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International mail

EMS Service Guide

Definition
The Express Mail Service or EMS is the fastest and safest international postal service for urgent letter, document, parcel, etc. upon special agreements between Korea Post under the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and official postal operators in a foreign country.
Major Features
Reliability
  • EMS delivers an international mail item, such as letter, document, parcel, in a fastest and safest manner as it tenders those items in accordance with special agreements between Korea Post under the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and official postal operators in a foreign country.
Speed
  • For items not subject to customs formalities of destination country (e.g. documents), it only takes 1-2 days for neighboring countries (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.) and 2-5 days for other countries, provided that the item is accepted in the morning at a post office in Seoul.
Tracking
  • EMS has an international computerized mail-tracking network connecting with 59 countries (U.S., Japan, U.K., Hong Kong, etc. with the list to be extended), which enables real-time tracking for an EMS item destined to those countries. Filing an inquiry via e-mail or facsimile is also available.
EMS item tracking website
Type
Contracted Service
  • Collection and dispatch of EMS items upon a service contract between customer and post office
On-demand Service
  • Dispatch of outbound EMS items on demand by customer at designated post office & Delivery of inbound EMS items tendered same as domestic express mail items
Service-available Contents
Letters, documents, gifts, merchandises can be sent via EMS up to 30 kg. Some countries, however, such as Argentina and Bangladesh, set weight limit under 20 kg. For more details such as country-specific prohibited items, please contact a nearby post office.
  • Official Communications
  • Commercial Papers
  • Computer Data
  • Business Samples
  • Magnetic Tape
  • Microfilm
  • Merchandise (prohibited in some countries)
Prohibited Contents
Items including those in the list below are not accepted as a EMS item.
  • Coins, bank notes
  • Money remittances
  • Negotiable articles
  • Prohibited articles defined by UPU
  • Articles that may cause danger during handling process or damage/contamination to other items
  • Drugs or psychotropic substances
  • Explosive or flammable substances or other dangerous materials (paint, ink, etc.)
  • Obscene or nefarious articles
  • Processed or non-processed gold, silver, platinum, jewelry, etc.
  • Any contents prohibited by destination country for import
  • Perishable food
  • Animals and plants (Pine mushrooms, etc.)
Mailing
Customers can submit an EMS item after completing address label with necessary information including sender, addressee, address, name, contact number, contents, quantity, value.
K-Packet Postage Discounts
Available with 101 countries (as of 2014) - Items bounded for countries not available with EMS can use EMS Premium service.
Special Features
Special features for EMS
  • Advice of delivery
  • Insurance
Delivery Standards
For documents not subject to customer clearance, delivery takes 3-4 days to cities with direct flight (LA, Tokyo, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, etc.) and 4-6 days to other regions and countries
One more day for the following items:
  • Bounded for other areas than a city where an Office of Exchange belongs to
  • Submitted at a post office in islands or mountainous & remote areas (more days required to be delivered to Incheon IPO)
  • Subject to customs clearance at destination country (Days will be added for customs inspection)
Documentations
Business documents or printed matter must accompany an address label for documents (bar code reference starting with EE) with customs declaration form called CN 22.
Merchandises must accompany an address label for goods (bar code reference starting with EM) with customs declaration form called CN 23.
For swift customs clearance, import or export items for commercial purposes should attach the following documents enclosed in an envelope, for reference of customs authorities.
  • Commercial invoice (including company name, address, contents, value)
  • Documents for trade (such as license of import/export, quarantine certificate, proof of origin)

For more details (terms and conditions such as size, price, weight/customs formalities, tracking or inquiry), please contact (+82) 1588 1300.