[Customs FAQ] Goods were detained at the arrival airport during the entry process, and I want to retrieve them upon departure. What is the procedure? Released

In the process of carrying personal effects into the country, for items not intended for use in Korea, customs duties can be avoided by detaining them and taking them out upon departure.

Since there is no intention to use them in the country of entry, this can be considered a method to avoid customs duties by detaining personal effects, keeping them in bond, and taking them back upon re-entry to the home country after the trip.

Below are the procedures guided by the Korea Customs Service.

Those who wish to return detained items must prepare the detention certificate, identification card, and airline boarding pass (or ship boarding pass) and apply for return to the head of customs.

- In the case of return by proxy, the detention certificate, power of attorney for return, copy of the delegator's passport, resident registration card or driver's license, and copy of the proxy's passport must be submitted as supporting documents.

The return of traveler's personal effects is possible when the traveler departs, and the return method, such as consignment return or carry-on return, can be chosen by the person returning the items.

- However, among items for which return application is restricted*, items with an overseas acquisition price of 1,000,000 KRW or more must be declared for B/L return.

* Persons who have been subject to detention or duty exemption 10 times or more in the last 3 months, or 3 times or more in the last 30 days

- B/L return refers to a method where a traveler requests the return of detained items to a shipping (or airline) company, and the shipping (or airline) company issues a B/L (including AWB for air transport) to the requester, taking responsibility for and carrying out the return.