Gangnam
Dr. Yoon-Gon Ryu
Aesthetic Medicine Specialist
Flagship clinic · KOL for leading lifting & regenerative devices · Featured in Authority Magazine (2026)
The foreign-patient cosmetic VAT refund ended on 31 December 2025, so from 2026 the 10% VAT is part of the full price — cost is best understood through its real drivers, confirmed at consultation.
There is no fixed figure, and the tax refund that used to soften the cost ended on 31 December 2025 — so from 2026 the 10% VAT is simply part of the full skin-treatment price in Korea. Budget the whole quoted amount, since cost depends on the treatment, sessions, and plan agreed at consultation, not a returned portion.
One-on-One guidance from a dedicated doctor, ensuring your skin is professionally monitored and treated from start to finish.
Fluent assistance in English, Japanese, and Chinese, making communication clear, respectful and comfortable for international patients.
Over 100,000 patients worldwide have received our personalized dermatological care, highlighting our expertise and reliable results.
The honest answer to how much a skin treatment costs in Korea is that it varies by treatment and plan, and there is no single price to quote responsibly. What changed for cost specifically is that the foreign-patient cosmetic VAT refund ended on 31 December 2025. From 2016 to 2025, eligible short-stay visitors could reclaim part of the 10% VAT — a net 7 to 8 percent after operator fees — which slightly softened the effective cost. That relief is gone from 1 January 2026, so the 10% VAT is now simply built into the full price you pay.
In practical terms, the cost you plan for is the whole VAT-inclusive figure quoted at consultation, with nothing returned later. No replacement discount or workaround exists; the accurate position is to budget the full amount. Because prices are consultation-led and depend on your individual plan, this page explains the real qualitative drivers of cost rather than inventing numbers that would not fit your case.
It is worth separating two things people confuse: the ended medical refund never had anything to do with the tourist shopping refund for retail goods, which is a separate, unchanged scheme that does not apply to clinic treatments. For international patients, the sensible focus is a transparent all-in quote, clarity on how many sessions you need, and English-language support. At Reberry Clinic, pricing is explained clearly and in English across our Seoul locations in Gangnam and Myeongdong, plus an Incheon Airport location.
Cost in Korea is shaped by a 10% value-added tax that used to be partly recoverable and now is not. Under the former scheme, VAT was charged at the point of treatment, and an eligible short-stay foreign patient could reclaim a portion at departure through an approved operator — typically a net 7 to 8 percent, since a handling fee was deducted from the 10%. That is the mechanism that ended on 31 December 2025, when the enabling clauses were left out of the December 2025 tax revision. From 1 January 2026, the 10% VAT is embedded in the quoted price with no refund step, so the effective cost of an aesthetic skin treatment rose by roughly the value of the refund that used to come back. Refund payouts had grown from about 0.8 billion won in 2021 to 95.5 billion won in 2024, which helps explain why the benefit lapsed rather than being renewed. For budgeting, this means 1 simple rule: treat the consultation quote as the final, all-inclusive number. The separate retail shopping refund is unaffected and applies only to goods, never to treatments, so it should not enter your treatment budget. Because prices depend on the plan and are set at consultation, and because tax rules can be revised again, we confirm the current, VAT-inclusive figure with you rather than promising an amount in advance.
One Reberry Clinic, multiple Seoul-area locations. Pricing & current promotions are listed on each branch's own site — tap a clinic to view pricing & book.
ONE REBERRY CLINIC · MFDS-REGISTERED DEVICES · MULTILINGUAL CARE AT EVERY LOCATION
Since the refund ended on 1 January 2026, budget the whole VAT-inclusive quote with no portion coming back, unlike the old net 7 to 8 percent.
Ask for a single number at consultation that already includes the 10% VAT, so there are no later deductions or hidden line items to plan around.
Many skin treatments involve more than 1 session, so ask how many your plan needs, since that is often the largest driver of total cost.
The retail refund still exists for goods, but it never applied to the 2 clinical items — consultation and treatment — so keep those budgets apart.
Verify the current, VAT-inclusive figure before your 1st session, since prices are tailored and tax rules can change again over time.
See representative outcomes from Reberry Clinic. Results build gradually and vary by individual; your plan is assessed at consultation.
At our Gangnam or Myeongdong locations in Seoul, the clinic’s doctors assess your skin and the team gives you 1 clear, VAT-inclusive figure in English.
You receive treatment and a standard receipt; since the refund ended in 2026, no medical refund receipt is issued, so nothing is deducted afterward.
Discussing cost takes only a few minutes, and the team confirms the full figure and any session count before your 1st treatment begins.
Because there is no refund, your budget reflects the full price from day 1 rather than an amount returned weeks later at the airport.
Keep copies of your receipts, factor in any follow-up sessions, and confirm current pricing at each visit, since tax rules can be revised.
