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What happens if I bring more non-controlled medicine than the personal-use allowance?

Short answer

Declare excess medicine before leaving Customs and ask whether it can be cleared with additional treatment documents or must be held for return. Incheon publishes a formal route for excess self-treatment medicine; neither a prescription nor paying duty guarantees release.

What to do
  1. Send the ingredient, quantity, value, treatment and travel dates to entry Customs before departure. Personal-use guidance refers to six bottles or the dosage for three months within the duty-free context, with ingredient exceptions.
  2. For excess self-treatment medicine valued up to US$2,000, ask Customs about the published diagnosis and provincial/city import-requirement exemption recommendation procedure. Do not assume a foreign prescription alone fulfils it.
  3. If held, keep the detention receipt. To take it out on departure, prepare that receipt, passport and boarding pass, and follow the Customs return-counter instructions; restricted items may need an additional return declaration.
  4. At Incheon, reserve at least 24 hours ahead when leaving from a different terminal. Storage is normally one month, with an extension application before expiry; storage charges apply. Confirm the charge and collection arrangement with the holding office.
Check before relying on this
  • A normal personal-use allowance is not a guarantee for every ingredient.
  • Do not assume bonded storage guarantees later recovery or refund.
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Practical procedure

Being non-controlled or prescribed does not by itself make a medicine admissible. Customs’ March 2026 Saxenda enquiry identifies ingredient-specific checks even within personal-use quantities. For weight-loss injections or any flagged/unclear ingredient, obtain MFDS and entry-Customs confirmation for the exact product; this advisory is not a blanket ban or individual clearance.

Sources and provider examples

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