No match. See all guides.
Money in South Korea, sorted.
A calm, current plan for the money side of your trip: why your card covers almost everything, the handful of places a foreign card still gets refused, the little cash worth carrying, the T-money card that runs the buses and subway, and the VAT you can claim back on shopping.
Two entry rules are worth a fresh check this year. Since 1 January 2026, Korea replaced the paper arrival card with a free, mandatory e-Arrival Card that anyone entering without a K-ETA files online before the flight. And the K-ETA exemption for US visitors, which lets Americans skip the authorization for now, runs only through 31 December 2026, with K-ETA required again from 1 January 2027. Neither is a large cost, but both are easy to miss.
The three things people ask
Will my card work? Do I need cash? Are ATMs easy?
The quick read for a first trip.
Your card
Works almost everywhere
Visa and Mastercard are taken at hotels, department stores, chains, restaurants and taxis, and you can tap your contactless card straight onto the gates of the Seoul subway and the airport express train. Amex is patchy and Discover barely works, so bring a Visa or Mastercard. The soft spots are self-order kiosks and some small independent shops, where a foreign card can be declined by that particular terminal.
Check yours →Cash
A small backup
You rarely need it, but keep about 50,000 to 100,000 won for a few days for T-money top-ups, the odd kiosk or small vendor that refuses a card, and street food. Get won from a Global ATM rather than an airport exchange counter, and top up only as needed.
How much to bring →ATMs
Work, if you pick a Global one
Many plain domestic ATMs reject foreign cards. Use machines labelled Global ATM or Global Service, showing the Visa or Mastercard logo, at Woori, KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana and NH banks or in convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven, Emart24), which are everywhere and open around the clock. Fees run about 2,000 to 3,600 won. Set a 4-digit PIN before you travel, since longer PINs are refused, and always choose won, not dollars.
See ATMs in South Korea →(opens in a new tab)Cash or card
About as cashless as travel gets, with a little cash for the gaps.
A rough feel for everyday spending. Cards and phones cover almost everything, from hotels and restaurants to shops, taxis and the subway. Cash is a small backup for topping up a T-money card, the self-order kiosks and small vendors that refuse a foreign card, and street food and markets, and you rarely need much of it.
See what the trip really costs →Your money plan
Four steps and you're set.
Before you go
- Bring a no-foreign-fee Visa or Mastercard, plus a backup from a different bank. Amex is patchy and Discover barely works, so do not rely on either.
- Set your ATM card to a 4-digit PIN. Korean ATMs refuse 5- and 6-digit PINs, and repeated failures can trigger a fraud lock, so this one change saves the most common headache.
- Check whether you need a K-ETA. US visitors are exempt through 31 December 2026, but from 1 January 2027 it is required again, so confirm the date against the official site for your trip.
- File the free e-Arrival Card online before you fly if you are not carrying a K-ETA. It is mandatory, takes a few minutes, and is not a money charge.
At the airport
- Skip the exchange counters. Pull won from a Global ATM in the arrivals hall, and decline 'convert to dollars,' always choose won.
- Grab about 30,000 to 50,000 won for your first day, for a T-money top-up and any cash-only stop.
- Buy a T-money card at an arrivals convenience store (about 2,500 to 4,000 won) and load it with cash. It runs the buses, subway and most taxis nationwide.
- Set up an eSIM before you land. Coverage is excellent, and you will want data for maps and taxi apps.
Day to day
- Tap your card or phone for almost everything, and choose won every time.
- Tap your T-money card for the subway, buses and short taxi hops, and tap off buses when you get out.
- Keep a little cash for kiosks, small vendors and street food, and to top up T-money at a convenience store.
- Carrying a Visa card only? Reloading a standard T-money card is still cash for most visitors, so keep some won handy.
A golden rule
- Always pay in won, never in dollars. Choosing your home currency (dynamic currency conversion) quietly adds a few percent on card terminals and ATMs.
- Do not tip. It is genuinely not expected here, and pressing cash on staff can cause confusion rather than gratitude.
Staying connected
Will my phone work here? And what will it cost?
