Home › Money and tax in Korea at a glance
How much cash can you bring into Korea? The US$10,000 declaration rule
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
If you carry more than US$10,000 (or the equivalent) in foreign currency, Korean won notes or cashier's checks into Korea, you must report it to customs. Up to US$10,000 needs no declaration. You report by ticking "yes" on item 3 of the Traveler Declaration Form, writing the amount, and handing it to a customs officer, who gives you a Certificate of Foreign Currency Declaration. Not reporting can mean a fine or prison.
Arriving in Korea: steps
- Add up everything you carry: foreign currency, Korean won notes and cashier's checks, in total. The page counts "above USD 10,000 or the equivalent in total". Cashier's checks in Korean won are included.
- Mark "yes" on item 3 of the Traveler Declaration Form and write the specific amount.
- Submit the form to a customs officer.
- Receive the Certificate of Foreign Currency Declaration. Keep it.
Promissory notes, letters of credit and bills of exchange need no report or authorization to be brought in.
Leaving Korea with cash
| Case | Korean residents | Non-residents |
|---|---|---|
| Not more than USD 10,000 in total | No report | No report |
| Over USD 10,000: general overseas travel expenses | Report to the head of the competent Customs office | Not applicable |
| Over USD 10,000: relocation, overseas students, overseas residents | Confirmation from the head of the foreign exchange bank is required | Not applicable |
| Within the amount carried at your most recent arrival | A separate report for use is required | No report required; a certificate of declaration is required |
For non-residents, the page's text adds that no report is needed when you leave with foreign payment means within the amount you carried at your recent arrival. It also says a non-resident who withdraws from a credit card issued overseas or an overseas account does not need to report if the head of the foreign exchange bank confirms it and a certificate of confirmation is held. A foreign resident who intends to leave with income earned in Korea must obtain the foreign exchange bank's confirmation.
Where the page contradicts itself
| Wording | Where | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| "less than USD 10,000" needs no report when leaving | Text of the departure section | Exactly US$10,000 is not clearly covered by this sentence. |
| "not more than USD 10,000 in total" and "Over USD 10,000" | The departure table | The table puts exactly US$10,000 on the no-report side. The arrival text also uses "not exceeding USD 10,000" and "above USD 10,000". Keep your total below US$10,000 to avoid the question, or declare if you are at the line. |
Penalty
The customs page says anyone who exports or imports means of payment, including foreign currency, without filing a report "shall be punished by imprisonment with labor not more than 1 year or by a fine" under Article 32 of the Act, not exceeding one hundred million won. If the triple value of the object related to the violation exceeds one hundred million won, the fine can be up to the triple value. The page says the reporting rule exists to crack down on drug funds and illegal money laundering. It also mentions "fines or penalties" for a person who failed to report at arrival.
Related rules on the same site
The customs passenger guide lists "means of payment, etc. exceeding US$10,000" among the goods a traveler must declare, citing Paragraph 1 of Article 5-11, Paragraph 2 of Article 6-2 and Paragraph 1 of Article 6-3 of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Regulations. Declaring cash is separate from the goods allowance covered on our duty-free allowance page.
The cash courier page lists the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act (Article 17), Article 31 of its Enforcement Decree and Chapter 6 of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Regulations as the relevant rules.
Official sources
- Korea Customs Service — Declaration of Foreign Currency — US$10,000 threshold for arrival and departure, declaration steps, certificate, penalty under Article 32 (no revision date; read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- Korea Customs Service — Customs Clearance Guide for Passengers — lists means of payment exceeding US$10,000 among goods to declare (no date on the page) (checked 2026-10-19)
Prices change. If an official page shows a different number from this page, the official page wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.