For visitors to Korea
Korea travel tips: transport & tax refunds
Checked against official sources on 2026-11-03. Fares and rules can change, so double-check via the source links.
Transport tips
The essentials for getting from the airport into the city and riding the subway, buses and taxis for the first time.
Buying a T-money card
Sold at convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, emart24) and subway station machines. The card price doesn’t include any balance.
Top-ups are mostly cash
Convenience stores and station recharge machines take cash. Since March 2026, 440 new machines at 273 stations on Seoul Lines 1–8 accept overseas Visa/Mastercard for single tickets and the Climate Card (about 3.7% overseas card fee on average).
Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government press release (2026-03-16)
iPhone: top up in the app
Since March 2026, the T-money iPhone app has a foreigner login: top up via Apple Pay (Mastercard, AmEx, UnionPay — not Visa) and ride with the card in Apple Wallet.
Climate Card short-term pass (unlimited in Seoul)
1 day ₩5,000 · 2 days ₩8,000 · 3 days ₩10,000 · 5 days ₩15,000 · 7 days ₩20,000 (card sold separately); it starts when charged. Valid on Seoul subway and Seoul buses only — not the Shinbundang Line, Gyeonggi, wide-area or airport buses. On AREX you must board at a station inside Seoul, so it can’t take you from Incheon Airport into the city.
Source: Seoul: Climate Card short-term pass (2024-08-07)Source: Seoul Media Hub (2024-09)
Use subway exit numbers
Every station exit is numbered. When a map app or shop says “Exit 3”, leave by that exit and you’ll walk much less. To transfer, follow the line color and number.
Base fare & transfer discount
The base fare is ₩1,550 by card and ₩1,650 for a cash single ticket (since 28 June 2025). Board another subway or bus within 30 minutes of getting off (60 minutes from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) for a transfer discount — so always tap your card when you get off too.
AREX: Express vs All-stop train
The Express runs nonstop between Incheon Airport T1 and Seoul Station in about 43 min (T2 about 51 min), with reserved seats. The All-stop train stops at Hongik Univ., Gongdeok and more, takes about 59 min to Seoul Station, and you ride with T-money. Fares can change — check the official site.
Airport limousine bus
Goes straight to hotels and major areas — handy with lots of luggage. Buy tickets at the T1 1F arrivals ticket booths or the T2 B1 Transportation Center (cards accepted). The Climate Card isn’t valid.
Arriving late at night
AREX and the subway stop around midnight. From Incheon Airport take a late-night bus (e.g. N6000 toward Gangnam, N6002 toward Hongdae/Cheongnyangni); in Seoul, “N” owl buses run from about 11:30 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Source: Incheon Airport: late-night busesSource: Seoul: owl buses (2026-03-20)
Late-night taxi surcharge
A standard Seoul taxi starts at ₩4,800. There’s a 20% surcharge 10–11 p.m. and 2–4 a.m., and 40% from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Leaving Seoul adds another 20%.
Taxi apps
Use K.Ride (Kakao Mobility’s app for visitors: foreign phone numbers and cards, English/Japanese/Chinese) or Uber (it hails regular taxis in Korea). Kakao T sometimes fails to verify foreign numbers.
Show a Korean address in taxis
Showing the destination in Korean is fastest — tap “Show in Korean” on any place page and show it to the driver. No tipping needed. If you need an interpreter, call the travel hotline 1330.
Book airport & transport ahead
Buy an eSIM, AREX ticket or airport pickup ahead to skip lines on arrival
Korea eSIM · SIM- AREX Airport Railroad
- Airport limousine bus
- Airport private transfer
Incheon Airport transfer
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Tax refund
Foreign visitors can get VAT back on goods bought at “Tax Free” stores.
Instant refund in the store
Show your passport at a “Tax Free” store and the tax comes off at checkout. Each receipt must be ₩15,000 or more and under ₩1,000,000, up to ₩5,000,000 in instant refunds per trip.
Who’s eligible
Foreign visitors staying in Korea under 6 months, who take the goods out of Korea within 3 months. People employed in Korea and some others aren’t eligible.
Everything else: at the airport
Receipts not refunded in the store are refunded at the airport when you leave. At Incheon Airport, refund desks and kiosks are in the duty-free area after security and passport control.
Incheon Airport Terminal 1
3F near Gate 28: refund desk (07:00–22:00) and 24-hour kiosk; plus a kiosk in front of Gate 115 in the Concourse.
Incheon Airport Terminal 2
3F near Gate 253 (across from Gate 250): refund desk (07:00–21:30) and 24-hour kiosk.
If refund items go in checked luggage
Tell the airline at check-in to get a customs tag, take the bag back, confirm at the kiosk, then drop it at the oversize baggage belt nearby. If the kiosk asks for a customs check, show the unused goods at the customs desk.
Gimpo Airport (international)
We couldn’t confirm the refund location at Gimpo’s international terminal from an official source. Ask the information desk for “Tax Refund”.
Leave extra time
For international flights, aim to arrive about 3 hours before departure. If you’re also claiming a refund, check current departure-hall crowds below and go earlier.
Check departure hall crowds now