Korea Arrival Cards, Customs Rules, and Duty-Free Limits

Foreign travelers entering South Korea must complete an arrival card unless they fall into a specific exempt category. You do not need to fill out an arrival card if you hold:

• A valid K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization)
• A valid Korean Foreign Residence Card (or permanent resident status)
• An approved e-Group visa
• Airline flight crew status

If you must complete one, you can fill out the traditional paper slip provided on your flight or submit the official e-Arrival card online. The digital system opened on February 24, 2025, through the Ministry of Justice portal (www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr). It is entirely free to use and accepts submissions up to 3 days before your scheduled entry (valid for 72 hours once submitted).

When completing the form, prepare your passport information, flight or vessel number, occupation, and your local Korean accommodation address and contact number. If submitted online, you do not need to print physical confirmation—the record links directly to your passport in the border control system.

Customs exemptions apply individually per incoming traveler. Visitors aged 19 and older can import personal items up to standard duty-free limits. Minors under 19 receive no exemptions for alcohol or tobacco products.

If your goods stay within these legal thresholds and you have nothing else to declare, you do not need to submit a customs declaration form.

Korea operates a simplified customs declaration procedure. If you have nothing exceeding duty-free limits, no quarantine items, and no cash over $10,000, you simply walk through the green Nothing to Declare exit after claiming your baggage.

If you have items subject to duty or inspection, walk through the red Goods to Declare (신고있음) lane and present your declaration. Only one declaration form is required per traveling family group.

You can declare goods in two ways:

• Paper Declaration: Complete the paper form handed out by flight attendants or collected in the arrival baggage hall.
• Mobile Customs Declaration: Travelers arriving at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 or Gimpo International Airport can use the official Korea Customs Declaration for Travelers mobile app or web portal. You can scan your passport, input your declaration in English or Korean (the app menu also supports Japanese and Chinese), calculate expected duties, and receive a QR code to scan at dedicated automated gates.

Failing to declare or falsely declaring items can trigger surcharges of 40% to 50% on top of assessed customs taxes.

South Korea enforces strict border biosecurity and currency rules. Several commonly packed items are barred from entry without formal quarantine clearance:

• Fresh produce and plants: Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, unpeeled potatoes, unpeeled sweet potatoes, raw beans, unshelled walnuts, and live plant material are banned from standard personal luggage.
• Meat and animal products: Bringing fresh meats (beef, pork, poultry, lamb) or processed meat items into Korea is prohibited unless accompanied by an official quarantine certificate from the departing nation. This restriction covers beef jerky, ham, sausages, bacon, and canned meat.
• Herbal remedies and food: Agricultural goods cannot exceed 40 kg combined or 100,000 KRW (~$71 USD) in value. Specific limits include 10 kg for beef, 5 kg for sesame oil or seeds, 1 kg for pine nuts, 300 g for ginseng, and 150 g for deer antler.
• High-value cash: If you carry foreign currency, checks, or Korean won exceeding $10,000 in total value, you are legally required to declare it upon arrival.
• Third-party luggage: Never transport parcels or luggage across customs on behalf of strangers. You are held legally responsible for any undeclared or illicit contents discovered inside.