Korea travel requirements 2026: K-ETA, visa-free entry and the e-Arrival card

By the Real Korea 101 editorial team · Published November 13, 2026 · Facts checked November 13, 2026

Short answer: if your passport lets you enter Korea without a visa, you normally need an approved K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) before you board. But for 2026, travelers from a list of 22 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia, are temporarily exempt until December 31, 2026 (KST). If you skip K-ETA because you are exempt, you fill in the free e-Arrival card instead. If you hold a valid K-ETA, you do not need an arrival card.

Which path applies to you

Three pieces of paperwork often get mixed up: a visa, the K-ETA travel authorization, and the arrival card (filed online as the e-Arrival card). Most short-term visitors need only one of the last two.

Not sure if you are visa-free? Check the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr) or your nearest Korean consulate first.

What K-ETA is (and is not)

K-ETA is an online pre-travel authorization run by Korea's Ministry of Justice through the Korea Immigration Service. According to the official K-ETA site, nationals who are eligible for K-ETA and want to enter Korea without a visa must obtain K-ETA approval before boarding the flight or ship. The site warns that applying after boarding, or while already in Korea, may lead to refusal or entry restrictions.

• It is not a visa. An approved K-ETA does not guarantee entry; the immigration officer makes the final decision.
• It is for short stays: travel, visiting relatives, events or conferences, or business, with no commercial activities.
• It replaces the arrival card. K-ETA holders do not submit one.

The 2026 temporary K-ETA exemption

On December 23, 2025 the K-ETA site posted a notice that the Ministry of Justice had extended the temporary K-ETA exemption by one more year to support tourism. The extended period runs from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 (KST). The notice says the countries and regions that were already exempt are covered by the extension, and that eligible travelers see a pop-up message when they scan the photo page of their passport during the K-ETA application.

The Korea Tourism Organization's VISITKOREA visa page (last updated September 18, 2026) lists the temporarily exempt countries and regions as:

• Asia: Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau
• Americas: United States (including Guam), Canada
• Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Austria
• Oceania: New Zealand, Australia

The same 22 names appear in a notice from the Consulate General of Korea in Sao Paulo. Both pages tell travelers to confirm the latest status on the K-ETA site, so treat the passport-scan pop-up on k-eta.go.kr as the final word for your passport.

Exempt travelers who want K-ETA benefits, such as skipping the arrival card, may still apply and pay the fee. A K-ETA you already hold stays usable until it expires; fees are not refunded.

Other people who do not apply for K-ETA

Separate from the temporary country list, the K-ETA eligibility page lists people who are exempt from applying:

• Diplomatic and official passport holders
• Active service members of the United States Armed Forces under the US-ROK Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)
• Aircraft and ship crew members
• APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders
• Transfer passengers
• Registered foreigners and visa holders
• UN passport holders
• People who are 17 or younger, or 65 or older, on the date of entry

For families: a child or grandparent may not need K-ETA even when you do, but they then file an e-Arrival card.

How to apply for K-ETA

Apply only at www.k-eta.go.kr or in the official K-ETA app, as a member or non-member. Both routes have the same fee, assessment time and validity.

What to prepare

• A valid passport
• A valid email address
• An ID photo
• A credit or debit card that can pay the fee

Steps on the site

1. Agree to the terms and conditions.
2. Sign up, or verify your email as a non-member.
3. Enter your passport information.
4. Enter your application information.
5. Check the information.
6. Pay.
7. Finish the application and wait for the result.

Fee, timing and validity

• Fee: 10,000 KRW (about USD 7 to 8), with the online payment fee charged separately. It is not refunded, even if the application is denied.
• Assessment time: usually 72 hours or less, but it can take longer if applications surge. There is no expedited service.
• Validity: 3 years, or until your passport expires if that is sooner. Approvals from applications submitted before July 3, 2023 are valid for 2 years. You can use it for multiple trips during that time.

When you must apply again or update

You need a new K-ETA if your passport is reissued, or if your criminal record or infectious disease information changes. If your purpose, address in Korea, contact details, dates or companions change, update them on the site's Update Travel Information page; not doing so may lead to entry denial.

The e-Arrival card

The e-Arrival card is the online version of Korea's paper arrival card. The official e-Arrival card site says it has the same validity as the paper card, so if you submit it online you do not fill in a paper card. It is a separate system from K-ETA.

Who submits it

The official site lists these groups as subject to declaration: Korean visa holders, K-ETA exempt individuals, SOFA service members, UN passport holders, ABTC holders and seafarers. Excluded: Korean citizens, Korean Residence Card holders, K-ETA holders, group (electronic) visa holders, visa-free group tourists at Yangyang and Muan airports, and foreign flight attendants.

Key rules from the official guide

• Cost: free.
• When: you can file starting 3 days before arrival, based on Korean Standard Time.
• Validity: it automatically becomes invalid 72 hours after submission, and also once you have gone through immigration. You submit a new one for each entry.
• Group size: up to 9 people at once on a smartphone, or up to 1,000 people at once on a PC.
• Confirmation: an issue number is emailed to the person who filed it. You do not need to bring it to immigration, but knowing the number can help.
• Changes: you can view and edit your purpose of entry, stay information or departure date before inspection. The arrival date can only be corrected within 3 days of the first submission.

What to prepare

• A valid passport
• A valid email address
• Your entry date and entry flight number
• Where you will stay
• Your departure date (departure flight number is optional)

Because the card expires 72 hours after submission, refile if your flight slips past that window.

How long you can stay

K-ETA validity (up to 3 years) is not the same as how long you may stay on each visit. The official guide says you cannot stay longer than the visa-free period for your nationality, and that period varies by country. The K-ETA eligibility page shows the allowed period of stay for each listed passport. A few examples as listed on November 13, 2026:

If your passport is not shown here, look it up on the eligibility page or the Korea Visa Portal. For anything longer or for work or study, you need the right visa rather than K-ETA.

Health declaration (Q-CODE)

VISITKOREA notes that people who have visited a quarantine-managed area must submit Q-CODE (Korea's online quarantine pre-entry system) or a health questionnaire on arrival. Q-CODE opens 7 days before arrival. The list of areas changes, so check the official Q-CODE site before you fly.

For any rule that affects your trip, the official sites below are the final authority.