Korean Customs and Duties

You are allowed up to $400 of goods without paying for duties.korean temple image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com

Any traveler visiting Korea is allowed to bring one liter of liquor, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, two ounces of perfume, 250 grams of tobacco products and other goods worth up to $400. Individuals bringing liquor and cigarettes must be at least 19 years old. The person must also declare cash or checks worth $10,000 or more (even if in other currencies). Anything beyond these requires payment of applicable customs duties and taxes.

Item Declaration

If you have dutiable and expensive items such as golf clubs, laptops and cameras that you plan to take out of the country when you leave, be sure to declare them. These items may be exempt from duties. Place a note about your declaration in your passport. However, if the items are not with you when you leave the country, you will be obliged to pay duties when you return. Bring proof of ownership (i.e., official receipts) if you are bringing any expensive or restricted items out of the country.

A complete list of prohibited and restricted items can be viewed at the Korean Customs Service website at http://english.customs.go.kr/. A short list of the restricted items include: animal and plant materials and their derivatives, weapons (including replicas), drug-related products and traditional medicines containing endangered species or locally produced extracts without permits.

The following items are not allowed to be imported or exported to or from Korea: books and other publications, artworks and other items of similar nature that may either disturb constitutional orders or be harmful to public security or custom; items revealing confidential information about the government or those used for intelligence activities; and financial products and currencies that are counterfeited, forged or imitated.

Be careful when buying souvenirs made out of animal or plant materials, as they may be prohibited or restricted as well.