CIQ
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Passport and Visa
Visitors should have a valid passport and obtain travel authorization before boarding your flight or ship. Please apply for K-ETA in the official website https://www.k-eta.go.kr.
A total of 112 countries including countries with visa waiver agreements (66 countries) and countries that allow visa-free entry (46 countries) are eligible, but only some countries are in effect due to the COVID-19 situation (refer to the official website for details of target countries)
Customs Clearance
All overseas travelers must submit the declaration form for the personal effects to the Korea Customs Service staff. The travelers with the items to declare must voluntarily declare the items. Otherwise, the travelers without the items to declare can go to the duty free routes.
Arrival procedures
Arrival
Carriage forwarded
Submit the declaration form
Travelers without items to declare (Depending on cases, you may be subject to the customs inspection)
Entry
Travelers with items to declare
Customs inspection
Entry
In case where the declaration has been falsely, the declarer may be punished according to the customs law.
Duty free allowance for the travelers and crew members to bring into Korea is worth USD 400.
Additional duty free items are 1 bottle of liquor less than 1 liter, a carton of cigarettes, 200 cigarettes and perfume of less than 60㎖. However, the underage (less than 19 years of age) are limited in receiving the tax exemption for liquor and cigarettes.
Duty free allowance for agricultural, livestock and aquatic products (medicinal herbs)
The duty free allowance is within the total weight of 50kg and the acquisition price overseas must be less than 100,000 won and they must pass the inspection.
Classification |
Unit |
Classification |
Unit |
Sesame oil, sesame seed, honey, bracken, deodeok |
5Kg |
Ginseng (fresh ginseng, white ginseng, red ginseng and Phellinus linteus) |
300g |
pine nuts |
1Kg |
Deer antlers |
150g |
Beef |
10Kg |
Other items for medicinal herbs |
3Kg |
Other items |
5Kg |
Items that must be declared at the customs upon arrival
- Weapons such as the firearms (including the fake firearms), weaponry such as swords, arbalest, bullets and chemicals, poisonous or radioactive materials
- Agricultural, livestock and other food (meat, leather, fur included), plants, fruits, vegetables, live aquatic products aquatic products
- Infringement upon the intellectual property rights such as the forged items or stickers
- Books, drawings, films, records and videos which infringes upon the constitution, public peace and customs
- Items carried in for the sale purpose or the company use
- Substances such as opium, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, hemp, methamphetamine, Viagra and diet drugs like Sialis
- Items controlled by CITES Convention, processed goods such as ivory, the penis of a sea bear, bear's gall bladder and etc.
- Counterfeit money, counterfeit and forged marketable securities
- Means of payment such as the foreign currency or won exceeding US $10,000
- Items exceeding the duty free allowance (less than USD 400, 1 bottle of liquor, 1 carton of cigarette, perfume 60㎖)
Sanctions
Travelers who fail to voluntarily report the declarable items will be imposed 30% additional tax.
Anyone who did not declare such items intentionally or made the false declarations will be inspected and he or she may be subjected to the imprisonment of up to no more than ten years and the fine no more than 20,000,000 won.
Quarantine
Quarantine is performed at airports and seaports nationwide to prevent introduction of foreign animal diseases, insect pests and infectious diseases into Korea. If you bring animal, livestock products and plants by mails from overseas, you need to apply the quarantine and inspection. It is prohibited to bring illegal animals, livestock products, plants into Korea.
Quarantine procedures
Arrival in South Korea (Airport, harbor, mail center)
Immigration Check
Fill out Passenger (crew) Customs Declaration Form and Quarantine Declaration Form
Quarantine for Animals/Livestock Products/Plants
Please visit the quarantine checkpoint before customs clearance
(Only those who pass the inspection will receive clearance)
Customs Inspection
Entry
You will be fined a maximum 5 million Won if you fail to declare animals/livestock products/plants bringing with you.
Prohibited Items
Animal & Livestock Products
Animals: dogs, cats, pet birds, etc.
Meats and meat products: beef, pork, chicken, sausage, ham, beef jerky, boiled beef in soy sauce, canned meat, boiled meat, etc.
Animal products: deer antler, bone, etc.
Dairy products: milk, cheese, butter, etc.
Egg and egg products: egg, bird egg, egg white, egg powder, etc.
Plants
Plants: seedings, seeds, etc.
Plant products: fruits, vegetables, grains, walnut and medicinal herbs.
Pests: live insects, plant pathogens and soil, etc.
Health requirements
No vaccinations are officially required, but visitors are advised to check with their doctors regarding the advisability of inoculation against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and B.
