Gangnam
Dr. Yoon-Gon Ryu
Aesthetic Medicine Specialist
Flagship clinic · KOL for leading lifting & regenerative devices · Featured in Authority Magazine (2026)
As of January 1, 2026, Korea no longer offers a VAT refund to foreigners on cosmetic and aesthetic skin treatments; the 10% VAT is now built into the price, with no airport refund to collect.
No, not anymore. Korea’s foreigner VAT refund on cosmetic and aesthetic skin treatments ended on January 1, 2026, so treatments in Gangnam, Seoul now carry the full 10% VAT with no refund to claim. Care stays consultation-led, with your VAT-inclusive cost explained clearly in English at our Gangnam location.
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No, not any longer. As of January 1, 2026, foreigners can no longer claim a VAT refund on cosmetic and aesthetic skin treatments in Korea. The special-taxation provision that let short-stay visitors reclaim the 10% value-added tax was a sunset measure that the National Assembly chose not to extend in the December 2025 tax-law revision, so it expired on December 31, 2025. From 2026, aesthetic skin procedures carry the full 10% VAT, and there is nothing to reclaim at the airport or a designated counter after treatment.
From April 2016 to the end of 2025, eligible visitors could recover the VAT on qualifying cosmetic procedures, which lowered the effective price by roughly 7 to 10%. That path has closed. Refund payouts had grown sharply, reaching a record 95.5 billion won in 2024 alone, which is one reason the government let the scheme lapse. If you searched for a skin treatment tax refund in Gangnam hoping to reclaim the tax after your visit, the honest answer is that this benefit no longer exists for 2026 treatments.
At our Gangnam (Seoul) location, near Gangnam Station, care stays consultation-led and transparent. Dr. Yoongon Ryu and the clinic’s doctors assess your skin and explain your plan and its VAT-inclusive cost up front, so you know exactly what you pay without chasing any refund later. Note that the separate general goods tax refund for shopping at stores and department stores is an unrelated scheme; it never covered medical treatments and does not apply to clinics.
Under the old scheme, an eligible foreign patient would present a passport at a registered clinic, receive dedicated refund documents, and reclaim the 10% VAT portion when leaving Korea, so the effective cost sat below the listed price. That mechanism ended on December 31, 2025. From January 1, 2026, there is no refund document to issue and nothing to reclaim: the 10% VAT is simply part of every cosmetic and aesthetic price. One narrow transition applies. If your treatment and refund documents date to 2025, that specific refund may still be processable within the prior eligibility window, provided you depart Korea in time; any treatment from January 1, 2026 does not qualify. Because this is a national tax-policy change rather than a clinic pricing decision, it applies Korea-wide and does not alter how we work: the clinic’s doctors assess your skin, build a tailored plan, and quote a transparent, VAT-inclusive cost. What is different is that the figure you agree is now the final figure, with no separate tax step to complete after you fly home. It is worth ignoring older blog posts and guides that still describe a refund, since they no longer reflect the 2026 rule.
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Since January 1, 2026, there is 0 foreigner VAT refund on cosmetic skin treatments, so the 10% VAT is included and non-refundable.
Only treatments with refund documents dated in 2025 may still be claimed, and only within the prior window before you leave Korea.
The clinic’s doctors assess your skin type and 1 or more concerns and explain your plan and its VAT-inclusive cost in English.
You receive 1 transparent, VAT-inclusive figure, so there is no separate 10% refund to organise after treatment.
With no airport refund step for 2026 treatments, your visit involves fewer forms and no post-flight tax paperwork.
See representative outcomes from Reberry Clinic. Results build gradually and vary by individual; your plan is assessed at consultation.
At our Gangnam (Seoul) location, Dr. Yoongon Ryu and the clinic’s doctors assess your skin, confirm there is no VAT refund from 2026, and outline your plan and its all-in cost, in English.
Once a plan is agreed, your first session usually takes about 20 to 60 minutes depending on the treatments chosen.
Skin plans often run as a short course of 2 to 4 sessions, each priced VAT-inclusive rather than as a single one-off charge.
Improvements typically build over several weeks, and your doctor reviews progress to adjust the plan as your skin responds.
A simple home routine and daily sunscreen help sustain results, with no hidden tax step to complete after you travel.
No. Korea ended the foreigner VAT refund on cosmetic and aesthetic procedures on January 1, 2026, so skin treatments from 2026 include the full 10% VAT with no refund. At our skin care consultation in Gangnam, the price you agree is VAT-inclusive and final.
