Gangnam
Dr. Yoon-Gon Ryu
Aesthetic Medicine Specialist
Flagship clinic · KOL for leading lifting & regenerative devices · Featured in Authority Magazine (2026)
As of 1 January 2026, Korea’s foreigner VAT refund on cosmetic and aesthetic skin treatment has ended, so the 10% VAT is now built into your price and there is no separate refund to soften the cost.
No, not anymore. Korea’s foreigner cosmetic VAT refund was discontinued at the end of 2025, so from 2026 aesthetic skin treatments in Gangnam, Seoul do not qualify for a VAT refund. Budget the full quoted, VAT-inclusive price. Your real cost is set qualitatively by treatment area, sessions, device, and complexity, confirmed at consultation.
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.
No. The special foreign-patient VAT refund on cosmetic and aesthetic medical services, introduced in 2016, was a sunset measure that the National Assembly did not extend in the December 2025 tax-law amendment. It therefore ended on 31 December 2025. From 1 January 2026, elective cosmetic and aesthetic skin treatments in Korea no longer qualify for a VAT refund for foreign visitors, so there is nothing to reclaim at the airport for the treatment itself.
What this means for your budget is simple: the standard 10% VAT is now just part of the price. Whereas the old scheme once softened the sticker figure by the refundable VAT portion, from 2026 you should plan for the full quoted amount, because that is what you actually pay. When you compare skin treatment cost in Gangnam today, treat every quote as an all-in, VAT-inclusive number rather than a price you might partly get back.
One thing has not changed: the separate tourist goods tax refund on retail shopping at stores and department stores is an entirely different scheme. It never covered medical treatments, and it is unaffected by this change, so buying skincare products in shops still follows its own rules. At Reberry Clinic, our Gangnam (Seoul) location, about two minutes from Gangnam Station exit 10, keeps pricing consultation-led: Dr. Yoongon Ryu and the clinic’s doctors assess your skin and explain one clear, VAT-inclusive cost in English, with no expired-refund confusion.
With the refund gone, the honest way to plan a budget is to understand what actually shapes the price, and none of it is a fixed public figure. Cost is driven qualitatively by a handful of factors. The first is the treated area, since a single focal concern costs less to address than the full face, neck, or a body region. The second is the number of sessions, because many skin goals such as tone, texture, or firmness build over a short course rather than a single visit, so more sessions mean a higher total. The third is the device or modality chosen, as an energy-based lifting device, a laser, an injectable booster, and a hydrating facial each sit at different price levels for good clinical reasons. The fourth is complexity, meaning whether your plan combines several modalities to address multiple concerns at once. On top of all of that, the 10% VAT is now simply included, with no refund to offset it. Because these variables interact differently for every patient, our Gangnam (Seoul) doctors set your individual, VAT-inclusive cost after assessing your skin, rather than quoting one number that fits everyone, and they separate exactly what your plan involves before you commit.
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 1 January 2026, the foreigner cosmetic VAT refund no longer exists, so the 10% VAT is included in every quoted price with 0 refund to reclaim.
At consultation, the clinic’s doctors assess your skin type and 1 or more concerns, the single biggest factor shaping your plan and its cost.
The treated area and session count are confirmed, since many goals run over a short course rather than 1 visit, which raises the total.
A plan may combine 2 to 4 approaches such as boosters, lasers, or facials, and more modalities or higher complexity raise the VAT-inclusive cost.
You receive 1 transparent, VAT-inclusive figure in English, so there is no separate 10% refund to chase after you leave Korea.
See representative outcomes from Reberry Clinic. Results build gradually and vary by individual; your plan is assessed at consultation.
At our Gangnam (Seoul) location, the clinic’s doctors assess your skin and explain the 2026 VAT-inclusive pricing and your qualitative cost drivers, in English.
Once a plan is agreed, a first session usually takes about 20 to 60 minutes, and you pay the all-in quoted figure with VAT already included.
Course-based plans map the full VAT-inclusive cost upfront across the series, so you can budget accurately rather than guessing per visit.
Skin improvements typically build over several weeks, and your doctor reviews progress to adjust the plan and cost as your skin responds.
A simple home routine and daily sunscreen help sustain results and are factored into planning, with no hidden extra tax and no refund step.
No, not anymore. Korea ended the foreigner cosmetic VAT refund on 1 January 2026, so aesthetic skin treatments no longer qualify for a VAT refund. Budget the full VAT-inclusive price. Our Gangnam team confirms your all-in cost at your skin care consultation.
The special provision that let foreigners reclaim VAT on cosmetic procedures applied through 31 December 2025 and ended on 1 January 2026. It was a sunset measure the National Assembly did not extend. Procedures from 2026 carry the full 10% VAT, included in every quoted price with no refund.
