Ship Shopping Home from Korea: EMS and Post Guide

When shopping outgrows your suitcase, compare extra airline baggage with postage before buying another box. This guide uses Korea Post’s official rate tables and acceptance rules, checked on 2026-10-16; a listed rate does not guarantee that the route or item is accepted today.

Which postal services can a traveller use?

EMS, EMS Premium and air or surface parcels are the main options. Availability, size limits and handling conditions depend on destination and service.

Services and limits; confirm the actual route before posting

Service	Individuals	Weight limit	Timing	Main point
EMS	Yes	Up to 30kg; Australia and some others 20kg	Country targets for documents; customs adds time for goods	Tracking; no universal guaranteed delivery date
EMS Premium	Yes, subject to acceptance	Up to 70kg under the individual-service guide	Partner courier service	Ask for the final quote and item rules
Air parcel	Yes	Check destination; examples here up to 20kg	Slower than EMS in many cases	Extra transport and handling charges may apply
Surface parcel	Yes where accepted	Check destination; examples here up to 20kg	Japan guidance: average 20–30 days	Route availability must be checked
K-Packet	Contract customers only	2kg	Not a tourist counter product	Online-seller service
Private courier	Yes	Carrier-specific	Quote-specific	Ask about dimensional weight and surcharges

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What are the 2026 EMS goods rates?

The following are non-document EMS goods rates in won. Korea Post’s 2026-06-30 notice confirms the adjustment effective 2026-07-01. Its goods table states that the extra transport charge is included; other optional charges and destination duties can still apply.

Korea Post EMS goods, 2026-07-01 rate table; won

Destination	2kg	5kg	10kg	20kg
Japan	35,500	43,500	63,500	98,500
China	26,500	39,000	60,500	103,000
Taiwan	32,000	45,500	75,500	137,500
Hong Kong	32,000	39,000	55,500	91,000
Vietnam	23,500	36,000	53,500	93,500
Indonesia	34,000	50,000	79,000	148,000
Thailand	25,500	37,000	61,500	114,000
US	68,500	128,500	233,500	441,000
Australia	55,000	81,000	136,500	252,000
UK	55,500	91,000	163,000	307,000
France	45,000	73,500	125,500	242,000

Australia’s EMS limit is 20kg, with length up to 1.05m and length plus girth up to 2.45m. The US allows 30kg, length 1.5m and length plus girth 2.75m. Check the country page for every other destination; a nominal weight limit is not the only limit.

Are air and surface parcels cheaper?

10kg comparison in won; parcel amounts exclude extra transport and handling charges

Destination	EMS	Air parcel	Surface parcel base rate
Japan	63,500	42,000	34,000
China	60,500	52,000	34,000
Taiwan	75,500	43,000	34,000
Vietnam	53,500	47,000	35,500
Indonesia	79,000	54,500	35,500
US	233,500	128,000	43,000
Australia	136,500	91,500	43,000
UK	163,000	86,000	43,000

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What should you bring to the post office?

Bring your passport, recipient details and an accurate item list. Check prohibited items before sealing the box. Standard postal-counter hours are weekdays 09:00–18:00, with local lunch closures and dispatch cutoffs possible.

• Pack: remove prohibited items, protect liquids where accepted and use a sturdy box.
• Declare: list each item accurately in English with quantity, value and weight on the required customs forms. The US guidance also requires accurate HS-code information.
• Pay: ask for actual and dimensional weight, surcharges and any destination-duty collection procedure. Overseas-card acceptance was not confirmed; check payment options and carry a backup.
• Keep the receipt and tracking number. Agree a Korean return address with someone who can receive a returned parcel after you leave.

Counter practicalities

Item	Guidance
Postal counter	Weekdays 09:00–18:00; closed on public holidays
Lunch closure	Some branches close; check the official finder
Same-day dispatch	Cutoff differs by branch
Boxes	Check current sizes and prices at the counter; no verified universal 1–5 box price list
Postal customer service	1588-1300, weekdays 09:00–18:00
Foreign-language guide	Korea Post provides guides including English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Indonesian

Central Seoul branches

Branch details from the prior official-finder research; reconfirm hours before visiting

Post office	Address	Telephone
Seoul Central Post Office	70 Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul	02-6450-1114
Gwanghwamun Post Office	6 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul	02-3703-9011

📍 Open in Naver Map — Seoul Central Post Office

📍 Open in Naver Map — Gwanghwamun Post Office

Extended hours, Saturday service, dedicated international counters and English-speaking staff at these two branches could not be confirmed. Use the standard weekday window and check the branch directly for anything more specific.

