At a glance: Korea's rules for sending supplements
| What to check | Rule (checked October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Personal use (gifts included) clears up to 6 bottles without a separate import approval | Korea Customs Service |
| More than 6 bottles | Needs an import approval from Korea's food and drug agency (MFDS) or a note from a doctor in Korea | Korea Customs Service |
| Tax-free amount | If item price + shipping is US$150 or less, customs duty and VAT are waived | Korea Customs Service |
| The US$200 rule for US shipments | Does not apply to supplements. US$200 is only for goods that use simplified "list clearance," and health functional foods are excluded from it | Korea Customs Service, Korea.net policy briefing |
| PCCC | The recipient needs a code in their own name. If the name or phone number doesn't match what's registered, customs can hold the package | Korea.net policy briefing |
| Banned ingredients | Blocked ingredients and products are stopped no matter the quantity or price | MFDS |
The tax-free limit is US$150, even from the US
You may have heard that "packages from the US are tax-free up to US$200" in Korea. That limit is for goods cleared through list clearance (a simplified process where only a shipping list is filed). Health functional foods such as supplements are excluded from list clearance, so they go through a regular import declaration, and the tax-free limit is US$150 no matter which country they come from.
| Clothing, accessories and other list-clearance goods | Supplements (health functional foods) | |
|---|---|---|
| How they clear | List clearance | Regular import declaration |
| Tax-free limit when sent from the US | US$200 or less | US$150 or less |
- For supplements, the US$150 limit counts the item price and shipping together.
- Go over US$150 and tax is charged on the whole amount, not just the part above the limit.
- Exchange rates can push an order close to the limit over it. Leave some room.
- Reselling goods that came in tax-free can break Korean customs law. Send only what your family will take.
If you split it into several packages, is each one counted separately?
Arriving on the same day alone doesn't mean packages get added together. Since November 17, 2022, Korea Customs has dropped the rule that combined everything with the same arrival date. Here's how it works now.
| Situation | Combined? |
|---|---|
| Items bought from different sellers arrive the same day | No |
| Items from the same seller bought on different days arrive the same day | No |
| Items bought from the same seller on the same day are split into several boxes | They can be combined |
| Separate orders are packed into one box at a package forwarder | They can be treated as one shipment |
How to check for banned ingredients
Some ingredients sold as supplements in the US are treated as drug ingredients in Korea, or can't be used in food there. Products with them are held at customs no matter the quantity or price.
How to check
- Go to MFDS's Imported Food Information Maru site (impfood.mfds.go.kr).
- Search the list of harmful foods bought overseas by product name or ingredient name (in English).
- Also check the list of ingredients banned from personal online imports on the same site (an Excel file that is updated from time to time).
- If you're not sure, ask the Korea Customs Service help center.
| Check these products carefully | Why |
|---|---|
| Melatonin or 5-HTP for sleep | Korea manages these as drug ingredients. MFDS has asked customs to hold overseas sleep products that contain them |
| Products sold for weight loss, sexual performance or muscle building | These are the categories where MFDS testing often finds blocked ingredients |
| Blends with many herbs | One blocked ingredient stops the whole product |
Ways to send: iHerb, Amazon, carrying it yourself, or a package forwarder
| Option | Pros | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| iHerb shipping to Korea | Ships to Korea regularly and goes straight to their door | The recipient's PCCC, and that their name and phone number match the registration. The order value and weight limits on iHerb's Korea shipping page |
| Amazon international shipping | You can send the exact product you use in the US | Not every product ships to Korea. Checkout may add an Import Fees Deposit |
| Carrying it on a trip to Korea | No shipping cost, and you can explain it in person | Health functional foods up to 6 bottles, within the US$800 traveler duty-free allowance together with everything else. Gifts count as personal use |
| Package forwarder | Lets you send products from US stores that don't ship to Korea | The same 6-bottle and US$150 rules apply. Several orders packed into one box can be counted together |
- Where you buy affects your risk of fakes and old stock. See Where to buy supplements for how to choose a seller.
- For both iHerb and Amazon, Korea's customs and MFDS rules come first. Don't rely only on the store's notes; check the rules above too.
- If you carry them, keeping the bottles sealed in their original packaging makes them easier to explain.
Get the PCCC in your family member's name
Supplements go through a regular import declaration, so the recipient's Personal Customs Clearance Code (PCCC) is required. It's in the name of the person receiving it in Korea, not the sender in the US.
| Step | How |
|---|---|
| Get the code | Issued on Korea Customs' UNI-PASS site (unipass.customs.go.kr) after identity verification |
| When you order | Enter the recipient's name, phone number and address exactly as registered with the code |
| If they find the verification hard | Have a family member in Korea help, or contact customs |
Supplements for parents in their 60s and 70s: what to pick
Start with the medicines and supplements they already take, not their age. Many older adults in Korea already take things like red ginseng or a multivitamin, so check for overlap first. Here are common picks and what to check.
| Supplement | Why people often choose it | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D | Older adults who spend a lot of time indoors are more likely to run low | Talk to their doctor if they have kidney disease; add up the amount in their multivitamin |
| Calcium | To support bone health | Space it apart from thyroid and osteoporosis medicines; count how much they get from food |
| Omega-3 | When they want to keep an eye on blood triglycerides | If they take warfarin or other blood thinners, check with their doctor first |
| CoQ10 | Often chosen by people taking a statin for cholesterol | Can interact with warfarin and blood pressure medicines |
| Lutein · Eye combo | To support eye health | Check overlap with a multivitamin or other eye supplement |
| Multivitamin | When meals are irregular or small | If it contains vitamin K and they take warfarin, check with their doctor |
| Magnesium | People often look for it for muscle cramps or sleep | It can build up if they have kidney disease |
- Picking one or two things they need is easier for them to take than many at once, and easier to keep within 6 bottles.
