South Korea visa and entry requirements

The K-ETA portal lists the countries and regions whose passport holders can apply for K-ETA, with each one's allowed period of stay; it says nationals eligible for K-ETA who wish to enter without a visa must obtain K-ETA approval before boarding, for a fee of 10,000 KRW, and that a K-ETA is valid for 3 years. The Ministry of Justice has extended a temporary K-ETA exemption to December 31, 2026 for the countries and regions currently exempt; Korea's foreign ministry listed 22 of them, including the US, UK and Japan. Korea's visa portal says visa application centres receive visa applications on behalf of embassies and consulates.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 25, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization)

Fee
10,000 KRW
Processing
—
Validity
1,095 days
Entries
multiple

The K-ETA portal says the fee is approximately USD 7–8, that an additional online payment processing fee of generally about 3% may apply, and that the fee is non-refundable even if the application is denied. It says K-ETA is not a visa. Korea's foreign ministry listed 22 countries/regions for a temporary K-ETA exemption.

Documents the application asks for

  • ID photo
  • Copy of the passport bio page
Apply on the official site Verified Oct 9, 2026 · k-eta.go.kr

Short-Term Visit Visa (C-3)

Fee
40 USD
Processing
—

Article 71 of the Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act sets the fee in US dollars: single entry for a stay of up to 90 days USD 40; single entry for 91 days or more USD 60; double entry USD 70; multiple entry without limit USD 90. Heads of missions collecting it in local currency set the base amount taking exchange rates into account.

Apply on the official site Verified Oct 2, 2026 · law.go.kr · Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act (Ministry of Justice Ordinance), Article 71(1)

Entry requirements

Passport validity

The UK government says that to enter South Korea as a tourist for up to 90 days your passport must have an expiry date after the date you are leaving South Korea, and that on a long-term visa it should have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.ukCompare every country

Vaccinations

Not officially stated

No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for short-term visitors to South Korea. The UK government says medical and dental care is usually of a good standard but can be expensive, and advises adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds.

Verified Oct 4, 2026 · gov.uk

Onward or return ticket

Required

The UK government tells British travellers that they can enter South Korea for up to 90 days for short-term business or tourism and must have an onward or return ticket.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for South Korea.

Compiled Aug 25, 2026 · visa.go.kr · could not re-read on Oct 7, 2026 · official portal · archived copy

Arrival cards & declarations

Conditional
  • e-Arrival Card — Korea's e-Arrival Card site says the card is free, can be filed starting 3 days before arrival, and holds the same validity as the paper arrival card. The K-ETA portal says K-ETA holders are exempt from submitting the arrival card. (within 3 days before arrival) e-arrivalcard.go.kr
Verified Oct 7, 2026 · e-arrivalcard.go.kr

Staying past your permitted stay

A foreigner who stays beyond the period of stay without an extension permit, or outside the scope of their status or period of stay, is punishable by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to KRW 30 million. Such a foreigner may be deported.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · law.go.kr · Immigration Act (출입국관리법), items 7Compare every country

Other compulsory government charges

  • Departure fee (출국납부금) for the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund — KRW 7,000; KRW 1,000 when departing by ship. Included in the air ticket.

    Departing travellers pay a departure fee of KRW 7,000, or KRW 1,000 when leaving by ship. Diplomatic-passport holders and children under 12 are exempt. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that from 1 July the fee, which is included in the airfare, would be cut from KRW 10,000 to KRW 7,000, and that the exemption would widen from children under 2 to children under 12.

    Exemptions: Diplomatic-passport holders; children under 12.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · law.go.kr · Tourism Promotion and Development Fund Act art. 2(3); Enforcement Decree art. 1-2 (amen…Compare every country

Customs & currency

The Korea Customs Service says that if you enter with foreign currency, KRW notes or checks above USD 10,000 or the equivalent in total you must report it to customs, and that carrying means of payment of not more than USD 10,000 out of Korea requires no report.

  • Canada's travel advice says it is illegal to bring narcotics and psychotropic drugs into South Korea, even with a prescription, unless you have an import permit, which you must apply for online before you arrive.
  • The Korea Customs Service's tax exemption allowance is US$800 or less of the total taxable value of goods, plus, apart from that, alcohol of up to 2 litres and US$400, 200 cigarettes, 20 ml of e-cigarette liquid nicotine and 100 ml of perfume; minors under 19 are not given tax exemption for liquor and cigarettes.
  • The Korea Customs Service lists animals (including meat), plants, fruit, vegetables, live fish, agricultural, forest, livestock and fishery products (including processed goods) and other foods among the goods to be declared. If goods exceeding the allowance are detected after non-declaration, an additional tax of 40% more than the regular tax is imposed.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · customs.go.kr · Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, Article 17

