Temporary Importation of your motorcycle into Korea

[Edd]

Temporary Importation of your motorcycle into Incheon airport, South Korea
you have two choices: use a broker or do it yourself.

Broker:
Before you arrive send copies of your your registration, international license and passport to wendychoi2@gmail.com and have her do the temporary customs clearance for US$100. (plus insurance)

Yourself:
you will need proof of (Korean) insurance, temporary import bond, and paper work.

i was given this address for motorcycle insurance <samsungfire.com> before you arrive send an email to Jinhee (Carrie) Park (siberiainlove@yahoo.com), she will sell you Korean insurance for as long (or short) as you need, it is possible to buy just two days if you want. she will send you a copy of your policy through your email.

there is a computer (with internet & printer) in the customs office should you need to use it.

before you head to the customs office, ensure that you have your way bill papers (photo copy is sufficient) insurance policy (photo copy/ email print out is sufficient), international drivers license, registration, and passport.

the customs office is located on B1 in the main passenger building of the international passenger building. level 3 is departures, level 2 offices, level 1 arrivals, level B1 parking and restaurants. look for the signs "Customs Baggage Clearance", the office is on the far right side of the building on B1 level, directly bellow aisle A on level 3. you see double doors and a corridor, head straight, then there is a corridor to the right, turn right, half way down, the customs office is on the left, head on in. office is open on sunday, but nothing will get done until monday, office opens at 9am. ask for Mrs. Shin, she has helped me, and Doggle, she knows what needs to happen. her desk is hidden behind the little wall on the left of the customs office, she doesnt deal with the importation part, but will assist you through the process.
customs will try and tell you (insist) that you need a broker, they insisted at least three times, i said that i will do it myself, eventually they stopped asking.

first is insurance: inform Mrs. Shin that you have your korean insurance print out/ policy, and your passport, international license, registration.

next is bond: she tried to tell me that i need to put a deposit of W1,620,000, to which i declined, and said that its possible to buy import bond (or something like that) for around US$200. if you had a korean bank account, it is possible to get all your money back, but that was more time and effort then i care to do. i ended up paying W160,000 to the non customs official in the office, i didnt get a receipt, but i was happy not to ask for one.

last is paper work: the customs do all the paper work, they tell you to go for lunch for about an hour. i got the feeling that they didnt want to do the paper work, hence insisting that i get a broker.

i arrived at 9am, and was finished by 2pm (getting insurance cost me over 2hrs)

when everything is finished at the customs office, you have all your papers and are ready to leave, take the elevator to level 3 (departures), outside door "3" is a free shuttle bus to the cargo buildings. there are three cargo buildings A, B, and C. make sure you know where you are going. my bike arrived with korean air, which is cargo building A. Mrs. Shin escorted me to the bus stop, and told the driver where i wanted to go (she really is HUGE help).

the first smaller building was nothing, the larger cargo building behind is where you want to go, inside the office part first, long row of desks.. there was a young guy who spoke decent english that escorted me over to the cargo admin office to pay some fees and receive my bike. i paid W61,270 and they gave me my bike. ensure that they return your original import form issued from the customs office.

IMPORTANT: the last ferry to leave the island is 6:30pm..... if you miss it. go to a police station, and see if they will assist you in finding a truck to put your bike in to get you over the bridge, cost you around W50,000

the length of your temporary importation will be based on how many days your temporary insurance is.


which option is better?
as with everything in life, you need to decide which you have more of, time, money, or effort.

as you can see, i choose to do it myself, but with the ferry leaving tuesday morning for zarubino, there were a few moments that i was wondering if i made the right choice....

(i have no connection to the Jinhee (Carrie) Park or Mrs. Shin, only that i dealt with them while i was temporary importing my motorcycle. i have since asked both of them for permission to pass on their names and or contact details for others that might need their help)