Busan Ferry Terminal: Getting There, Parking and Check-In

As of October 2026, the official guidance from Busan Port Authority and Busan Port Security Corporation boils down to this: Busan Port International Passenger Terminal (206 Chungjang-daero, Dong-gu, Busan) is a short walk from Busan Station, and if you are taking a ferry to Japan you should be at the terminal two hours before departure. Check in at your ferry company's counter in the third-floor departure hall, then go through the departure gate, customs and security screening, and Korean emigration control before boarding. If you drive, know the daily parking rate and the same-day ferry ticket discount before you go.

Schedules, fares and cancellations for routes to Fukuoka, Tsushima, Osaka and elsewhere vary by operator and change often. This guide covers the terminal procedures that apply to every passenger; for timetables, use the operator list published by Busan Port Authority and each company's own site.

Where the terminal is and how to get there by public transport

The terminal's main line is +82-51-400-1200 (night: +82-51-400-1230). Do not confuse it with the Coastal Passenger Terminal, which handles domestic routes such as Jeju, or the Yeongdo cruise terminal. When you search in a map app, use the full name "Busan Port International Passenger Terminal".

The Busan Port Authority directions page lists these main routes:

• On foot from Busan Station (rail): exit 10 of the station building, then the moving walkway and the Busan Port pedestrian deck to the terminal, about 10 to 15 minutes
• Subway Line 1, Busan Station: exit 6, through station building exit 10, then the walkway and deck, about 20 minutes
• Subway Line 1, Choryang Station: exit 6, past the underpass intersection and across Chungjang-daero, about 20 minutes
• From Gimhae Airport by public transport: Busan-Gimhae Light Rail from Airport Station, change to Line 2 at Sasang, change to Line 1 at Seomyeon, then Busan Station exit 6 and the deck, about 70 minutes
• From Gimhae Airport by car: about 30 minutes

If you are pulling a suitcase, the deck route from exit 10 of Busan Station is the simplest option. The moving walkways cut down on stairs and the path is hard to miss. Arriving by KTX and heading straight to the port? Add the walking time to your train's arrival and check that you still reach the terminal two hours before sailing.

City buses 5-1, 1004, 42 and 172 also stop at the terminal. According to the official page, the standard card fare is KRW 1,550 on routes 5-1, 42 and 172 and KRW 2,100 on route 1004, which comes from Gimhae via Seomyeon and Busan Station and turns around at the terminal. Weekday intervals range from 12 to 33 minutes depending on the route, so a real-time bus app is worth using if your sailing time is fixed.

Parking at the terminal and how discounts work

The official parking fee page sets these rates for passenger cars:

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Duration	Car	Large vehicle (bus, 25+ seats)
First 10 minutes	Free	Free
11 to 30 minutes	KRW 1,000	KRW 2,000
After 30 minutes	KRW 500 per 10 min	KRW 1,000 per 10 min
Daily rate	KRW 10,000	KRW 20,000

The key rule: parking for 3 hours 30 minutes or longer triggers the daily rate. A quick drop-off is billed by time, but if you leave the car while you travel to Japan, budget for the daily rate across your trip. For multi-day parking, call the parking office (+82-51-400-1252) before you go to confirm how longer stays are settled.

Discounts depend on where you park and who you are. Using the outdoor lot (E) alone gives 20% off (trucks excluded). Holders of a same-day ferry ticket get 20% off in the indoor lots (A/B) or 30% off outdoors, and "same day" means the ticket must carry the date you drive out. In practice, keep your return ferry ticket so you can show it when you collect the car.

Vehicles registered to national merit recipients or disabled drivers, cars under 1,000cc, eco-friendly vehicles and multi-child households can get 50% indoors or 60% outdoors, with Korean documentation. Discounts do not stack; only the highest single rate applies, and corporate or commercial vehicles are excluded. If you could not show proof at the exit, you can submit documents within seven days for a refund of the discount. EV drivers using the terminal's charging facilities park free for up to one hour.

