Shipping from Korea to Hong Kong in 2026: Free Port, Duties, Banned Items

Hong Kong is a free port. It charges no customs tariff on imports and has no VAT or general sales tax, so most parcels from Korea arrive with nothing to pay to the government. The only goods that carry duty are four "dutiable commodities": liquor above 30% alcohol, tobacco, certain hydrocarbon oils and methyl alcohol. What still needs care is a list of controlled and banned items, such as e-cigarettes, medicines and meat.

This guide covers what is taxed, how liquor duty works, which Korean products are restricted, the import declaration rule most people have never heard of, and when a purchasing agent helps.

Item	Value as of October 15, 2026
Customs tariff	None
VAT or general sales tax	None
Dutiable commodities	Liquor over 30% alcohol, tobacco, certain hydrocarbon oil, methyl alcohol
Liquor up to 30% alcohol (except wine)	0% duty
Wine	0% duty
Liquor over 30%, bottle up to 1 liter	100% on the first HK$200 of value, 10% on the rest
Cigarettes	HK$3,306 per 1,000 sticks
E-cigarettes and other alternative smoking products	Import prohibited
Postal packets exempt from import declaration	Contents valued under HK$4,000
HaulKorea to Hong Kong	Recipient pays any local duty or charges

This is general information, not legal advice. The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) decides how each parcel is treated.

Do you pay customs on a package from Korea to Hong Kong?

For almost all Korean shopping, no.

Hong Kong's Customs and Excise Department says the HKSAR is a free port that imposes no customs tariff on imports or exports, with no tariff quota, surcharge, value added tax or general services tax. The Trade and Industry Department describes the same free trade policy. The government's Legal Hub site lists the absence of sales tax and VAT among Hong Kong's tax features.

C&ED's cargo clearance FAQ says imports into Hong Kong are generally tax-free, with two exceptions:

1. Motor vehicles, which are subject to First Registration Tax.
2. Four dutiable commodities: liquors, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol.

So skincare, makeup, clothing, shoes, K-pop albums, books, stationery and snacks carry no import duty and no VAT. That is a big difference from the EU, the UK or Australia.

What you may still pay. Hong Kong's free port status covers government taxes. Your courier's own delivery or handling charges, if any, are a separate matter between you and the courier. Check the courier's terms.

What are Hong Kong's dutiable commodities?

C&ED lists four types of dutiable commodities and the current rates on its rates page:

Commodity	Duty
Liquor over 30% alcohol by volume at 20°C	100% on the first HK$200 of value per bottle up to 1 liter, 10% on the remainder
Liquor up to 30% alcohol, other than wine	0%
Wine	0%
Cigarettes	HK$3,306 per 1,000 sticks
Cigars	HK$4,258 per kg
Chinese prepared tobacco	HK$811 per kg
Other manufactured tobacco	HK$4,005 per kg
Hydrocarbon oils (fuel)	Per-liter rates, by type
Methyl alcohol	HK$840 per hectoliter, plus HK$28.10 per hectoliter for each 1% above 30% strength

For bottles over 1 liter of strong liquor, C&ED assesses duty on the value per liter and then multiplies by the number of liters.

Licences. C&ED says importing dutiable commodities requires a licence from the department, and removal permits are also needed. Zero-rated liquors are the exception: no licence or permit is needed to import, export or remove them.

Penalties. C&ED says importing, exporting, storing or manufacturing dutiable commodities without the relevant licence can lead to prosecution, with a maximum penalty of HK$1,000,000 and two years' imprisonment.

How much duty is charged on Korean liquor?

What matters is the alcohol strength printed on the label, not the name of the drink.

Label shows	Category	Duty in Hong Kong
Soju, makgeolli or other liquor at 30% or less	Liquor up to 30%	0%
A product classed as wine	Wine	0%
Any spirit over 30%	Liquor over 30%	100% on first HK$200, 10% on rest

Check the strength on the label before ordering. Korean distilled spirits come in a range of strengths, and the 30% line decides the duty.

Worked example. A 700 ml bottle of Korean spirit at 40% alcohol, valued at HK$300:

1. Duty on the first HK$200: 100% = HK$200.
2. Duty on the remaining HK$100: 10% = HK$10.
3. Total duty: HK$210.

Why ask before ordering any alcohol. Even when the duty is 0%, alcohol is limited by air transport and carrier rules. Carriers set their own limits on alcohol. See what you cannot ship from Korea and ask us before ordering.

Is a parcel treated differently from goods you carry home?

Yes, for dutiable goods. C&ED's duty-free concessions are written for arriving passengers, not for parcels.

