Foreign tourists via cruise ships eligible for immediate internal tax refunds starting next week

A cruise ship arrives at Busan Port's Yeongdo Cruise Terminal, March 24. Yonhap

Foreign tourists visiting South Korea on cruise ships will be able to receive a refund of internal taxes on goods purchased at local duty-free stores starting next week, the customs agency said Friday.

Cruise tourists can either receive immediate refunds at the point of sale at some 23,000 duty-free stores across the country, or at downtown service centers, starting next Monday, the Korea Customs Service said.

South Korea allows foreign tourists to receive refunds on the value-added tax and individual consumption tax in the price of goods purchased at local retail stores.

But tourists visiting South Korea through cruise ships are known to have experienced difficulty accessing such benefits due to their relatively short travel duration, according to officials.

Around 810,000 tourists visited South Korea via cruise ships in 2024, according to the data from the oceans ministry.