Two forms govern Korean entry right now, and most travelers need exactly one of them. K-ETA: citizens of 22 countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, most of Western Europe and more) are exempt through December 31, 2026; other visa-waiver nationalities still apply online (₩10,000, valid up to 3 years). e-Arrival Card: mandatory since January 1, 2026 for arriving foreigners, submitted online within 72 hours before arrival, except for valid K-ETA holders, who skip it. Check which bucket your passport is in, file the right form, done.
Korea’s entry paperwork confuses people because it changed three times in three years: K-ETA arrived, then got waived for major markets, then the paper arrival card went digital. Here’s the current state, with the dates that matter.
Rules checked October 4, 2026. The K-ETA exemption has a hard end date of December 31, 2026, and announcements about extending it typically come in late December. We’ll update this page when that lands.
Bucket one: the 22 exempt countries
If your passport is from the United States (including Guam), the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden or Poland: no K-ETA through December 31, 2026. You board with your passport alone, but you do owe the e-Arrival Card below.
Bucket two: visa-waiver countries that still need K-ETA
The visa-waiver program covers over a hundred nationalities, and those not on the exempt list still apply for K-ETA at the official site (www.k-eta.go.kr): ₩10,000 plus a small processing fee, approval usually within hours but allow 72, valid for up to three years of multiple entries or until your passport expires. A valid K-ETA also exempts you from the e-Arrival Card, which makes it a two-birds form. Apply only on the official site; lookalike sites charge multiples of the real fee.
Everyone’s form: the e-Arrival Card
The paper arrival card is gone. Since January 1, 2026, foreign visitors submit the e-Arrival Card online within 3 days (72 hours) before arrival at e-arrivalcard.go.kr: passport details, flight, address in Korea. Exempt: valid K-ETA holders, registered foreign residents and crew. Parents submit for children under 14. It’s free, takes five minutes, and the airline or the immigration queue will care if you skipped it. Save the confirmation screenshot.
The rest of the checklist
Passport validity: six months beyond entry is the safe standard (Korea is lenient in practice, but airlines enforce conservatively). Onward or return ticket: can be asked for, occasionally is. Visa-waiver stays run 90 days for most Western passports (30 or 60 for some others; check yours), no extensions for tourism, and no working on a tourist entry. Transit without entering (airside at Incheon) needs none of the above. And one thing Korea does not have: no visa-on-arrival for the visa-waiver crowd; the K-ETA or exemption IS the mechanism.
FAQ
Do US citizens need a K-ETA for Korea?
Not through December 31, 2026; the exemption covers the US and 21 other countries. US travelers do need the free e-Arrival Card, submitted online within 72 hours before arrival.
What is the e-Arrival Card?
The digital replacement for Korea’s paper arrival card, mandatory since January 1, 2026. Submit at e-arrivalcard.go.kr within 3 days of arrival with your flight and accommodation details. K-ETA holders and registered residents skip it.
How much does the K-ETA cost and how long does it last?
₩10,000 (about US$8) plus a small card fee, valid up to three years with multiple entries. Apply only at k-eta.go.kr; paying more means you’re on a middleman site.
How long can tourists stay in South Korea?
90 days visa-free for most Western passports under the waiver program (some nationalities get 30 or 60). Tourist stays can’t be extended for more time; leaving and re-entering is the only reset, and immigration notices patterns.
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