Among the best anywhere. South Korea has fast 4G and wide 5G across the cities and along the high-speed rail, and coverage holds up even in the mountains and on the islands. The three carriers are SK Telecom, KT and LG U Plus, and a prepaid SIM is cheap, but for most visitors an eSIM from Airalo, Nomad or a similar provider is the easy route. Your US plan may include some roaming, so check the rate before you rely on it. You do not need mobile data to pay by card, but you will want it for maps and taxi apps like KakaoTaxi. The cost is where people get caught out, and on most US plans it lands in one of two buckets.
Your plan may already include it
Often, do nothing
Some US plans include slow data abroad at no extra cost. If that is you, the honest move is to leave it alone.
we earn nothing
Or it charges quietly, after the fact
The bill lands later
On pay-per-use plans the cost runs in the background while you travel, and the charge can show up weeks after you are home. Forgetting to switch off data roaming is the classic one. For a week or more, an eSIM is usually cheaper and keeps you in control.
Check what your own carrier charges before the trip, not after.
If an eSIM is the cheaper call, Nomad covers South Korea.
Get your Nomad eSIM for South Korea→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionMedical cover
The one cost with no price tag.
Every other number on this page has a price you can look up. This one does not, and it can be the largest of them all. Most US health plans cover little or nothing once you leave the country, and Medicare covers essentially none of it abroad. A serious illness or injury is paid up front, and a medical evacuation runs from tens of thousands of dollars to past $100,000 if you are remote or an ocean from home.
First, you may not need to buy anything.
A cheap, refundable trip close to home does not need this. And if you are healthy, headed somewhere with good care, and one of the premium cards on the shortlist above already includes emergency medical and evacuation, you may be covered already. Check your card's benefits guide before you buy. Saying that costs us the commission, and it is still the right call.
How much cover matters here
Here, good hospitals are easy to reach and the care is high quality, so for a healthy traveler this leans more toward your call than a must.
If you do want cover, this is what it is for: the evacuation and the up-front hospital bill, the part no card limit is meant to absorb.
Enough for most trips
Faye, or a comparable whole-trip policy
Bundles trip protection with emergency medical, which is enough cover for most travelers on a typical trip.
The deeper end
A dedicated travel-medical plan built for serious care and evacuation abroad
Stronger on medical care and evacuation, for a remote or higher-risk trip where that is the real exposure.
If it happens
Call it first, then call your insurer's 24/7 assistance line, which is what confirms payment and arranges an evacuation. 119 reaches an ambulance or the fire service, and 112 is the police. The 911 number does not work here. For help in English, 1330 is the free, 24-hour Korea Travel Hotline, which also offers live interpretation if you are stuck with a driver, a clinic or a shop.
TrueTripCosts explains the gap and points to options. It does not set your coverage amounts or act as your insurance advisor, and every policy carries its own exclusions, so read them before you buy. Emergency number checked Jul 2026. Confirm the current number before you travel, as local lines can change.
Currency basics
The Korean won, in plain terms.
Quick conversion
South Korea uses the won. At about 1,500 won to the dollar in mid-2026, 10,000 won is roughly 7 dollars and 50,000 won about 33. Notes come in 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 50,000 won, and the yellow 50,000 is the largest and most common big note. Prices already include the 10% VAT, so the figure on the tag is what you pay.
Cards rule, cash is backup
Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere, with Amex patchy and Discover barely accepted. You can go days without cash, but a foreign card is sometimes refused at self-order kiosks and unmarked ATMs, so carry about 50,000 to 100,000 won for a few days as backup.
T-money runs transit
A T-money card is the small plastic key to the buses, subway and most taxis nationwide, and it also pays at convenience stores and vending machines. Buy one at any convenience store for about 2,500 to 4,000 won and top it up with cash. Reloading a standard card is still cash for most visitors, though newer Seoul subway kiosks increasingly take foreign cards.
No tipping
South Korea has no tipping culture. Staff are paid a proper wage, and pressing extra cash on them can cause confusion. A warm thank-you is all that is expected. The only thing to check is a service charge at some upscale or international hotels and fine dining, which is already on the bill.
Real exchange rate
What your money is really worth here.
