Korea Certificate of Origin: General vs FTA, Who Issues It
RU Статья пока только на английском.
Сайт на русскомContents · 5 sections
A Korea certificate of origin comes in three forms.
A general (non-preferential) certificate, issued by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, simply proves Korean origin; preferential proof of origin under a free trade agreement is either issued by an authority (customs or a chamber of commerce) or self-declared by the exporter, depending on the agreement.
Which one you need depends on the destination, whether a preferential duty rate applies, and what the buyer or letter of credit asks for.
Hong Kong, for example, charges no duty on cosmetics and has no FTA with Korea, so no preferential certificate is needed to import there. Ship to a market that does charge duty without the right FTA proof, and your buyer pays the full rate.
Korea certificate of origin types compared
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Item | General (non-preferential) certificate | FTA certificate issued by an authority | FTA self-declaration of origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Proving origin (L/C terms, buyer requests, destination rules) | Claiming FTA preferential duty | Claiming FTA preferential duty |
| Legal basis | Foreign Trade Act Enforcement Decree, Art. 66 and Art. 91(10) | FTA Customs Act Enforcement Rule, Art. 7(1) and Art. 8 | FTA Customs Act Enforcement Rule, Art. 7(2) |
| Who issues or writes it | Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other delegated bodies | Customs, chambers of commerce and other designated issuing bodies | The exporter or producer (and under some agreements the importer) |
| Example agreements | Not tied to any agreement | Singapore, ASEAN, India, Vietnam, China, Indonesia | United States, Chile, Peru, Canada, Colombia, New Zealand, Türkiye |
| Conditions | - | Apply before shipment is completed | EU and UK: above EUR 6,000 only approved exporters may declare |
| Agreements allowing both | - | Australia, RCEP | Australia, RCEP |
| Fee | Set by the issuing body | Up to KRW 7,000 per certificate, set by the issuing body | None |
The agreement split follows Article 7 of Korea’s Enforcement Rule of the Act on Special Cases of the Customs Act for the Implementation of FTAs1. Agreements are added and amended over time, so confirm the current method before each new market.
General (non-preferential) certificate
Article 66 of the Foreign Trade Act Enforcement Decree2 sets the issuing criteria and application procedure for certificates of origin for exported goods, and Article 91(10) delegates issuance to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other designated bodies.
Exporters apply online through the chamber’s trade certification service. Under the same decree a certificate is valid for one year unless a treaty or agreement provides otherwise.
It does not reduce any duty, but it is the document to provide when a letter of credit calls for a certificate of origin or the destination requires proof of origin.
FTA certificate issued by an authority
Under authority-issued agreements, the exporter applies to an issuing body, which checks origin and issues the certificate. For Korean-origin goods the issuing bodies are customs, the Free Trade Zone administration (for companies located in a zone) and the chambers of commerce (Enforcement Rule Art. 8).
The application, with supporting origin statements, must be filed before shipment of the goods is completed (Art. 10), and the fee is set by the issuing body at up to KRW 7,000 per certificate (Art. 16).
FTA self-declaration of origin
Under self-declaration agreements, the exporter or producer declares origin using the form or wording the agreement prescribes.
Under the Korea–EU and Korea–UK agreements the origin declaration is written on the commercial invoice or similar document, but where a consignment’s total value exceeds EUR 6,000 only an exporter authorised by Korea Customs as an approved exporter may make it.
RCEP accepts declarations by approved exporters, and for trade with Australia, Japan and New Zealand also allows declarations by exporters and producers.
Self-declaration is free and fast, but responsibility for the origin decision sits with the exporter. Keep the evidence that the product meets the agreement’s origin rule, such as a change of tariff classification or a value-added threshold, and be ready to provide it if the importing country’s customs asks for verification.
What to prepare when exporting cosmetics
- To a market that charges duty: check the FTA’s method and, if it is authority-issued, apply before shipment. The origin decision depends on the HS code, so settle the HS code for cosmetics first.
- To a market with no duty, such as Hong Kong: no FTA certificate is needed, but provide a general certificate if the buyer or the letter of credit asks for one.
- If the exporter is a distributor rather than the manufacturer: the origin evidence has to come from the brand or factory, so confirm in advance that they will supply it.
To see where the certificate fits in the overall process, read how to export cosmetics from Korea.
Related reading: How to export cosmetics from Korea · HS codes for cosmetics
Site pages: Services · FAQ · Contact us
See also: Export documents checklist
Notes
-
Korea’s Ministry of Government Legislation, 자유무역협정의이행을위한관세법의특례에관한법률시행규칙, verified 2026-10-25. ↩
-
Korea’s Ministry of Government Legislation, 대외무역법시행령, verified 2026-10-25. ↩