Carrying Cash on a Korea Casino Trip: How Much Must Be Declared to Customs

This guide was written for travelers departing from Japan. Rules and procedures may differ for other countries.

Some people bring a large amount of cash when they visit a casino in Korea. Both Japan and Korea require travelers to declare cash and similar items above a certain amount to customs when leaving or entering the country.

Based on guidance on the official websites of Japan Customs and the Korea Customs Service, this article summarizes the amounts that require a declaration and the procedures. The information was confirmed on September 29, 2026. Rules may change, so please also check each official website before your trip. This article explains the rules in general; for individual cases, please ask customs.

The short answer: amounts that trigger a declaration

In both countries, the threshold is based on the total amount, including not only cash but also checks and similar items. Japan Customs' FAQ explains that even when a group carries money together, if it is clear whose money is whose, each person is treated as carrying their own share.

Japan Customs: amounts over the equivalent of JPY 1,000,000

According to Japan Customs, you must make a declaration when you take out or bring in a combined total of the following that exceeds the equivalent of JPY 1,000,000.

• Cash (Japanese yen and foreign currencies)
• Checks and promissory notes
• Securities such as stock certificates and government bonds

Gold bullion with a purity of 90% or more and weighing more than 1 kg must also be declared.

The declaration is made on the declaration form for carrying means of payment (in Japanese: 支払手段等の携帯輸出・輸入申告書). This is a separate form from the declaration of personal effects you submit when returning to Japan. When leaving Japan, submit it at the customs office at the airport or at the departure counter; when returning, submit it during the customs inspection.

Japan Customs' FAQ states that failing to declare may result in imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to JPY 10,000,000 under the Customs Act.

Entering Korea: amounts over the equivalent of USD 10,000

According to the Korea Customs Service, if you enter Korea with a combined total of foreign currency, Korean won, checks, etc. exceeding the equivalent of USD 10,000, you must declare it to customs. If the total is the equivalent of USD 10,000 or less, no declaration or permission is needed.

To declare, mark "Yes" in the relevant box of the Traveler's Customs Declaration form you submit on arrival, write the amount, and hand the form to a customs officer. You will then receive a document confirming your foreign currency declaration (a declaration certificate). The Korea Customs Service's English guidance states that this certificate cannot be issued after you have completed entry procedures.

You may need this certificate when you leave Korea or when you exchange money at a casino. The Seven Luck Casino official website says that exchanges exceeding the equivalent of USD 20,000 require the foreign exchange declaration certificate issued at entry. For details, see Chips and Currency Exchange at Korean Casinos.

Leaving Korea: the rules depend on where the money came from

According to the Korea Customs Service, non-residents of Korea (such as travelers) do not need to declare when leaving if the total is the equivalent of USD 10,000 or less. If it exceeds the equivalent of USD 10,000, the guidance is as follows.

The Korea Customs Service's guidance does not specify what counts as proof of money obtained at a casino. The documents you receive when exchanging money back may differ by casino, so this needs to be checked on site at the casino's exchange counter. Keep exchange receipts and similar documents until you are back home.

According to the guidance, taking money out or bringing it in without declaring it may result in an administrative fine if the amount in violation is USD 30,000 or less. If it exceeds USD 30,000, it may result in imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to KRW 100,000,000 (or, if three times the amount in violation exceeds KRW 100,000,000, a fine of up to three times that amount).

Taxes after returning to Japan

Japan's National Tax Agency defines "occasional income" as one-time income that does not arise from continuous for-profit activity and is not payment for labor or for the sale of assets. Examples it gives include prize money and prizes from sweepstakes and lotteries, and payouts from horse racing and bicycle racing.

According to the agency, occasional income is calculated as "total income − expenses paid to earn that income − special deduction (up to JPY 500,000)," and half of the result is added to your other income. Expenses are limited to amounts directly required to earn that income.

However, we could not find any guidance in which the National Tax Agency explicitly addresses money obtained at overseas casinos. Whether you need to file depends on your individual situation, so please consult a tax office or a tax accountant.

What to check before you leave

• Whether the total cash, etc. you are carrying exceeds the equivalent of JPY 1,000,000 (Japan) or USD 10,000 (Korea)
• If it does, declare it both when leaving Japan and when entering Korea, and keep the declaration certificate you receive in Korea
• Keep receipts for exchanges and re-exchanges at the casino until you are back home
• Decide before you leave how you will pay locally, so you do not need to carry large amounts of cash

Summary

The declaration thresholds are the equivalent of JPY 1,000,000 when leaving or entering Japan, and the equivalent of USD 10,000 when entering or leaving Korea. When taking money out of Korea, you may need the declaration certificate from your entry or proof of re-exchange at a casino.

How to buy chips and exchange money is covered in Chips and Currency Exchange at Korean Casinos, how to split your budget in How Much Budget Do You Need for a Korean Casino Trip?, and how entry works in Your First Visit to a Korean Casino: A Beginner's Guide.