Parcel forwarding from France to South Korea: prices, delays, customs
French beauty, French fashion, French vintage: Korea buys all three enthusiastically, and French sellers ship almost none of it there. Here's how the price of closing that gap is built — plus the one thing Korean customs will ask you for that no other country does.
Vinted has no Korean version. Leboncoin never left France. And while some French beauty and fashion brands do ship to Korea, plenty don't — or price it so that a single order costs more in shipping than in goods. For a buyer in Seoul or Busan, the French market is visible on every screen and closed at every checkout.
This guide explains where the price of a shipment comes from, how to bring it down, and what awaits you on arrival. The exact price of your own parcel is calculated live on our estimator, from its weight and size.
Two ways to get a parcel to you
You order yourself. On French sites that accept your card, you enter your FrenchShopper address at checkout. To the shop you're a French customer; the parcel lands at our warehouse, and we handle the export.
We buy for you. On Vinted, Leboncoin, and any seller who only ships within France or rejects a Korean card, you send us the link. We check, quote, and once you've paid, buy with our own French account and card. The details are here.
Either way, your items wait free for 45 days in our warehouse so you can gather several — and leave together in one box.
How the shipping price is built
Our price covers transport, packaging and insurance, and it depends on the weight and size of the box. Carriers charge on the higher of actual and volumetric weight, so a big half-empty box is billed as if it were full. We don't have a favourite carrier — we pick the cheapest one for each parcel, and for Korea that can flip from one carrier to another as the box gets bigger. You see every offer, with its price and its delivery time, before you pay — and you can estimate your parcel before you order anything.
The parcel size that makes sense
Up to about five kilos, Korea is priced like Japan: reasonable for the distance. Past that, the grid climbs — less brutally than for Japan, but the mid-size box remains the sweet spot. Aim for the 40 × 30 × 20 box, filled: three to five garments, a bag, a few beauty products. Use the 45 free days of storage to get there. And if your finds add up past five kilos, ask us — two mid-size parcels sometimes beat one large one, and we'll say so when quoting.
The delivery times we see
On our measurements, Colissimo International shows delivery eight days after handover; Chronopost and FedEx express options show six. Customs clearance is included. Each offer displays its own time before you pay.
What the Korea Customs Service collects — and the code it needs
A parcel from France is an import. Above a value threshold, the Korea Customs Service assesses VAT, and duty where the goods call for it, on the declared value of your items. The carrier pays these on your behalf and collects them at delivery, usually with a handling fee. Thresholds and rates change: check the Korea Customs Service's current guidance before a large order.
The personal customs clearance code
Korea is the one country we serve that asks the recipient for something: a personal customs clearance code (개인통관고유부호), issued free by the Korea Customs Service to individuals who receive imports. Carriers usually require it to clear a parcel addressed to a private person, and a missing code is the most common reason a parcel to Korea sits in customs. Get yours before you order — it takes a few minutes online — and give it to us with your delivery address. We'll put it on the shipment.
What we do, and what we don't
- We declare the real value of your items, from your invoices. It's the law, and it's what protects you: our insurance covers the declared value.
- We never under-declare, even on request.
- VAT, duty and handling fees are never in our price. They depend on Korea, not on us — and can only be known on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
What is the personal customs clearance code, and do I need one?
It's the code the Korea Customs Service issues to individuals for imports — 개인통관고유부호. Carriers usually ask for it to clear a parcel addressed to a private person. You get it free from the Korea Customs Service, and we'll put it on the shipment if you give it to us.
Are Korean VAT and duties included in your price?
No — they can't be. The Korea Customs Service assesses VAT, and duty where it applies, on the declared value when the parcel arrives, and the carrier collects them at delivery with a handling fee. Our price covers transport, packaging and insurance, never Korean taxes.
How long does a parcel from France to South Korea take?
On our measurements, about eight days with Colissimo International, the cheapest option at lower weights, and six with the express carriers — customs clearance included. Each offer shows its own time before you pay.
Does French Vinted ship to South Korea?
No. Vinted has no Korean version and French sellers almost never ship outside France. For anything on Vinted or Leboncoin, we buy it for you with our French account, then ship it with the rest of your finds.
