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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

POSTING RULE

Send Perfume / Fragrance 🇰🇷 South Korea

ANSWER

Can I post Perfume / Fragrance to South Korea?

ALLOWEDVERIFIED · 2026-07-26LOW CONFIDENCE

Perfume can be posted to South Korea where the postal operator accepts it — fragrance alcohol is a dangerous-goods limited quantity, and ordinary import charges apply.

QUANTITY / LIMITS

Personal-use quantities (typically 1-3 bottles); larger consignments risk commercial treatment

DOCUMENTS

  • Commercial invoice or proof of purchase showing the transaction value

DECLARATION

Required at the destination customs authority

SOURCE

customs.go.kr
Verify against the official customs authority before acting on this answer.Report a correction

Full Details

Posting perfume to South Korea is customs-permitted but carrier-constrained: fragrance alcohol is a Class 3 dangerous-goods limited quantity, so many national posts refuse or cap air-mail perfume, and couriers require limited-quantity packaging. On the customs side Korea Customs Service (KCS) treats it as an ordinary parcel: an accurate CN22/CN23 declaration is required, import VAT/GST at 10% applies above the exemption threshold, plus duty on above-threshold consignments. Korea's de minimis threshold for customs duty and VAT exemption is USD $150 per shipment. Goods valued at $150 or below from the US under KORUS FTA previously had a $200 threshold; this was unified. Commercial samples under KRW 250,000 may also be exempt. Goods from special economic zones may have different rules. Korea exempts personal imports up to USD 150 per shipment (USD 200 for US-origin shipments under KORUS); above that, duty and VAT apply on the full value, and same-day shipments are aggregated.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Confirm the carrier accepts perfume before shipping to South Korea — postal refusal is more common than a customs problem. Declare contents accurately on the CN22/CN23; 'gift' mislabelling does not remove import charges and flags the parcel.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

POSTING DETAILS

QUANTITY / WEIGHT LIMITS

Personal-use quantities (typically 1-3 bottles); larger consignments risk commercial treatment

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

  • Commercial invoice or proof of purchase showing the transaction value

DESTINATION CUSTOMS

Korea Customs Service (KCS)

COUNTRY POSTING NOTES

Korea Post and the Korea Customs Service (KCS) jointly clear international inbound mail at the Incheon International Mail Centre. Personal-import parcels under USD 150 (FOB value) clear duty-free under the de minimis rule; above USD 150, 8% customs duty plus 10% VAT applies, computed on CIF + duty. Goods on the national prohibition list (counterfeit branded goods, narcotics, weapons, dual-use items, North Korean origin) are seized without compensation. Tobacco, alcohol, and cosmetics have separate quantity-based duty rules. KCS's UNI-PASS e-clearance portal handles all declarations; consignees must respond within 30 days to clearance notices to avoid the parcel being declared abandoned.

Sending Perfume / Fragrance to other countries

RULES5,339COUNTRIES85ITEMS111CARRIERS28GUIDES46UNIQUE SOURCES645LATEST VERIFICATION2026-07-26MethodologyChangelog