Passenger concession (age 18 or over)	Allowance
Liquor above 30% alcohol	1 liter
Cigarettes	19 sticks
Cigars	1 cigar, or 25 grams of cigars
Other manufactured tobacco	25 grams

Hong Kong Identity Card holders must have spent at least 24 hours outside Hong Kong to use these allowances, and cross-boundary drivers are not eligible. C&ED also says there are no duty-free concessions for dutiable goods carried for trade or business.

If you fly back from Seoul with one bottle of strong Korean spirit, the passenger allowance can cover it. The same bottle sent in a parcel has no allowance and falls under the normal duty and licence rules described above. For everything that is not dutiable, such as skincare, clothes and albums, there is no difference: neither route pays duty.

Which Korean products are banned or controlled in Hong Kong?

Tax is simple. Controlled goods are where Hong Kong parcels run into trouble. C&ED's list of controlled imports names the authority responsible for each category. These are the ones most likely to touch a Korean order.

E-cigarettes, heated tobacco and other alternative smoking products. C&ED lists importing smokeless tobacco and alternative smoking products as prohibited. Do not order Korean e-cigarettes, heated tobacco devices, sticks or liquids.

Tobacco. Dutiable and licensed. C&ED says penalties for duty-not-paid tobacco were strengthened from September 19, 2025, and the compoundable penalty for failing to declare dutiable goods to customs officers went from HK$2,000 to HK$5,000.

Medicines. C&ED lists pharmaceutical products and medicines as needing a licence from the Department of Health. Chinese herbal medicines and proprietary Chinese medicines also need an import licence. Ask before ordering anything sold as a medicine or herbal remedy, including ginseng preparations.

Meat, poultry and eggs. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department controls these. Frozen or chilled meat and poultry need an import licence for each consignment, and health certificates are encouraged or required for other items. Ramyeon itself is a processed food, but meat snacks and jerky are a risk. Ask before ordering.

Mercury-added cosmetics. C&ED's list says mercury-added products, such as cosmetics with more than 1 ppm of mercury, are prohibited. Be careful with unbranded whitening creams from unknown sellers.

Radio transmitting equipment. Needs an import permit from the Office of the Communications Authority unless the importer holds a radio dealer's licence. Ask before ordering unusual radio devices such as transmitters or walkie-talkies.

Weapons. Prohibited weapons such as knuckledusters and gravity knives are banned. C&ED's firearms category also includes stun guns and dog-repellent aerosols.

Plants, seeds and soil. Need a licence or authorization in advance from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

Endangered species. Products made from protected animals and plants need a licence for each shipment.

Product	Hong Kong rule	Our advice
Skincare and makeup	No duty, no VAT	Usually straightforward
Clothing, shoes, bags	No duty, no VAT	Usually straightforward
K-pop albums and merch	No duty, no VAT	Usually straightforward
Soju, makgeolli	0% duty under 30% alcohol	Carrier limits apply, ask first
Spirits over 30%	Duty plus licence rules	Ask before ordering
E-cigarettes, heated tobacco	Import prohibited	Do not order
Medicines, ginseng sold as medicine	Department of Health licence	Ask before ordering
Meat snacks, jerky	Food safety controls	Ask before ordering
Items with batteries, perfume, sprays	Air transport limits	Ask before ordering

Do you need to file an import declaration?

This is the rule most Hong Kong shoppers never hear about.

Under the Import and Export (Registration) Regulations, an import declaration must be lodged within 14 days of importing any article that is not exempt. The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) says this applies to personal articles too, including articles bought directly from overseas through the internet, unless they are exempted articles.

The good news is that common consumer cases are exempt. C&SD's list of exempted articles includes:

Exempted article	Condition
Postal packets	Contents valued at less than HK$4,000
Personal baggage	Not for trade or business, not motor vehicles
Personal gifts	No payment made or to be made by the receiver

What this means for you:

1. A parcel sent by post with contents worth under HK$4,000 is exempt from the declaration.
2. A parcel above that value, or one sent by courier, may not fall under the postal exemption. Ask the courier how it handles the declaration.
3. Declarations are filed electronically through government-appointed service providers, and a declaration charge applies, capped at HK$200 according to C&SD.
4. C&SD says late lodgement leads to a late lodgement charge and possible prosecution.
5. Even when an article is exempt, the Commissioner can ask for proof.

C&SD counts the 14 days from the day after importation, including public holidays. If day 14 falls on a public holiday or a gale or black rainstorm warning day, the deadline moves to the next day.

A purchase from a Korean store is not a gift, even if you send it to a friend. The gift exemption needs no payment by the receiver.

Is Hong Kong cheaper for Korean shopping than other places?