Country in a nutshell

Currency
South Korean won (KRW, ₩)
Safety — Generally safe
The UK government says crime against foreigners is rare but there are occasional thefts, and there have been cases of assault, including sexual assault, particularly around bars and nightlife areas. It says South Korean authorities sometimes hold civil emergency exercises marked by sirens, and to follow any instructions from officials during them.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk · archived copy
Power plugs
C, F · 220V 60Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 112 · Ambulance: 119 · Fire: 119 · Tourist helpline: 1330
Languages
Korean
Time zone
UTC+9
International Driving Permit

South Korea is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). Article 96 of South Korea's Road Traffic Act says that a person holding an international driving permit issued under the 1949 Geneva or the 1968 Vienna Convention or under an agreement between Korea and another country on mutual recognition of international driving permits, or a foreign licence recognised under an agreement between Korea and the issuing country on mutual recognition of driving licences, may drive in Korea for one year from the date of entry, limited to the vehicle types stated on that permit or licence.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · treaties.un.org · Convention on Road Traffic Compare every country

Best time to visit

Canada's travel advice says the monsoon season extends from late June until August, with July usually the wettest month, and that typhoons occur in August and September; the UK government says the typhoon season normally runs from June to November.

Tips & warnings

The Ministry of Justice has extended the temporary K-ETA exemption to December 31, 2026 for the countries and regions currently exempt. The UK government says that if you need a K-ETA you should apply through the Korean government's official K-ETA website, and that other sites offering K-ETA application services are generally scams; the official fee is 10,000 KRW.

Korea's e-Arrival Card site says the card is free, can be filed starting 3 days before arrival, and holds the same validity as the paper arrival card.

Visa requirements by nationality

PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanEmbassy visa—
AlbaniaETA30 days
AlgeriaEmbassy visa—
AndorraETA30 days
AngolaEmbassy visa—
Antigua and BarbudaETA90 days
ArgentinaETA90 days
ArmeniaEmbassy visa—
AustraliaVisa-free90 days
AustriaVisa-free90 days
AzerbaijanEmbassy visa—
BahamasETA90 days
BahrainETA30 days
BangladeshEmbassy visa—
BarbadosETA90 days
BelarusEmbassy visa—
BelgiumVisa-free90 days
BelizeEmbassy visa—
BeninEmbassy visa—
BhutanEmbassy visa—
BoliviaEmbassy visa—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaETA30 days
BotswanaETA90 days
BrazilETA90 days
BruneiETA30 days
BulgariaETA90 days
Burkina FasoEmbassy visa—
BurundiEmbassy visa—
Cabo VerdeEmbassy visa—
CambodiaEmbassy visa—
CameroonEmbassy visa—
CanadaVisa-free180 days
Central African RepublicEmbassy visa—
ChadEmbassy visa—
ChileETA90 days
ChinaEmbassy visa—
ColombiaETA90 days
ComorosEmbassy visa—
Costa RicaETA90 days
Côte d'IvoireEmbassy visa—
CroatiaETA90 days
CubaEmbassy visa—
CyprusETA30 days
CzechiaETA90 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
DenmarkVisa-free90 days
DjiboutiEmbassy visa—
DominicaETA90 days
Dominican RepublicETA90 days
EcuadorETA90 days
EgyptEmbassy visa—
El SalvadorETA90 days
Equatorial GuineaEmbassy visa—
EritreaEmbassy visa—
EstoniaETA90 days
EswatiniETA30 days
EthiopiaEmbassy visa—
FijiETA30 days
FinlandVisa-free90 days
FranceVisa-free90 days
GabonEmbassy visa—
GambiaEmbassy visa—
GeorgiaEmbassy visa—
GermanyVisa-free90 days
GhanaEmbassy visa—
GreeceETA90 days
GrenadaETA90 days
GuatemalaETA90 days
GuineaEmbassy visa—
Guinea-BissauEmbassy visa—
GuyanaETA30 days
HaitiETA90 days
HondurasETA30 days
Hong KongVisa-free90 days
HungaryETA90 days
IcelandETA90 days
IndiaEmbassy visa—
IndonesiaEmbassy visa—
IranEmbassy visa—
IraqEmbassy visa—
IrelandETA90 days
IsraelETA90 days
ItalyVisa-free90 days
JamaicaETA90 days
JapanVisa-free90 days
JordanEmbassy visa—
KazakhstanETA30 days
KenyaEmbassy visa—
KiribatiETA30 days
KosovoEmbassy visa—
KuwaitETA90 days
KyrgyzstanEmbassy visa—
LaosEmbassy visa—
LatviaETA90 days
LebanonEmbassy visa—
LesothoETA60 days
LiberiaEmbassy visa—
LibyaEmbassy visa—
LiechtensteinETA90 days
LithuaniaETA90 days
LuxembourgETA90 days
MacauVisa-free90 days
MadagascarEmbassy visa—
MalawiEmbassy visa—
MalaysiaETA90 days
MaldivesEmbassy visa—
MaliEmbassy visa—
MaltaETA90 days
Marshall IslandsETA30 days
MauritaniaEmbassy visa—
MauritiusETA30 days
MexicoETA90 days
MicronesiaETA30 days
MoldovaEmbassy visa—
MonacoETA30 days
MongoliaEmbassy visa—
MontenegroETA30 days
MoroccoETA90 days
MozambiqueEmbassy visa—
MyanmarEmbassy visa—
NamibiaEmbassy visa—
NauruETA30 days
NepalEmbassy visa—
NetherlandsVisa-free90 days
New ZealandVisa-free90 days
NicaraguaETA90 days
NigerEmbassy visa—
NigeriaEmbassy visa—
North MacedoniaEmbassy visa—
NorwayVisa-free90 days
OmanETA30 days
PakistanEmbassy visa—
PalauETA30 days
PalestineEmbassy visa—
PanamaETA90 days
Papua New GuineaEmbassy visa—
ParaguayETA30 days
PeruETA90 days
PhilippinesEmbassy visa—
PolandVisa-free90 days
PortugalETA90 days
QatarETA90 days
Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
RomaniaETA90 days
RussiaETA60 days
RwandaEmbassy visa—
Saint Kitts and NevisETA90 days
Saint LuciaETA90 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesETA90 days
SamoaETA30 days
San MarinoETA30 days
São Tomé and PríncipeEmbassy visa—
Saudi ArabiaETA30 days
SenegalEmbassy visa—
SerbiaETA90 days
SeychellesETA30 days
Sierra LeoneEmbassy visa—
SingaporeVisa-free90 days
SlovakiaETA90 days
SloveniaETA90 days
Solomon IslandsETA30 days
SomaliaEmbassy visa—
South AfricaETA30 days
South KoreaFree movement—
South SudanEmbassy visa—
SpainVisa-free90 days
Sri LankaEmbassy visa—
SudanEmbassy visa—
SurinameETA90 days
SwedenVisa-free90 days
SwitzerlandETA90 days
SyriaEmbassy visa—
TaiwanVisa-free90 days
TajikistanEmbassy visa—
TanzaniaEmbassy visa—
ThailandETA90 days
Timor-LesteEmbassy visa—
TogoEmbassy visa—
TongaETA30 days
Trinidad and TobagoETA90 days
TunisiaETA30 days
TurkeyETA90 days
TurkmenistanEmbassy visa—
TuvaluETA30 days
UgandaEmbassy visa—
UkraineEmbassy visa—
United Arab EmiratesETA90 days
United KingdomVisa-free90 days
United StatesVisa-free90 days
UruguayETA90 days
UzbekistanEmbassy visa—
VanuatuEmbassy visa—
Vatican CityETA30 days
VenezuelaETA90 days
VietnamEmbassy visa—
YemenEmbassy visa—
ZambiaEmbassy visa—
ZimbabweEmbassy visa—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