There is no single figure — cost depends on the treatment, sessions, and plan agreed at consultation, and prices are tailored rather than fixed. Since the VAT refund ended on 31 December 2025, the 10% VAT is part of the full price with nothing returned. Get an all-in quote via our skin care page.
Slightly — from 2016 to 2025 eligible short-stay visitors could reclaim a net 7 to 8 percent of the 10% VAT at departure, softening the effective cost. That relief ended on 31 December 2025, so from 2026 the full VAT-inclusive price applies with no portion coming back to reduce your budget.
Yes, from 2026 the 10% VAT is built into the quoted price, so the figure you see at consultation is the figure you pay. There is no separate refund step anymore. Ask for one all-in number, and confirm any session count, so your budget is complete before you travel.
The treatment and device, the number of sessions, the area treated, case complexity, and any aftercare all affect cost, plus the 10% VAT now embedded in the price. Because these vary per person, pricing is consultation-led. You can explore options on our skin care page before your visit.
Because a responsible figure depends on your skin, goals, and the number of sessions, which are set at consultation, not in advance. Quoting a fixed number online would risk being inaccurate for your case. Our English-speaking team gives you a clear, VAT-inclusive figure once the clinic’s doctors have assessed your plan.
No, the tourist shopping refund applies only to goods bought at stores and never covered medical services, so it does not affect treatment cost. It is a separate, unchanged scheme. Keep it in mind for skincare products and shopping, but budget your clinic treatment as a full VAT-inclusive amount.
It depends on the treatment and your goals — some plans use a single session, others a short series, which is often the largest driver of total cost. The clinic’s doctors confirm this at consultation. You can review typical options first on our skin care page.
Effectively, yes — with the net 7 to 8 percent refund gone from 2026, the amount you actually part with is higher by roughly that value, since the full VAT is no longer partly recoverable. The list price mechanism is the same; what changed is that nothing comes back, so budget the whole figure.
No, there is no cosmetic VAT refund for foreign patients from 2026, and no replacement discount or workaround exists for treatments. The honest answer is to budget the full price. If policy ever changes again, our team would confirm any new process at consultation rather than implying a benefit that is not available.
Ask for a single all-in, VAT-inclusive quote, confirm the number of sessions, and keep shopping separate from treatment. Request the figure in writing where possible and keep your receipts. Our English-speaking team walks you through the full cost before your 1st session so there are no surprises.
Not on its own — a low headline figure can omit VAT, extra sessions, or aftercare, so compare all-in totals rather than starting prices. Ask what is and isn’t included. The clinic’s doctors explain exactly what your plan covers, and you can review treatments on our skin care page.
For a single session, 2 to 3 days is usually comfortable, allowing a consultation, treatment, and a short review. Multi-session plans may need more, which also affects travel cost. Our English-speaking team helps coordinate appointments across our Seoul locations around your dates and departure.
For many non-invasive skin treatments, flying within a day or so is generally fine, though cabin air is drying, so protect treated skin; follow your doctor’s aftercare. Same-day departure can trim accommodation cost, and the nearby Incheon Airport location can be convenient if your schedule is tight.
Follow-up sessions are priced like other treatments, and the clinic offers remote check-ins in English between trips at no treatment cost. Keep your receipts for records. You can also maintain results affordably at home with a tailored skin care routine from the clinic’s doctors.
It could — tax rules are set by Korean authorities and can be revised, which is exactly why the refund lapsed on 31 December 2025 after starting in 2016. For now, budget the full VAT-inclusive price, and confirm the current figure at consultation rather than assuming any future refund returns.
| Cost with refund (until 2025) | Cost from 2026 | Retail shopping refund | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effect on treatment cost | Net 7 to 8 percent of VAT reclaimable | Full VAT-inclusive price, nothing returned | None — applies only to goods, not treatments |
| How you budget | Subtract an expected refund at departure | Plan the whole quoted figure upfront | Separate budget for shopping purchases |
| Main cost drivers | Treatment, sessions, plus refund math | Treatment, sessions, area, aftercare | Item price and eligible goods only |
| Where handled | Airport or in-city medical counter | Not applicable to medical services | Retail refund counters and airport |
| Status now | Ended 31 December 2025 | The current rule for foreign patients | Unaffected and still available |
| What to do | Historic context only | Confirm the all-in figure at consultation | Claim separately for eligible purchases |
Real verified reviews from our Google Business Profile, across all Reberry Clinic locations.
PULLED LIVE FROM GOOGLE · GANGNAM · MYEONGDONG · INCHEON AIRPORT
Your treatment is planned and performed by experienced, MFDS-registered doctors across our Seoul-area clinics, with multilingual support for international patients.
Flagship clinic · KOL for leading lifting & regenerative devices · Featured in Authority Magazine (2026)
Multilingual tourist care beside Myeongdong Cathedral
Fast, effective care 20 minutes from the terminals
Message us on WhatsApp for a free consultation in English about your skin treatment and its full, VAT-inclusive cost in Korea.