This is the mid-market rate, the one the banks trade at and the yardstick every other rate is measured against. Your card lands a little below it, and if a screen ever offers to bill you in dollars, that is worse again. So this is the number to expect, and how you spot a bad one.
1 US dollar is about 1,490 KRW
Taxes and refunds
A 10% VAT you can claim back, often right at the register.
South Korea keeps tax simple for a visitor. There is no nightly tourist or bed tax, and the 10% VAT is already included in the price you see. The win worth acting on: as a foreign visitor staying under six months, you can reclaim the VAT on goods you buy to take home, through the tourist tax refund. Spend at least 15,000 won in a single transaction at a shop showing a Tax Free sign (some smaller shops set their own floor at 30,000 won), show your passport, and in most cases the store runs an immediate refund that knocks the tax off right at the register, with nothing to do at the airport. For larger purchases, or at shops without the instant system, you get a refund slip and claim the money at a downtown refund kiosk or at the airport after customs. Keep the goods unopened and take them out within three months. After the refund company's fee, you typically get back roughly 6 to 8% of the price rather than the full 10%. One recent change worth noting: the separate VAT refund for cosmetic and dermatology procedures ended on 31 December 2025, so only goods qualify now.
Fees and taxes to double-check
The numbers most likely to change.
These are the fees and taxes that move on political timelines, so we track each one on its own. Every line shows the amount, whether it is in effect yet, the date we last checked it, and a primary source where a clean one exists.
K-ETA (entry authorization)
Not required for US visitors through 31 December 2026, then required again from 1 January 2027
e-Arrival Card
Mandatory and free, filed online before arrival if you do not hold a K-ETA
Before you book: passports, the six-month rule and whether you need a visa. Not a US citizen, or connecting through Europe? The rules can differ, and even a layover can need its own visa. See our passports and visas guide →
Watch out for
The small traps that catch first-timers.
Tipping
Don't tip, really.
South Korea has no tipping culture, and there is no awkwardness in not tipping, it is simply the norm. Staff are paid a proper wage rather than relying on gratuities, so leaving extra can confuse people or, at a restaurant, send a server chasing after you to return your 'forgotten' change. At restaurants, cafes, taxis, salons and for delivery, you do not tip: pay the price on the bill or the meter and add a warm thank-you. The one thing to check is a service charge (often 10%, sometimes alongside the 10% VAT) that some upscale or international hotels and fine-dining rooms add automatically, in which case nothing more is needed. The rare exceptions where a small gesture is welcome are a five-star hotel porter or concierge who goes out of their way, or a private multi-day tour guide or driver, where a modest amount in a clean envelope, handed over with both hands, is gracious. Otherwise, keep your wallet closed and enjoy how simple it is.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do I need cash in South Korea?
Barely. Korea is one of the most cashless countries anywhere, and cards and phones cover almost everything. Carry about 50,000 to 100,000 won for a few days as backup, for topping up a T-money card, the self-order kiosks and small vendors that sometimes refuse a foreign card, and street food, and pull it from a Global ATM as needed.
Why did my card get declined in South Korea?
Usually the terminal, not your card. Some self-order kiosks and small shops only accept Korean cards, and many plain ATMs refuse foreign cards. For cash, use an ATM labelled Global ATM or Global Service with the Visa or Mastercard logo, set a 4-digit PIN before you travel, and keep a backup card, since a Visa and a Mastercard sometimes behave differently at the same machine.
What is a T-money card and do I need one?
T-money is a small rechargeable card that runs the buses, subway and most taxis across the country, and also pays at convenience stores and vending machines. It is the smoothest way to get around. Buy one at any convenience store for about 2,500 to 4,000 won and top it up with cash. You can also tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard directly on the Seoul subway and airport-express gates, but T-money is the more dependable option nationwide.
Can I top up T-money with a foreign credit card?
For most visitors, not reliably. A standard T-money card is treated as electronic cash, so it is topped up with won at convenience stores and station machines. Since March 2026, newer Seoul subway kiosks accept foreign cards for single tickets and short-term passes, and iPhone users with a Mastercard can load a mobile version, but outside Seoul and for standard cards, plan on cash.
Should I pay in won or dollars in South Korea?
Always won. If a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in US dollars, decline; that dynamic currency conversion adds a few percent. Choosing won lets your card's network handle the exchange at a fair rate.
