT included (lowered from ₩30,000 on Jan 1, 2024). One receipt = one claim — you can't combine smaller receipts.
Instant refund in the store or airport refund — which is better?
Take the instant refund whenever it's offered: the full VAT portion (price × 10/110) comes off at the till with no operator fee. It only works under ₩1,000,000 per purchase and ₩5,000,000 of purchases per trip. Above those limits you claim at the airport, where operator fee tables mean roughly 5–8% back instead of the full 9.1%.
Can I open or use the items before I leave Korea?
Keep refundable items unopened and unused — the airport kiosk decides if you must show them at the customs desk, and opened goods can be refused there. Purchases must leave Korea within 3 months.
How early should I get to the airport for the refund?
No official minimum is published. Kiosks run 24 hours; staffed counters roughly 07:00–22:00 (T1). Guides commonly suggest 2–3 hours of buffer — treat that as unofficial advice, not a rule.
Is there a limit on how much I can get refunded?
Only for the instant method: under ₩1,000,000 per purchase and ₩5,000,000 in cumulative purchases per trip. Airport (after) refunds have no such cap — the operator table runs to ₩6,000,000, and above that you get 90% of the VAT portion.
Who qualifies for the tourist tax refund?
Foreign visitors staying in Korea less than 6 months. Not eligible: diplomats stationed in Korea, USFK/UN forces personnel, corporate purchases, and anyone working in Korea. Also eligible: Korean nationals living abroad 2+ years, on a visit shorter than 3 months.
Where these numbers come from
- VAT rate10% (price × 10/110)국가법령정보센터 — 부가가치세법 §30verified 2026-08-12
- Minimum purchase₩15,000 / receipt국가법령정보센터 — 특례규정 시행규칙 §2①verified 2026-08-12
- Instant refund caps< ₩1,000,000 / ≤ ₩5,000,000국가법령정보센터 — 외국인관광객 특례규정(대통령령)verified 2026-08-12
- Airport refund amounts80-bracket operator table글로벌텍스프리 공식 환급요율표verified 2026-08-12
- USD reference rate₩1,415 = $1서울외국환중개(주) — 매매기준율verified 2026-08-12
Airport refund amounts use Global Tax Free's published table; other operators differ slightly. Instant-refund rounding: VAT portion rounded to the won (official truncation rule unpublished).