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K-Culture Decoded

Olive Young Tax Refund: Immediate vs. Airport, Explained

Facts last checked: Updated:

The 30-second answer

At Olive Young branches that offer it, show your physical passport at the register and the tax comes off right away on any receipt of ₩15,000 or more, up to under ₩1 million per purchase and ₩5 million per trip. Bigger purchases, or shopping without your passport, mean taking the refund paperwork to the airport.

Key takeaway
Carry your actual passport when you shop. Without it you can't get the immediate refund, and a photo or copy won't work.
Pro tip
If you're getting an airport refund on skincare you plan to check, do the refund kiosk (and any customs inspection) before you drop your bag. Once the suitcase is in the baggage system, customs can't inspect it.

How tax-free shopping works in Korea

Prices in Korea include a 10% VAT. Tourists who stay less than six months can get that tax back on goods bought at tax-free stores, as long as they take the goods out of Korea within three months. Olive Young stores take part, and the Myeongdong flagship says any purchase of ₩15,000 or more qualifies.

There are two ways to claim. With an immediate refund, the store takes the tax off at checkout after checking your passport. With an airport refund, you pay full price, keep the refund receipt, and claim the money at a kiosk or counter when you leave.

You usually get back most, but not all, of the 10%, because refund operators keep a fee. The limits changed on January 1, 2024, when Korea doubled the immediate refund caps and lowered the minimum purchase from ₩30,000 to ₩15,000.

Immediate refund vs. airport refund at Olive Young

Immediate refund (at the register) Airport refund
Minimum per receipt ₩15,000 ₩15,000
Maximum per receipt Under ₩1,000,000 No per-receipt cap listed by Visit Korea
Trip total ₩5,000,000 No trip cap listed by Visit Korea
What you need Your physical passport at checkout Refund receipt, passport, and the unused goods at departure
When you get the money Right away, as a lower price At the airport kiosk or refund counter before you fly

How to get your tax back at Olive Young

  1. Step 1: Bring your passport

    Carry your physical passport. Olive Young's Myeongdong flagship says you need to show your physical passport for the immediate refund, so don't rely on a photo or copy.

  2. Step 2: Check that the branch offers immediate refunds

    Not every branch handles immediate refunds, so ask before you pay. Big stores like the Myeongdong flagship do. If the branch doesn't, ask for a tax refund receipt so you can claim at the airport.

  3. Step 3: Pay at a staffed register

    Hand over your passport at a register with a cashier, not a self-checkout. Make sure each receipt is at least ₩15,000 and under ₩1,000,000, or it won't qualify for the immediate refund.

  4. Step 4: Keep your receipts and don't open the goods

    Even with an immediate refund, the goods have to leave Korea within three months. For airport refunds, customs may ask to see the items unopened and unused, so leave them sealed.

  5. Step 5: At the airport, do the refund before check-in if the items go in your checked bag

    At Incheon, tell airline staff at check-in that you have tax refund items, get the bag back, then scan your passport and receipts at a refund kiosk in the departure hall. If the kiosk says you need a customs inspection, show the goods at the customs desk before dropping the bag.

Show this in Korean

  • 즉시 환급 가능해요?

    Pronunciation: Jeuksi hwan-geup ganeunghaeyo?

    Can I get an immediate tax refund here?

  • 여권 여기 있어요.

    Pronunciation: Yeogwon yeogi isseoyo.

    Here's my passport.

  • 택스 리펀드 영수증 주세요.

    Pronunciation: Taekseu ripeondeu yeongsujeung juseyo.

    Please give me a tax refund receipt.

Foreigner FAQ

Is it still ₩30,000 minimum for an immediate refund?

No. The minimum dropped to ₩15,000 per receipt starting in 2024, and Visit Korea and Olive Young's Myeongdong store both list ₩15,000 now.

What happens after I've used up the ₩5 million immediate refund limit?

You can still claim, but not at the register. Once you pass the ₩5 million trip total, or a single purchase reaches ₩1 million, the store gives you refund paperwork and you claim it at the airport.

Can I bring big bottles of toner and serum in my carry-on?

Only if each container is 100 ml or smaller and they all fit in one 1-liter clear zip bag, per Incheon Airport's rules. Put larger bottles in your checked bag. Toiletry sprays in checked bags are limited to 500 ml per item and 2 liters in total.

When is the Olive Young Sale?

Olive Young runs its big 'Olive Young Sale' a few times a year for about a week at a time. The most recent one ran August 30 to September 5, 2026. Dates are announced shortly before each sale, so check the Olive Young app or Instagram.

Can I combine the tax refund with sale prices?

Yes. The refund is based on what you actually pay, so sale prices still qualify as long as the receipt is ₩15,000 or more.

Where are the refund counters at Incheon Airport?

There are kiosks in the departure halls, and refund counters and kiosks after security in the duty-free areas of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Incheon lists counter hours of 07:00–22:00 in Terminal 1 and 07:00–21:30 in Terminal 2, and the airside kiosks run 24 hours.

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