Can I get a VAT refund on shopping in South Korea?
Yes. As a visitor staying under six months, you can reclaim the 10% VAT on goods through the tourist tax refund. Spend at least 15,000 won in one transaction at a Tax Free store, show your passport, and in most cases the tax comes off instantly at the register. For larger buys you get a slip to claim at a downtown kiosk or the airport after customs. Keep the goods unopened and leave within three months; after fees you get back roughly 6 to 8%.
Do I need a K-ETA or an arrival card for South Korea?
US visitors are exempt from the K-ETA through 31 December 2026, but from 1 January 2027 it is required again, so check the official site for your travel dates. Separately, since 1 January 2026 anyone entering without a K-ETA must file a free e-Arrival Card online before the flight; it is mandatory and quick, and it is not a money charge.
Do you tip in South Korea?
No. Tipping is not customary at restaurants, cafes, taxis, salons or for delivery, and offering one can cause confusion. Just pay the amount on the bill or meter. The only thing to check is a service charge some upscale or international hotels and fine dining add automatically, which is already included. A polite thank-you is all that is expected.
How much cash should I bring for a week in South Korea?
Very little on top of card spending. For most visitors, 50,000 to 100,000 won across a few days is plenty for T-money top-ups, kiosks, small vendors and street food, refreshed from a Global ATM as needed. Keep it in a mix of notes, since the 50,000 won note can be hard to break at a small stall.
What it really costs
What you'll really spend in South Korea.
Your flights if you want them counted, your room, your on-the-ground spending, the two fees most US cards add without telling you, and South Korea's tourist tax. One number, nothing waiting on the statement. No bank to pick, no sign-up, nothing saved.
Optional. Enter your round trip fare per traveler to fold flights into the total.
In South Korea, plan for about $0.
Realistically somewhere between $0 and $0.
Whether at an ATM or a card terminal in a shop or restaurant, always choose to be charged in the local currency, not dollars. Paying in dollars (called dynamic currency conversion) lets the machine set its own, worse, exchange rate on top of any fee.
Rough guide, not a quote. The percentage here is a blended stand-in for a typical US card's foreign fee, not your exact rate. The real number moves with the card you carry: one no-foreign-fee card can cover both sides, while a plain rewards credit card only removes the fee on what you buy, and cash still costs a little unless that card also waives ATM and foreign-cash fees. A debit card, or accepting the "pay in dollars" (dynamic currency conversion) offer at a till or ATM, can push it higher. Rates checked Jun 2026 and rounded.
How this estimate is built
These are the assumptions behind the number. Change the room price, nights, travelers, or travel style above, and every line here moves with them.
- Hotel
- Daily spending
- Flights
- Cash vs card
- ATM withdrawals
- Foreign fee
- The range
- Tourist tax
Not sure which card to bring? See my pick for South Korea.
Already carry a card with no foreign transaction fee? Then you are set for South Korea, and can skip this. There is nothing to buy.
If you are getting a card for South Korea, this is the pairing I would pick: a no-foreign-fee credit card for spending, and a fee-free ATM debit card for cash. We earn nothing on these today. Always confirm the current fee with the issuer before you apply. Checked Jun 2026.
Capital One charges no foreign transaction fee on any of its cards.
No foreign transaction fee
Fee-free ATM cash worldwide
Want one account that holds and spends in the local currency? A different job from the three above, and the one I reach for abroad. It is free to open; you can create a virtual card in the app and add it to your phone wallet in minutes, without waiting for the physical card; and you can convert US dollars into the local currency inside the account before you travel, then spend from that balance. Wise uses the mid-market rate plus a small conversion fee (around 0.4% and up), with no flat foreign fee.
The three picks above pay us nothing, and their tags say so. Wise is the only option here that can earn us a commission, and its tag says that too. Paid or not, the pick is still the pick.
Travelers, not touristsA little Korean goes a long way
A little Korean goes a long way
Nobody expects you to read Hangul, but a warm annyeonghaseyo, a small bow, and a story or two mark you as a guest rather than a tourist, and they are warmly received. Koreans are quietly proud of their language and history, and they notice when a visitor makes the effort.
