How much cash can you take to South Korea?
There is no cap on what you may carry into South Korea. At USD 10,000 or more you must tell customs, which is free and takes a few minutes. The same figure applies leaving.
Entering South Korea
USD 10,000
or more — declare it
Leaving South Korea
USD 10,000
or more — declare it
Applies per person. Each traveller has their own figure. That does not make splitting a large sum across a group to avoid the threshold lawful — several countries treat that as an offence in its own right.
Check your actual route
The figure above is only one end of the trip. Add where you're coming from or going to for both.
Pick both countries to see the rules for each end of your trip.
The rule in South Korea, in full
Foreign currency (notes, coins, traveller's cheques) and Korean won totalling USD 10,000 or more (or equivalent) must be declared when entering or leaving South Korea. Same threshold both directions, per traveller. Korean won (KRW): max KRW 8,000,000 (approx USD 6,000) can be carried out without declaration; above that must declare. Non-declaration is subject to a fine of up to 30% of the unreported amount.
Form: Report of Means of International Payment (외국환신고서). Get it from the authority at the border or their site — we don't mirror it here, because forms are revised without notice and a stale copy is worse than none.
Korea Customs Service (KCS) / Bank of Korea Last checked 2026-08-10
Heading to South Korea? The duty-free allowance page for South Korea covers what you can bring in without paying duty.