Instant Refunds Now Up to 5 Million Won — Two Things to Know Before Beauty Shopping

Foreign tourists spending 15,000 won or more at a duty-free-eligible store become eligible for a VAT refund. 'Instant refund,' where the tax is deducted right at checkout, saw its limits raised in 2025 to 1 million won per purchase and 5 million won total per person (up from 500,000 won and 2.5 million won). Those who choose the 'refund-later' route still need to get their passport and receipt verified at the airport customs counter or self-service kiosk before departure — and so do instant-refund users, at the same checkpoint.

There's a second thing worth knowing before you shop. A joint government crackdown in August found some counterfeit perfumes sold online contained methanol at up to 484 times the safety threshold, and Korea Customs says roughly 117,000 counterfeit K-beauty items have been seized over the past year. Steer clear of unfamiliar online sellers offering suspiciously low prices, and stick to official stores or official online malls with a clear source — it protects both your wallet and your skin.

By Kim Youn Young, Korea Tourism Times