No official page we read states the rule for 1 nationalities, so the table leaves them out: North Korea.

North Korea1 of 199 passports visa-freeJapan75 of 199 passports visa-free · 3 eVisa/ETAChina79 of 199 passports visa-freeSingapore164 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens need a visa or K-ETA for South Korea?

The K-ETA portal lists the United States of America with an allowed period of stay of 90 days. A K-ETA is normally required before boarding, but the United States was among the 22 countries/regions Korea's foreign ministry listed for the temporary K-ETA exemption, and the Ministry of Justice has extended the exemption to December 31, 2026 for the countries currently exempt.

What is the K-ETA and how much does it cost?

The K-ETA portal says nationals eligible for K-ETA who wish to enter without a visa must obtain approval before boarding the flight or ship. The fee is 10,000 KRW (approximately USD 7–8), plus an online payment processing fee of generally about 3%, and is non-refundable. Assessment typically takes 72 hours or less, the K-ETA can be used multiple times within its 3-year validity, and holders are exempt from submitting the arrival card.

How long can Canadians stay in South Korea?

The K-ETA portal lists Canada with an allowed period of stay of 6 months. Canada was among the 22 countries/regions Korea's foreign ministry listed for the temporary K-ETA exemption, which the Ministry of Justice has extended to December 31, 2026 for the countries currently exempt.

Can Chinese citizens visit South Korea without a visa?

The Ministry of Justice says that in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Chinese nationals may, as before, stay visa-free for 30 days, travelling individually or in groups. It announced a temporary visa-free scheme for Chinese tour groups of three or more recruited by designated travel agencies, for stays of up to 15 days anywhere in Korea, from 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026. No official source we could read states an extension.

How much does a South Korean tourist visa cost?

Article 71 of the Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act sets the visa fee at the equivalent of USD 40 for a single-entry visa for a stay of up to 90 days, USD 60 for 91 days or more, USD 70 for a double-entry visa and USD 90 for an unlimited multiple-entry visa; heads of missions collecting it in local currency set the base amount taking exchange rates into account. Korea's visa portal says visa application centres receive applications and hand over visas on behalf of embassies and consulates.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source