Gold Allowance for Travellers to South Korea (2026)
South Korea sets no limit on gold, but goods bought abroad worth more than US$800 in total, including gold and duty-free shop purchases, must be declared. Customs taxes the excess at simplified rates: 15% for most goods including gold jewellery, rising to 45% on the part of a jewellery item's value above ₩4,808,000; the normal rates for gold bars are 3% duty plus 10% VAT. Declaring voluntarily cuts the duty by 30% (up to ₩200,000), not declaring adds 40% (60% for a repeat within two years), and the US$10,000 declaration covers cash, cheques and securities, not gold.
Reviewed October 2026 from official sources (listed below). Rules change — check with customs before you travel.
Estimate
Estimate only: the allowance is set in US dollars and customs converts it at its own rate. Voluntary declaration lowers the bill by 30% of the duty, up to ₩200,000. An estimate, not a customs assessment.
Duty-Free Gold Allowance in South Korea
| Traveller | Duty-free allowance | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Each traveller | US$800 of goods | Total of goods bought or received abroad and in Korean departure duty-free shops. Alcohol, tobacco and perfume have separate allowances. |
| Gold jewellery and gold bars bought abroad | Within the US$800 total | Above it: declare, and pay the simplified rate on the excess. No separate gold allowance is published. |
| Jewellery you own and wear | Not taxed | Personal adornments are treated as a traveller's own belongings. |
| Goods for sale or business | No allowance | Must be declared as commercial goods. |
| Cash, cheques and securities over US$10,000 | Must be declared | On arrival and on departure. Gold is not listed. |
Tax on gold above US$800
Each traveller can bring in goods worth US$800 in total duty-free. This includes purchases in Korean departure duty-free shops as well as goods bought abroad, and gold has no separate allowance. Above US$800 customs taxes only the excess, normally at the simplified rates set in the Customs Act Enforcement Decree, which combine duty and other taxes: 15% for most goods, and for jewellery and precious metal products ₩721,200 plus 45% of the value above ₩4,808,000 (15% up to that point). Luxury watches and bags pay 45% above ₩1,923,000.
The normal rates for gold bars and other unwrought or semi-manufactured gold are 3% customs duty plus 10% VAT. Officers usually accept the price you declare unless it is unusually low, so keep the invoice.
Declaring gold in Korea
Since May 2023 travellers with nothing to declare do not fill in a form. If your goods exceed US$800, or you carry cash, cheques and securities worth more than US$10,000, complete the traveller declaration in the Korea Customs app or website, or on paper, and use the Goods to declare lane. One form covers a family travelling together. The app calculates the tax and issues a mobile bill.
Declaring voluntarily cuts the duty by 30%, up to ₩200,000. Goods found undeclared pay an extra 40% of the tax, or 60% if it is the second time within two years, and false declarations can be punished with confiscation, fines or prison.
Taking gold out of Korea
Korea Customs publishes no weight limit on gold that travellers take out for personal use. Cash, Korean won cashier's cheques and traveller's cheques worth more than US$10,000 in total must be declared at the customs counter before security. Undeclared amounts up to US$30,000 are fined 5%; above that the penalty can be up to a year in prison or a ₩100 million fine. Your destination's rules apply on arrival.
China, Hong Kong and Japan to Korea
Gold is cheaper in Hong Kong, which charges no duty or VAT, and Korean prices have at times carried a large premium, so gold carried in from Hong Kong and China is a customs priority: they accounted for 93% of the value seized in January to July 2026, most of it at Incheon. Declare anything above US$800. Gold bought in mainland China needs the seller's special invoice to leave China once it is over 50 g. Japan requires every traveller to declare gold, so taking gold on from Korea to Japan means declaring it there too. See the UAE and Singapore for other buying routes.
Recent changes
Customs announced an intensive crackdown on gold smuggling in March 2025, and on silver in April 2026. Seizures rose from ₩0.7 billion in 2024 to ₩12.3 billion in 2025 and ₩10.6 billion in January to July 2026, as Korea's domestic gold premium peaked at 18.56% on 15 October 2025 and KOMSCO paused gold bar supply for three months from October 2025. Since April 2026 foreign refiners can supply the KRX gold market directly. The US$800 allowance and the declaration rules for travellers have not changed.
Gold price in South Korea today
Live rates →| 24K (999) | ₩166,606 / gram | ₩1,666,062 / 10 g |
|---|---|---|
| 22K (916) | ₩152,764 / gram | ₩1,527,640 / 10 g |
| 18K (750) | ₩125,080 / gram | ₩1,250,797 / 10 g |
Bringing Gold to South Korea: FAQ
How much is 10 grams of 22K gold worth in South Korea today?
About ₩1,527,640 at the international price converted to KRW (Oct 30, 2026, 21:55 UTC). Customs use their own notified or assessed value, and shops charge more, so treat this as an estimate.
How much gold can I bring into South Korea duty-free?
Up to US$800 in total of goods bought abroad, including gold and duty-free shop purchases. There is no separate gold allowance.
What tax do I pay on gold above the allowance in Korea?
Usually the 15% simplified rate on the excess, rising to 45% on the part of a jewellery item's value above ₩4,808,000. The normal rates for gold bars are 3% duty plus 10% VAT. Declaring voluntarily cuts the duty by 30%, up to ₩200,000.
Do I have to declare gold bars in Korea?
Yes, if your goods bought abroad total more than US$800. Undeclared goods pay a 40% penalty on the tax, or 60% for a repeat within two years.
Does gold count towards Korea's US$10,000 declaration?
No. That declaration covers cash, cheques and securities. Gold is declared as goods when it takes you over US$800.
How much gold can I bring from Hong Kong to Korea?
Any amount, but declare it if your purchases exceed US$800. Customs targets gold from Hong Kong and China, which made up 93% of seizures by value in early 2026.
Gold Travel Allowance in Other Countries
Sources: Korea Customs Service: traveller duty-free allowance, declaration and penalties · Incheon Airport: customs declaration guide · Customs Act Enforcement Decree, Annex 2: simplified tax rates (amended 2023) · Ministry of Government Legislation newsletter: 30% reduction up to ₩200,000 (Aug 2024) · Itoday: gold smuggling seizures and the 3% duty, 10% VAT on gold (Sep 2026) · News Seoul: Korea Customs on the US$10,000 departure declaration · Korean tariff schedule, HS 7108 gold: 3% basic rate. Information, not legal advice: customs officers decide on the spot, and rules change. See also: gold price in South Korea · gold price by weight.