Do You Need a Visa to Visit South Korea?
Before traveling, it's important to understand which South Korea entry requirements apply to your situation. These depend primarily on your passport, travel purpose, and intended length of stay. Some travelers can make an eligible short visit without a visa, while others need either a K-ETA or an appropriate visa before departure.
| Traveler’s situation | Main requirement |
|---|---|
| Visa-free nationality with a temporary K-ETA exemption | Neither a visa nor K-ETA for an eligible short stay; an arrival declaration may still be required. |
| Visa-free nationality without a K-ETA exemption | K-ETA is generally required before boarding. |
| Nationality requiring a visa | An appropriate visa is required. |
| Traveler holding a valid K-ETA | A new K-ETA is not normally needed while the existing one remains valid and the entry conditions are met. |
Visa-free travel and K-ETA are intended for eligible short-term purposes, such as tourism, visiting relatives, meetings, conferences, or non-profitable business activities. Employment, studies, immigration-related purposes, and other activities outside the permitted scope can require a visa regardless of nationality.
A K-ETA is not a visa. It can support visa-free entry for an eligible trip, but it does not replace a visa when a visa is required for your passport or travel purpose.
What Is the South Korea K-ETA?
K-ETA stands for Korea Electronic Travel Authorization. It is an electronic travel authorization for travelers from eligible visa-free countries or regions who intend to enter South Korea without a visa for a qualifying short stay.
An approved K-ETA is generally valid for three years for applications submitted from July 3, 2023, or until the passport expires if that happens first. Its validity is different from the permitted length of stay: the maximum stay allowed is determined by the passport and applicable visa-free arrangement.
K-ETA approval does not guarantee admission to South Korea. Immigration officers make the final entry decision at the border. A new K-ETA is also required if the passport used for the approval has been reissued.
Which Countries Are Exempt from K-ETA?
South Korea has extended its temporary K-ETA exemption through December 31, 2026, Korean Standard Time, for the countries and territories covered by the measure. For an eligible short visit, the main published exemption group includes:
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
- Americas: Canada and the United States, including Guam.
- Asia: Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Singapore, and Taiwan.
- Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.
Korean diplomatic missions have also confirmed temporary K-ETA exemptions for certain additional passport holders, including Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Portugal, and Qatar. Because passport categories and travel circumstances can differ, travelers should confirm their own status before departure.
There are also age-based K-ETA exemptions for travelers from K-ETA-eligible countries who are aged 17 or younger or 65 or older. These are exemptions from the K-ETA requirement only; they do not create a visa exemption for a passport that otherwise requires a visa.
Travelers covered by a temporary or age-based K-ETA exemption may choose to apply for K-ETA voluntarily. One practical reason is that valid K-ETA holders are normally exempt from submitting an arrival card when entering under the visa-free arrangement.
Which Nationalities Still Need a K-ETA?
Many nationalities remain eligible for visa-free entry but are not covered by the temporary K-ETA exemption. For an eligible short trip, these travelers generally need K-ETA approval before travel. Examples include:
- Asia: Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei.
- Europe: Albania, Ireland, Romania, Serbia, and Andorra.
- Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.
- Africa: South Africa, Morocco, Mauritius, and Tunisia.
These examples are indicative and should be checked against the official K-ETA eligibility list before travel. Requirements may also differ depending on age, passport type and the purpose of the visit.
How to Apply for a South Korea K-ETA
If K-ETA applies to your passport and trip, complete the process before boarding your flight or ship. The official application fee is 10,000 KRW, with a separate online payment fee indicated during payment.
- Check eligibility: Confirm that your passport is K-ETA eligible and that no temporary or age-based exemption applies.
- Prepare your details: Have a valid passport, email address, identification photo, travel information, and an accepted payment card ready.
- Complete the application: Enter passport and travel details carefully through the official process.
- Review every answer: Check names, passport information, contact details, address in South Korea, and travel information before submission.
- Submit and check the result: Review the outcome before traveling and update travel information if relevant details change.
You can apply directly through the Korean authorities. Optional private assistance is separate and may offer a simplified form and help checking entered information, but it does not issue K-ETA approvals, guarantee approval, or guarantee entry.
Private assistance with service fees · You can also apply directly through the authorities
Do You Need an e-Arrival Card If You Are Exempt from K-ETA?
Being exempt from K-ETA does not automatically exempt you from the arrival declaration. If you're traveling to South Korea without a K-ETA, you generally need to complete the South Korea e-Arrival Card before arrival, unless another exemption applies.
If you hold a valid K-ETA, you are normally exempt from the arrival declaration when entering South Korea without a visa.
Some other travelers are excluded from the declaration, including certain Korean residence-card holders and eligible group visa holders. The official e-Arrival Card is free, can be submitted from three days before arrival based on Korean Standard Time, and loses validity 72 hours after submission.
Visa, K-ETA or e-Arrival Card: What Should You Check Before Traveling?
Example 1 — French passport, short tourist stay
A French passport holder making an eligible short tourist visit is temporarily exempt from K-ETA and generally does not need a visa. However, an arrival declaration may still be required if the traveler does not hold valid K-ETA and no other declaration exemption applies.
Example 2 — Visa-free passport subject to K-ETA
A traveler with a visa-free passport that is not covered by a K-ETA exemption generally needs approved K-ETA before departure for an eligible short visit.
Example 3 — Long stay, studies, or employment
A traveler intending to work, study, or make another stay outside the permitted visa-free purpose may need an appropriate visa, even if their passport normally qualifies for visa-free tourism.
South Korea Entry Requirements: Pre-Travel Checklist
- Check the nationality and passport document you will use for entry.
- Confirm that your purpose of travel is covered by visa-free travel or K-ETA.
- Check the permitted stay for your passport rather than relying on K-ETA validity.
- Confirm whether a temporary or age-based K-ETA exemption applies.
- Check whether you must submit an e-Arrival Card for your method of entry and immigration status.
Entry rules can vary with the passport, travel purpose, age, visa status, and other personal circumstances. Check the formalities that may apply to your actual trip before departure.