The refund ended on January 1, 2026. Korea’s special-taxation provision allowing foreigners to reclaim VAT on cosmetic procedures was a sunset measure not extended in the December 2025 tax revision, so it expired on December 31, 2025. Any treatment from 2026 onward carries the full 10% VAT.
The scheme, running since April 2016, was a sunset provision the National Assembly chose not to renew. Refund payouts had surged to a record 95.5 billion won in 2024, so the government let it lapse. This is a national policy change, not a clinic decision, and applies to all providers across Korea equally.
Before 2026, a foreign patient presented a passport at the clinic, received refund documents, and reclaimed the 10% VAT when leaving Korea, lowering the effective cost by roughly 7 to 10%. That entire process ended, so from 2026 there are no refund documents and nothing to reclaim afterward.
Possibly, under a transition rule. If your 2025 treatment came with refund documents issued in 2025, you may still claim within the prior eligibility window as long as you depart Korea in time. Treatments from January 1, 2026 do not qualify, so check your document dates carefully before assuming eligibility.
The clinic’s list price did not rise; the change removed a roughly 7 to 10% refund foreigners used to reclaim, so your effective cost is now the full VAT-inclusive price. When comparing options, compare 2026 all-in prices for treatments like a laser treatment directly.
Yes. From 2026 the 10% VAT is built into every cosmetic and aesthetic price, so the quote at consultation is the amount you pay. There is no separate refund step, which makes budgeting for your skin care plan simpler and more predictable.
No. The general goods tax refund for shopping at stores and department stores is a separate scheme that never covered medical treatments, and it is unchanged. It does not apply to clinic procedures, so you cannot use it to reclaim VAT on a skin treatment in 2026. Only the retired medical scheme covered cosmetic care.
You should bring your passport for identification and medical records as an international patient, but it is no longer needed to register a VAT refund, since that scheme ended in 2026. Our English-speaking team explains any documents required for your visit before you arrive at the Gangnam location.
The old scheme covered a broad range of qualifying cosmetic and aesthetic procedures, including skin rejuvenation, wrinkle care, and pigment treatments. From 2026 none of these carry a foreigner refund. Your doctor explains which treatments, such as a glass facial, suit your skin, all quoted VAT-inclusive.
Skin plans are consultation-led, so the clinic’s doctors set your plan and cost after assessing your skin rather than from a fixed public menu. This matches the plan to your actual needs, and the final VAT-inclusive figure has nothing to reclaim later. You pay one agreed, transparent amount.
Results vary by treatment and skin type, and skin care is ongoing rather than a one-time fix, so occasional maintenance helps sustain it. A simple home routine and daily sunscreen protect your outcome, and these are inexpensive and discussed as part of planning at consultation.
Most adults seeking to improve tone, texture, pigment, or firmness are suitable, and a consultation confirms which modalities fit your skin type and goals. Deeper skin tones may need gentler settings, which your doctor accounts for so the plan is safe and appropriately quoted for your case.
Skin treatment is widely performed and generally considered safe when a trained doctor matches modalities and settings to your skin type. A consultation reduces risks like temporary redness or pigment change. You can review our approach on the skin care page first.
Our Gangnam (Seoul) location is near Gangnam Station, with English-speaking staff and Dr. Yoongon Ryu leading care. The 2026 no-refund rule applies Korea-wide, so wherever you are treated the 10% VAT is included, and we explain your plan clearly on arrival. Reberry Clinic also has Myeongdong and Incheon Airport locations.
Daily sunscreen, a gentle routine, and avoiding harsh products are essential and inexpensive but vital to results. A tailored skin care routine protects your outcome between sessions and is discussed transparently, with no hidden tax added on top.
For a first session, 2 to 3 days is comfortable, covering a consultation, the procedure, and a short review in Gangnam. Since there is no airport refund step from 2026, your schedule is simpler. Our team helps coordinate timing so your trip runs smoothly 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 shield treated skin from sun. If you had a laser or booster session, your doctor advises on travel aftercare, with no VAT paperwork left to finish.
| 2016 to 2025 (refund era) | From 2026 (no refund) | Transition cases | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreigner VAT refund | Available on qualifying procedures | Ended, no refund on 2026 treatments | Only for 2025 treatments with documents |
| 10% VAT | Charged, then reclaimable | Charged and included, not reclaimable | Reclaimable if dated 2025 |
| Where you claimed | Airport or refund counter | No claim step for 2026 | Within the prior window, before departure |
| Documents needed | Passport plus refund papers | None for a refund | 2025 refund documents required |
| Effective cost | Roughly 7 to 10% lower after refund | Full VAT-inclusive price | Depends on the 2025 claim |
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