Check-in steps for a ferry to Japan

The Busan Port Authority departure procedure asks passengers to arrive two hours before departure because of terminal congestion. You pass through a departure gate, screening and emigration control just as at an airport, so turning up shortly before sailing, as you might at a bus station, is risky. The sequence is:

1. Arrive two hours before departure and go up to the third-floor departure hall. Korea Ferry, Star Line, Pukwan Ferry, Panstar Line Dot Com and Dae-A Express Shipping all have ticket counters there.
2. Check in at your operator's counter by showing your passport. You receive a boarding pass with your cabin number along with your passport.
3. Drop checked baggage (car ferry passengers only) at the baggage counter within the posted time, showing your boarding pass and passport, and keep the baggage receipt. If you are on a high-speed ferry, this step does not apply, so pack on the assumption that your bags stay with you.
4. Enter the departure area by showing your passport and boarding pass for an identity check.
5. Go through customs and security screening.
6. Clear emigration by handing your passport and boarding pass to the officer, who returns your passport after the check.
7. Wait to board in the lounge or duty-free area until your sailing is announced.
8. Board through your operator's gate when instructed.

Gates differ by company. According to the operator list, Pukwan Ferry uses car ferry gate 1, Korea Ferry and Panstar use car ferry gates 2 and 3, and Star Line and Dae-A Express use the high-speed ferry gate. Follow your boarding pass and the announcements on the day.

The operator list also describes Korea Ferry's New Camellia on the Busan-Fukuoka route, Panstar's Busan-Osaka car ferry and Busan-Tsushima route, and Dae-A Express Shipping's Busan-Tsushima service. Sailing days and times shift with the season and the weather, so recheck the operator's notices the evening before and on the morning of departure.

What to prepare for customs and security

The departure guidance flags two customs points. First, valuables worth KRW 450,000 or more should be declared when you leave Korea, so they are not taxed as new purchases when you return and so you have a record for insurance claims if they are stolen. That matters mainly for Korean residents carrying cameras, laptops or designer bags. Second, if the total cash and currency you carry is equivalent to USD 10,000, you must declare it to customs.

Busan Port Security Corporation describes screening in four steps: an identity check with your passport and boarding pass at the entrance, customs declaration for any items that need it, putting carry-on items in trays on the X-ray belt, and walking through the metal detector. Depending on what the equipment shows, officers may do a pat-down or open your bag. Note the order: customs comes before security screening, so if you have something to declare, go to the customs desk before joining the screening line.

To move through faster, keep laptops, power banks and liquids where you can reach them, and put metal items from your pockets into your bag ahead of time. The security corporation's site has a separate page on items restricted on board, which is worth checking if you are carrying camping gear or tools.

Documents to have ready before arriving in Japan

Busan Port Authority advises filling in the Japanese arrival card provided on board before the ship docks, so you can hand it in at immigration after disembarking. Bring a pen and note your accommodation's name, address and phone number in advance.

You also need a customs declaration. Japan Customs requires every passenger entering Japan to submit a Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles and recommends doing it electronically through Visit Japan Web. The paper form is still accepted and can be printed on A4 in advance, with English (C-5360-B) and Korean (C-5360-C) versions available. Japan Customs says its electronic declaration gates are installed at seven international airports, so at a seaport follow the on-site instructions for how your QR code is used. Registering in Visit Japan Web ahead of time and knowing the paper form is an option covers you either way.

Day-before and departure-day checklist

The day before:

• Passport validity, and the physical passport itself
• Booking confirmation and operator notices about weather cancellations or time changes
• Your Japanese accommodation details and a pen
• A list of valuables and whether you will declare them
• If driving, your parking duration, expected daily charges and discount paperwork

On the day:

• Work backwards so you reach the terminal two hours before departure
• Collect your boarding pass at the third-floor operator counter
• On a car ferry, drop bags within the baggage window
• Declare items at customs before security screening
• Recheck your gate after emigration
• Keep your return ticket for the parking discount

The terminal's direct link to Busan Station makes it easy to reach. The process, however, is the same as at an airport, so arriving late on the assumption that boarding a boat is quick can cause problems. Sticking to the two-hour rule takes most of the stress out of departure.

Sources

• 부산항만공사 부산항여객터미널 - 국제여객터미널 출국 수속
• 부산항만공사 부산항여객터미널 - 국제여객터미널 오시는 길
• 부산항만공사 부산항여객터미널 - 국제여객터미널 주차요금 안내
• 부산항만공사 부산항여객터미널 - 국제여객터미널 여객선사안내
• 부산항보안공사 - 국제여객터미널 검색절차
• Japan Customs - Declaration of Accompanied Articles and Unaccompanied Articles