Before you fly

Do I need a K-ETA for Korea?

K-ETA is Korea's online travel authorisation for visitors who can come without a visa. Choose your passport, the day you arrive and your age to see whether you need one, what it costs and when to apply.

Checked on 15 Oct 2026 against the official K-ETA website (Korea's Ministry of Justice)

Passport

Arriving in Korea

Your age on the day you arrive

17 or under 18 to 64 65 or over

Everyone travelling needs their own K-ETA, children and older relatives included, unless they're exempt.

Apply only at k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app. Look-alike agency sites charge far more than the ₩10,000 fee and can't make the review faster: applications are reviewed in the order they arrive.

K-ETA in 30 seconds

Who needs it: visitors from the 116 countries and regions that can enter Korea without a visa, coming for tourism, visiting family, events, conferences or business that isn't paid work.
Cost: ₩10,000 per person (about US$7–8). Card payments may add an online processing fee, usually about 3%. The fee isn't refunded if you're refused.
Timing: the review usually takes up to 72 hours, sometimes longer. You need approval before you board.
Valid for: 3 years and any number of trips, or until your passport expires if that's sooner. A new passport needs a new K-ETA.
Bonus: with an approved K-ETA you don't have to hand in an arrival card.
It isn't a visa. Your visa-free stay is still set by your nationality, and the immigration officer decides at the border.

Who doesn't need a K-ETA

Until 31 Dec 2026

Passports from these 22 countries and regions are temporarily exempt:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Italy, Japan, Macao SAR, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States.

You can still apply if you'd like to skip the arrival card; the usual fee applies.

Always

Anyone aged 17 or under, or 65 or over, on the day they enter
Diplomatic and official passport holders
Active-duty US Armed Forces members under the Korea–US Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)
Aircraft and ship crew
APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders
Transfer passengers
Registered foreign residents and people who hold a Korean visa
UN passport holders

Questions

My trip starts before 31 December 2026 and ends after it. Do I need a K-ETA?

K-ETA is about entering Korea, so the date you arrive is what counts. If you're on the exemption list and arrive on or before 31 Dec 2026, you don't need one for that trip. For later arrivals, apply unless the Ministry of Justice announces another extension. We'll update this page if it does.

My passport isn't in the list. What now?

K-ETA only works for the passports on the official list. If yours isn't there, you'll usually need a visa: check Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr) or ask your nearest Korean embassy or consulate.

I already have a Korean visa or residence card.

Then you don't need a K-ETA. People who hold a visa or are registered foreign residents are exempt.

How long can I stay?

It depends on your passport, from 30 days to 6 months. The result above shows the period for your passport, taken from the official K-ETA list.

Sources

Last checked 15 Oct 2026.