Chemical Import Report and Chemical Confirmation Statement — Order of Filing the Import Report for Human and Environmental Hazardous Substances and the MSDS

Procedure

1. 1. Obtain the component statement and identify the substances

   Obtain from the overseas manufacturer or exporter a component statement listing the chemical names, contents and CAS numbers of the substances in the imported product. If the manufacturer refuses to disclose components as a trade secret, confirmation can be made with chemical confirmation documents provided by the manufacturer, the exporter or a person entrusted with the confirmation (Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Article 2(1)). With these materials, check whether the components are existing or new chemical substances and whether they contain human or environmental hazardous substances, permitted, restricted, prohibited or accident preparedness substances.

2. 2. Submit the chemical confirmation statement

   Enter the confirmed details in the chemical confirmation statement (Form No. 1) and submit it with the materials used for confirmation to the Korea Environment Corporation. Processing is immediate. Only chemicals not directly related to market release, such as test, research or inspection reagents or pilot production materials, may be submitted within 30 days after import, so for other products the submission should be completed ahead of the customs schedule. If the components are hard to judge, a chemical confirmation certificate can be applied for with Form No. 2 (processing time 3 days, or 7 days if confirmation by a specialized institution is needed), and holders of the certificate are exempt from submitting the confirmation statement.

3. 3. File the import report for human and environmental hazardous substances

   If the components include acute human hazardous, chronic human hazardous or ecological hazardous substances, file the import report (Form No. 23) with documents proving the components at the river basin (regional) environmental office. The processing time is 2 days and the fee is 13,000 won per item (11,700 won by electronic payment). Imports of 100 kilograms or less per year, test, research or inspection reagents, and imports by consumers for their own consumption are exempt under Article 10 of the Enforcement Decree of the Chemicals Control Act.

4. 4. Submit the material safety data sheet (MSDS)

   For substances subject to MSDS that meet the classification criteria of Article 104 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, submit the MSDS and the names and contents of chemicals not meeting the classification criteria through the MSDS system of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency before import (Enforcement Rule of the same Act, Article 157). If the overseas manufacturer confirms that no substances meeting the classification criteria exist other than those listed in the MSDS, the chemical confirmation document (Form No. 62) replaces the separate submission. Trade secret components may be written in the MSDS with alternative names and contents only after approval of alternative data under Article 112, and the approval is valid for 5 years.

5. 5. Check registration requirements and file change reports

   For new or existing chemical substances imported at 1 ton or more per year, check before import whether registration is required under Article 10 of the Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals, and report new chemical substances under 1 ton per year before import. After filing the hazardous substance import report, if the type or content of the substance, its use, or the business name, representative or location changes, or if the planned import volume increases by 50 percent or more, file a change report within 30 days from the date the reason arises.

Required documents

• Import report for human and environmental hazardous substances (Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Form No. 23)
• Chemical confirmation statement (Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Form No. 1)
• Component statement (chemical names, contents, CAS numbers) or chemical confirmation documents provided by the manufacturer or exporter
• Documents proving the components of human and environmental hazardous substances (attached to the import report)
• Material safety data sheet (MSDS) and data on the names and contents of chemicals not meeting the classification criteria
• Chemical confirmation document (Enforcement Rule of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Form No. 62, when confirmation from the overseas manufacturer is obtained)
• Certificate of report on appointment of a domestic agent (Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Form No. 67-3, only when filed by a domestic agent)
• For changes: change report for import of human and environmental hazardous substances (same Enforcement Rule, Form No. 25) and the original import report certificate

Fees

Industry range from several hundred thousand won to around one million won · Quoted after consultation depending on the number of imported items and components, the amount of overseas manufacturer data to organize, and whether the import report and MSDS submission are both needed. The government fee for the hazardous substance import report is 13,000 won per item (11,700 won by electronic payment).

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Chemicals Control Act, Article 9
• Chemicals Control Act, Article 20
• Chemicals Control Act, Article 28
• Chemicals Control Act, Article 61
• Chemicals Control Act, Article 64
• Enforcement Decree of the Chemicals Control Act, Article 10
• Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Article 2
• Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Article 3
• Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Article 17
• Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Form No. 1
• Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Form No. 2
• Enforcement Rule of the Chemicals Control Act, Form No. 23
• Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals, Article 10
• Occupational Safety and Health Act, Article 110
• Occupational Safety and Health Act, Article 112
• Occupational Safety and Health Act, Article 175
• Enforcement Rule of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Article 157
• Enforcement Rule of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Form No. 62

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-14

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Chemical confirmation is the duty of the person who entrusted the import to an import agent (Chemicals Control Act, Article 9(1)), so the importer should personally check whether the company handling customs has completed it.
• If you also intend to sell, store or transport human or environmental hazardous substances as a business, check separately from the import report whether a hazardous chemical business permit or business report under Article 28 of the same Act is required.

Frequently asked questions