Say a few words
Tip: To call a server in a restaurant, a friendly Jeogiyo (juh-GEE-yo) is the normal, polite way to get attention, not a raised hand and a wave. A small bow with your thanks goes far, and offering or receiving anything, a card, a cup, a gift, with two hands is a quiet mark of respect.
Know a story
An alphabet built for everyone
In 1443, King Sejong the Great gave Korea its own alphabet, Hangul, designed so cleverly that an ordinary person could learn to read in a day rather than spending years on Chinese characters. Koreans are deeply proud of it, and they even celebrate a national holiday for it. Admire Hangul and you are praising something close to the national heart.
Good to know: Hangul Day is a national holiday on 9 October
The warmth called jeong
Sit down to a Korean meal and a crowd of little side dishes, the banchan, arrives unasked and gets refilled for free, and the cook may send out an extra plate they call service. That open-handed warmth has a name, jeong, the deep bond of care between people, and it runs through Korean life. Receive it graciously, and say masisseoyo.
Say it: jeong (juhng), the warm bond Koreans prize
Dress the part at the palace
At Seoul's grand palaces, like Gyeongbokgung, you will see visitors gliding through the courtyards in flowing, brightly colored hanbok, the traditional dress you can rent nearby for the day. Time it for the changing of the royal guard, a slow ceremony of drums and banners, and you get a real taste of the old kingdom rather than a quick photo.
Good to know: watch for the changing of the guard at GyeongbokgungSouth Korea moves fast and looks to the future, from its cities to its music and film, yet holds its traditions close. Respect shown through small gestures, a bow, both hands, a few careful words, is noticed and quietly returned.
No links here, nothing to buy. This part is just to help you travel well.
Sources, and how this guide was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
Changed since last checkFirst publication. Confirmed the two entry rules that catch US visitors this year: the K-ETA exemption for Americans runs through 31 December 2026, and K-ETA becomes required again from 1 January 2027, while the free e-Arrival Card has been mandatory for arrivals without a K-ETA since 1 January 2026. Also confirmed the 10% VAT and the 15,000 won minimum for the tourist tax refund, and that there is no nightly tourist or bed tax.
- US State DepartmentSouth Korea travel advisory, the K-ETA exemption through 31 December 2026 and the requirement from 1 January 2027, plus the local emergency numbers
- Korea Immigration Servicethe official K-ETA and e-Arrival Card portal, where the arrival card is filed and the K-ETA fee is set
- Korea Tourism Organization (VisitKorea)the tourist VAT refund, the 15,000 won minimum purchase and how the immediate and airport refunds work
Our own judgmentThe daily cash share, the tipping feel, and the likely behavior of foreign cards at kiosks and ATMs are our own estimate from experience and from consistent traveler reports, not an official figure. Card acceptance varies terminal by terminal, so treat our read as a guide, not a guarantee.
More money guides in Asia
If you are also weighing up nearby destinations, each guide covers cards, cash, ATMs and the fees to expect.
Going deeper on South Korea
The money questions people ask on the ground.
Short, focused answers to the specific things that catch first-timers out in South Korea.
- Tipping in South KoreaSouth Korea is not a tipping country. At restaurants, cafes and in taxis, no tip is expected, and trying to leave one may be politely refused. Here is what you actually owe.
- Do US citizens need a K-ETA for South Korea?Short answer: not right now. For US travelers the K-ETA is waived through the end of 2026, but there is a free arrival card you still must file, and the K-ETA comes back in 2027. Here is what you actually need, and when.
- Do I need cash in South Korea, or can I use cards?Short answer: mostly cards, a little cash. Korea runs on plastic, so a Visa or Mastercard covers almost everything, but markets and street food still want won. Here is how to pay, get around, and which apps to skip.
- Bringing your dog or cat to South Korea.South Korea is the most straightforward of the strict-looking Asian destinations. There is no import permit to chase for a personal pet, and a dog or cat that meets the microchip and rabies-titer rules is typically released the same day it lands. The one thing that sets your timeline, and that you must not skip, is the rabies antibody titer. Here is the route.
This is how South Korea stands today.
Money rules move. We can let you know for free if that changes.