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Shipping to South Korea from Thailand: duty, VAT and what gets through

Korea clears parcels from Thailand under USD 150 free of duty and tax, but every personal import needs the recipient's Personal Customs Clearance code. Without a PCC, parcels simply wait.

What are the tax thresholds in South Korea?

Import tax thresholds for South Korea
ThresholdRule
ThresholdImport dutyRuleUSD 150
ThresholdVAT / GST de minimisRuleUSD 150
ThresholdVAT / GST rateRule10%
ThresholdTypical duty bandRule0-8% typical under AKFTA/RCEP

Official references

Thresholds above are summarised for shippers. Confirm edge cases with the destination authority:

How long does delivery to South Korea take?

Delivery options to South Korea
Carrier optionIndicative delivery band
Carrier optionExpress courierIndicative delivery band2-4 days
Carrier optionEconomy air (postal)Indicative delivery band6-12 days
Carrier optionEconomy sea (consolidated)Indicative delivery band18-30 days
Freight rates Thailand to South Korea

What cannot be shipped to South Korea?

  • Kratom and CBD products
  • Certain foods without KFDA clearance
  • Counterfeit goods
  • Used electronics in commercial quantity

The full per-destination list lives on our restricted items policy and is enforced at our warehouse intake.

Worked example: what a real parcel costs

2 kg parcel of Thai streetwear, declared USD 130

Cost lineAmount
Cost lineItem costAmountUSD 130.00
Cost lineExpress shipping (2 kg)AmountSee calculator
Cost lineDuty and VAT (under USD 150)AmountUSD 0.00
Cost lineIllustrative totalAmountUSD 174.00

Express shipping is a live business parcel-calculator rate in THB (business, 0.5 kg, 10x10x10 cm). Duty, VAT and other lines use illustrative local-currency maths; total is a guide only until you confirm on the calculator.

Same-day multiple parcels to one recipient are aggregated; two USD 130 parcels arriving together get taxed as one USD 260 import.

What happens if it is held at customs?

A Personal Customs Clearance code (PCC) is required for many personal imports into Korea. Provide it accurately when requested so the carrier can submit the declaration.

Claims process and Shipment Protection

Related operator pages

This page owns duty and VAT thresholds. Use the route page for freight bands, the express parcel calculator for package rates, and the FCL vs LCL volume tool for sea mode guidance.

Shipping to South Korea: questions we get asked

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