- Products that are easy to buy in Korea (like red ginseng) don't need to be sent from the US.
- Supplements don't cure or prevent disease. Avoid promising results when you give them.
Check their medicines first
People in their 60s and 70s often take several medicines. Some supplements can make a medicine stronger or weaker.
| Medicine they take | Supplements to be careful with |
|---|---|
| Warfarin and other anticoagulants | Omega-3, CoQ10, vitamin K (including in multivitamins and K2) |
| Aspirin and other antiplatelet drugs | High-dose omega-3, multivitamins high in vitamin E |
| Thyroid medicine (levothyroxine) | Calcium — take at different times |
| Osteoporosis medicine (bisphosphonates) | Calcium — take the medicine first, then wait |
| Blood pressure medicine | CoQ10, omega-3, magnesium — blood pressure may drop further |
| Being treated for kidney disease | Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium — talk to their doctor first |
Pillyo's supplement check has a "Check for a parent" mode. Answer for your parent's age, lifestyle and medicines, and it lays out suitable supplements and how to take them, and you can send them the results as a link. If they show that link and the product to their usual pharmacist or doctor in Korea, it's easier to talk it through.
English labels: always include a note in Korean
US products have English labels. Add a note in Korean so they don't have to guess how many to take each day and when. See How to read a supplement label to find the numbers on the label.
What to put in the note
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Product name (English as printed + Korean) | Vitamin D3 — the Korean name for vitamin D |
| What it's for | To support bone health |
| How many per day | Exactly the label's Serving Size (e.g. 1 a day) |
| When | After breakfast / after dinner |
| Don't take with | Take at a different time from thyroid medicine |
| Expiration date | The date on the bottle, rewritten in Korean order (year, month, day) |
| Storage | Cool place; refrigerate if the label says "Refrigerate" |
- Even better, put a Korean sticker right on the bottle. Something like "1 a day, after breakfast" in Korean is enough.
- US expiration dates are often month/year (e.g. 03/2028) or month/day/year. Rewrite them so there's no confusion.
- To match ingredient names with products they used to buy in Korea, see Korean supplements and their US equivalents.
Checklist before you send
- Get a list of their medicines and supplements → check it with "Check for a parent" in the supplement check
- Search each product on MFDS's harmful overseas food list
- Keep each shipment to 6 bottles or fewer and item price + shipping at US$150 or less
- Make sure their PCCC, name and phone number match the registration
- Don't split items bought from the same seller on the same day
- Write the dose and time in Korean for every bottle
Related supplements
Frequently asked questions
How many bottles of supplements can I send to South Korea?
For personal use (gifts included), up to 6 bottles per shipment clear without a separate import approval. More than 6 needs an MFDS import approval or a note from a doctor in Korea. Even with 6 or fewer, tax applies if the item price plus shipping is over US$150.
Isn't anything from the US tax-free up to US$200?
Not supplements. US$200 applies to goods that use list clearance, and health functional foods are excluded, so the limit is US$150 even from the US. Shipping counts toward that amount.
Whose customs code (PCCC) do I use?
The recipient's — your family member in Korea. They can get it on Korea Customs' UNI-PASS site, and the name and phone number on your order should match their registration exactly so the package clears smoothly.
Can I just pack supplements in my luggage when I visit Korea?
Yes. Travelers can bring up to 6 bottles of health functional foods, and gifts count as personal use. They still count toward the US$800 traveler duty-free allowance together with your other goods, and anything over it must be declared.
My parent has trouble sleeping. Can I send melatonin?
It's better not to. Korea manages melatonin as a drug ingredient, so it can be held at customs when bought overseas. Suggest they talk to a doctor in Korea about sleep instead.
My parent takes warfarin. Can I send omega-3?
Check with their doctor first. Taking omega-3 with warfarin may raise the risk of bleeding. CoQ10 and multivitamins with vitamin K need the same check. Try entering their medicines in "Check for a parent" in the supplement check.
Sources
- Korea Customs Service help center — Can health functional foods use list clearance? (6 bottles, import approval, US$150)
- Korea.net policy briefing (Korea Customs Service) — Checklist for overseas direct purchases (Jan 8, 2026)
- Korea.net policy briefing — How to buy overseas the right way (US$150 for goods excluded from list clearance, PCCC; Nov 16, 2023)
- Korea Customs Service press release — Overseas purchases no longer combined just for arriving on the same day (Nov 16, 2022)
- Incheon Main Customs — Arrival guide (traveler duty-free allowance, 6 bottles of health functional foods)
- Korea Customs UNI-PASS — Personal Customs Clearance Code (PCCC)
- MFDS Imported Food Information Maru — List of harmful foods bought overseas
- MFDS Imported Food Information Maru — Notes on personal online imports (banned ingredient list)
- Korea.net policy briefing (MFDS) — Check ingredients before buying food overseas (Jun 5, 2024)
- Medical Daily (Korea) — Melatonin and 5-HTP found in overseas sleep products, customs hold requested (Jul 2, 2026)
- iHerb — Shipping to Korea (customs information)
- Amazon — International Shipping Terms & Conditions (Import Fees Deposit)
- NIH ODS — Omega-3 Fatty Acids Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
- NIH ODS — Vitamin K Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
- NIH ODS — Calcium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Last updated 2026-10-26