On government charges, yes. Compare the main costs a buyer pays after the goods leave Korea:

	Hong Kong	Germany, France, Netherlands (2026)
Customs duty on skincare or clothing	None	€3 per item category up to €150
VAT or sales tax	None	19% in Germany, 20% in France, 21% in the Netherlands (standard rates)
Carrier clearance fee	Depends on courier	Often charged

In the EU, by contrast, VAT applies from the first euro and a flat €3 duty per item category applies to parcels up to €150. Prices in Korea and shipping costs are a separate question, so compare the full landed price before deciding.

Purchasing agent or package forwarder: what changes for Hong Kong?

First, check whether the brand ships to Hong Kong itself. Some Korean beauty and fashion brands run global sites, so check before using any service.

Many Korean shops sell only inside Korea. Stores such as Musinsa, Coupang and Naver Smart Store often need a Korean phone number for 본인인증 (bon-in injeung, identity verification) or a Korean card. Secondhand marketplaces like Bunjang and resale platforms like KREAM are also built for Korean users.

	Buy direct	You buy, we ship (package forwarding)	We buy for you (HaulKorea)
Who orders from the Korean store	You	You	We do, from your product link
Korean phone, card or language	Often needed	Often needed	Not needed
Hong Kong duty on everyday goods	None	None	None
Checking banned items before buying	Your job	Your job	We check and ask you
Combine several stores	No	Yes	Yes
Photos before shipping	No	Sometimes	Yes

For Hong Kong, tax rarely changes the decision, because everyday goods are duty-free. HaulKorea ships duty unpaid to every country, so for Hong Kong the recipient pays any local duty or charges, which for most orders is nothing. What an agent changes is access and checking. We buy from stores that need Korean verification, and we flag items such as e-cigarette parts, medicines or strong liquor before you pay.

More: purchasing agent vs package forwarding.

How do you order from Korea to Hong Kong through HaulKorea?

1. Find the item on a Korean site, such as Olive Young or Weverse Shop, and copy the product link.
2. Send us the link with the size, color or option you want.
3. We show one total for the item and international shipping before you pay.
4. Pay once with PayPal. If the actual weight is lower than estimated, we refund the shipping difference. We never ask for extra payment.
5. We buy the items and can combine orders from several stores into one box. See combining orders.
6. You get inspection photos before the box leaves Korea.
7. Receive the parcel. For everyday goods, there is no Hong Kong duty or VAT to pay.

How can Hong Kong buyers avoid problems?

Leave e-cigarettes out completely. They are prohibited, not just taxed.

Check alcohol strength. Under 30% is 0% duty. Over 30% means duty and licence rules.

Ask about health products. Ginseng products, supplements and medicines can fall under Department of Health licensing.

Keep receipts. If a parcel is checked, or a declaration is needed, the receipt shows what was bought and for how much.

Know the HK$4,000 postal line. Postal parcels with contents under HK$4,000 are exempt from the import declaration.

For a nearby destination, see our guide for Taiwan.

FAQ

Do I pay import tax on a package from Korea to Hong Kong?

Usually not. Hong Kong is a free port with no customs tariff, no VAT and no general sales tax. Duty applies only to liquor over 30% alcohol, tobacco, certain hydrocarbon oils and methyl alcohol.

Is there duty on Korean soju in Hong Kong?

Liquor up to 30% alcohol, other than wine, has a 0% duty rate, and wine is also 0%. Check the strength on the label, and ask first, because carriers limit alcohol shipments.

How is duty on strong liquor calculated?

For liquor over 30% alcohol in a bottle up to 1 liter, duty is 100% of the first HK$200 of value and 10% of the rest. A HK$300 bottle pays HK$210.

Can I order e-cigarettes from Korea to Hong Kong?

No. Hong Kong prohibits importing alternative smoking products, which include e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and smokeless tobacco.

Do I need to file an import declaration for an online purchase?

Personal articles bought online need a declaration within 14 days unless exempt. Postal packets with contents worth less than HK$4,000 are exempt. For courier parcels, ask the courier how the declaration is handled.

Can I bring in Korean medicines or ginseng products?

Pharmaceutical products, medicines and Chinese medicines need a licence from the Department of Health. Ask before ordering any product sold as medicine.

Is strong Korean liquor duty-free if I carry it home instead?

Arriving passengers aged 18 or over can bring in 1 liter of liquor above 30% alcohol duty-free. Hong Kong Identity Card holders must have been outside Hong Kong for at least 24 hours. Parcels do not get this allowance.

Does HaulKorea include Hong Kong taxes in the price?

There are usually none to include. For the rare item that carries duty, the recipient pays it locally. HaulKorea ships duty unpaid to every country, including the US.