Korea Tax Refund 2026: How to Get VAT Back on K-Beauty at Incheon Airport Kiosks

Bottom line: Buy 15,000 won or more of K-beauty products at a store marked "Tax Free," like Olive Young, show your passport, and keep the receipt and refund slip. Then scan your passport at the automatic refund kiosk in the Incheon Airport departure hall and you'll get the VAT back.

If you didn't know: If you forget to keep the receipt and refund slip, or don't show your passport at checkout, no machine at the airport can process a refund for you — buy 100,000 won worth of goods and you simply lose a meaningful chunk of VAT with no way to claim it back. The kiosks run 24 hours, but the staffed refund desks are only open 7 a.m.–10 p.m. at Terminal 1 and 7 a.m.–9:30 p.m. at Terminal 2, so arriving outside those hours means you'll have to use the machine on your own.

Walk into an Olive Young in Myeongdong or Hongdae and sheet masks, sunscreens and cushion compacts fill the shelves by color. Show your passport at checkout and staff will hand you a receipt plus a separate refund document — lose either one and there's nothing to do at the airport, so it helps to keep both together in your wallet for the rest of the trip. On departure day, decide before check-in whether you'll carry your duty-free items on board or check them as luggage; items going into checked baggage need a customs tag from airline staff at check-in so you can reclaim them later. Once you're past security in the departure hall, scanning your passport at the kiosk finishes the process. If the refund is large, or you'd rather not take cash, you can also have it credited to your credit card.

This article summarizes official information for guidance only and is not legal, medical, or financial advice.

Journey stage: Going home · Verified 2026-10-24 · Source: Incheon International Airport Corporation