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Korean Airport Immigration and Customs Phrases: What to Say When You Land
Level
A1
Type
phrase
Theme
Travel
작성자
Y
작성시각
Immigration officers at Korean airports tend to ask the same short, predictable set of questions. A handful of phrases cover most of what comes up before the passport gets stamped.
At the Immigration Counter
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
여행 목적이 뭐예요? | yeo-haeng mok-jjeo-gi mwo-ye-yo | What's the purpose of your trip? |
관광이에요 | gwan-gwang-i-e-yo | It's for tourism |
여행 목적이 뭐예요? is one of the first questions foreign arrivals hear at the counter. Most travelers can answer with a single word rather than a full sentence: 관광이에요 covers a tourism visit, while 출장이에요 (business trip) or 유학이에요 (studying abroad) cover the other common reasons.
How Long and Where
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
며칠 계세요? | myeo-chil gye-se-yo | How many days are you staying? |
어디서 묵으세요? | eo-di-seo mu-geu-se-yo | Where are you staying? |
며칠 계세요? asks for the length of stay. A number of days or a return date both work as an answer. For 어디서 묵으세요?, which asks about lodging, having a hotel name or address ready on your phone screen moves this step along faster than explaining it out loud.
Filling Out the Arrival Card
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
입국 신고서 | ip-kkuk sin-go-seo | arrival card |
여권 보여주세요 | yeo-gwon bo-yeo-ju-se-yo | Please show your passport |
입국 신고서 is the paper form some travelers still fill out before reaching the counter. Many arrivals now skip that step entirely by submitting an e-Arrival Card online in advance. When an officer says 여권 보여주세요 while holding out a hand, the passport photo page is usually all that's needed.
At Customs
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
신고할 물건 있어요? | sin-go-hal mul-geon i-sseo-yo | Do you have anything to declare? |
없어요 | eop-sseo-yo | No, I don't |
At the customs line after baggage claim, 신고할 물건 있어요? asks about items like large amounts of cash, alcohol over the duty-free limit, or food items that need declaring. For most travelers carrying ordinary luggage, 없어요 is both the honest answer and the shortest one.
If Something Goes Wrong
Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
짐이 안 나왔어요 | ji-mi an na-wa-sseo-yo | My luggage didn't come out |
분실물 신고는 어디서 해요? | bun-sil-mul sin-go-neun eo-di-seo hae-yo | Where do I report a lost item? |
If the baggage carousel stops turning and your suitcase never showed up, 짐이 안 나왔어요 covers that moment. 분실물 신고는 어디서 해요? points you toward the airline's baggage service counter, usually near the arrival hall, where the paperwork gets filed.
That covers the main phrases you'll actually need between landing and leaving the terminal.