The scheme, introduced in 2016, grew so large that related refunds reached a record 95.5 billion won in 2024, which is why the government let it lapse. From 2026 the 10% VAT is standard and non-refundable, so the price you agree is simply the final amount you pay.
Yes. From 2026 the 10% VAT is built into every cosmetic and aesthetic price you are quoted, and there is no separate refund to reclaim afterward. The figure agreed at consultation is what you actually pay for your skin care plan, VAT already inside it.
Four qualitative factors drive cost: the treated area, the number of sessions, the device or modality chosen, and the plan’s complexity. A single focal laser treatment differs from a combined course. Your doctor confirms one VAT-inclusive figure after assessing your skin.
The clinic’s underlying price did not rise; the change removed the VAT foreigners used to reclaim, so your effective cost is now the full VAT-inclusive figure. When comparing clinics, compare all-in 2026 prices directly rather than old pre-refund numbers that assumed a refund back.
Not for the treatment itself, since the cosmetic medical refund ended in 2026, but the separate tourist shopping refund on eligible retail goods still applies. So skincare products bought in shops may qualify, while your procedure does not. Ask our team to clarify exactly what your quote includes.
No. The tourist shopping refund covers eligible retail goods bought in stores, not medical or aesthetic procedures. These have always been two separate programmes, and only the retail one continues after 2026. Keep receipts for qualifying purchases, and treat your clinic cost as the all-in VAT-inclusive figure.
Yes. A plan combining several modalities, such as boosters, lasers, and facials, generally costs more than a single session because it addresses more concerns and adds complexity. Each session’s price includes VAT. Your doctor explains what your combined plan involves before you commit.
Skin plans are consultation-led, so your cost is set after the clinic’s doctors assess your skin rather than from a fixed public menu. This lets the plan match your area, concern, and sessions, and the final figure already includes the 10% VAT with nothing to reclaim later.
Korea’s standard value-added tax rate is 10%, and from 2026 it is included in the price of cosmetic and aesthetic skin treatments with no foreigner refund. Because the tax outcome is now uniform, the clinic’s doctors focus on explaining your real all-in cost at consultation rather than a single fixed figure for everyone.
Skin improvements usually build over several weeks and sessions rather than after one visit, and evidence shows consistent aftercare supports outcomes. Your doctor reviews progress between visits so the plan, and its VAT-inclusive cost, stays matched to how your skin actually responds over time.
It can, because your skin type influences which modalities and settings are safest, which in turn shapes the plan. For example, deeper tones may need gentler laser settings to reduce pigment risk. Your doctor accounts for this at consultation so the VAT-inclusive plan is both safe and fairly priced.
Any foreign patient planning dermatology in Seoul benefits from an upfront cost discussion, especially on a short stay combining treatments. Rather than choosing a treatment for a refund that no longer exists, most patients choose the right treatment first, for example on our acne treatment page, then plan the cost transparently.
For a single skin-care session, 2 to 3 days is usually comfortable, allowing consultation, treatment, and a short review. Because there is no refund step to complete at the airport from 2026, your schedule is simpler. Our English-speaking Gangnam team helps coordinate timing and cost around your travel dates.
Yes, flying within a day or so is generally fine for most non-invasive skin treatments. Cabin air is drying, so moisturise and protect treated skin from sun. If you had a laser or booster session, your doctor advises on aftercare while you travel, and there is no VAT paperwork to finish before you leave.
Start with a consultation at our Gangnam (Seoul) location, where the clinic’s doctors assess your skin and explain your all-in, VAT-inclusive cost clearly in English. Message the team first to outline your concern and stay dates, and review the skin care page to plan your options.
| Before 2026 (refund era) | From 2026 (no refund) | Retail Shopping Refund (separate) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Eligible cosmetic and aesthetic procedures | Cosmetic and aesthetic procedures, no medical refund | Retail goods like skincare bought in shops |
| VAT on treatment | 10% VAT charged, then refundable to foreigners | 10% VAT charged and included, not refundable | Retail VAT refundable on qualifying purchases |
| What you budget | Sticker price minus an eligible refund | The full all-in, VAT-inclusive quoted figure | Purchase price, retail VAT refunded separately |
| Airport step | Claim the treatment VAT back on departure | Nothing to reclaim for the procedure itself | Retail refund desk with slip and passport |
| Cost drivers | Area, sessions, device, complexity, then refund | Area, sessions, device, complexity, VAT included | Fixed retail price per item |
| Status now | Ended on 31 December 2025 | Current and in effect since 1 January 2026 | Unaffected by the medical refund change |
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 clear, all-in VAT-inclusive cost in Gangnam.