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Can you mail perfume, batteries, cosmetics and food?

Ordinary Korea Post rules prohibit perfume and most rechargeable-battery devices. A courier may use different dangerous-goods arrangements. The receiving country can also prohibit an item the Korean post office would otherwise accept.

Korea Post item rules; destination restrictions still apply

Item	Postal rule	Condition
Perfume	Not accepted	Alcohol content makes it dangerous goods
Rechargeable batteries and devices containing them	Not accepted except the stated nickel-battery exception	Built-in batteries are not exempt; phones, tablets and wireless earphones are examples
Devices with disposable lithium button cells	Up to 2 devices under the stated condition	Disposable cells must be installed; confirm the exact item
Nail polish	Conditional	Only if no flammable-danger marking; ask the counter
Nail remover	Acetone products not accepted	Non-acetone cosmetic remover is listed as acceptable, subject to checks
Sprays	Metal pressurised containers not accepted	Other containers still need contents and destination checks
Diffusers	Conditional	Finished non-spray product without a flammable mark
Alcoholic drinks	Conditional	Unopened commercial product below 70% alcohol; many destinations prohibit it
Gold/silver jewellery and precious stones	Not accepted	Processed and unprocessed precious materials
Cash and negotiable valuables	Not accepted	Includes currency, securities and credit cards

Who decides the customs duty at home?

The receiving country decides duties, tax, exemptions and import permission. Your parcel is an imported postal shipment, even when sender and recipient are the same person. Traveller baggage allowances cannot simply be reused.

Destination customs: verified examples and checks, as of 2026-10-16

Destination	Planning rule	Authority/check
US	The postal US$800 de minimis exemption is suspended; genuine gifts up to US$100 have separate conditions	CBP/Federal Register; sending shopping to yourself is not automatically a gift
EU	VAT and customs depend on the transaction; the €3 measure for low-value distance sales is B2C-specific	European Commission; check private-gift conditions separately
Japan	Taxable value up to ¥10,000 can be exempt, with item exceptions and aggregation rules	Japan Customs
China	Check personal-postal value limits and item classification	Receiving customs; do not rely on a universal tax-free shopping amount
Taiwan	NT$2,000 low-value relief has frequency and product exceptions	Taiwan Ministry of Finance
Vietnam	Check current tax treatment and import permission	Receiving customs; the old postal summary is not a current tax guarantee
Indonesia	Check current duties, VAT, item-specific rates and recipient tax-ID requirements	Receiving customs; the postal page contains dated/conflicting tax figures
Thailand	Check current low-value postal taxes	Receiving customs; no blanket exemption assumed
Australia	Value, GST and biosecurity rules are separate questions	Australian customs/tax and biosecurity authorities

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Can mailed shopping still qualify for a Korean tax refund?

The law allows specified documentary substitutes for separately shipped purchases. Article 9 of the tourist VAT/special-consumption-tax rules and Article 6 of the implementing rules distinguish a postmaster-issued parcel receipt from an export declaration for other shipping methods.

What are the alternatives to post?

Choose by situation; timing and acceptance still need confirmation

Situation	Option to compare	Reason
Asia, 5–10kg, time matters	EMS	Tracked service; use the current route estimate
Asia, no urgency	Surface parcel where accepted	Lower base tariff, longer transit
US/Europe, 10kg or more	Air parcel and EMS Premium quotes	Compare final totals, not just base rates
US, no urgency	Surface parcel if currently accepted	Lower base rate; customs still applies
Perfume or battery devices included	Airline baggage or an approved carrier	Ordinary postal prohibitions apply; baggage rules differ by item
High-value tax-refund shopping	Carry personally or confirm export paperwork first	Avoid assuming any postal receipt is sufficient
Small item under 2kg	Ask about registered small packets	Individuals can use this; K-Packet requires a contract

Related guides

• Korea Sale Festa and Black Friday shopping
• Taking Korean food home: customs checks
• Items prohibited at Korean customs
• Korean tax refunds: actual amounts
• Seoul luggage storage and airport delivery