South Korea Visa Policy

The government of South Korea has announced the launch of the K-ETA Electronic Travel Authorization in September 2021. (The pilot period for some countries started on May 3) The next article contains updated information: South Korea confirms the launch of K-ETA in September 2021

Visa Policy for South Korea

The visa policy of South Korea determines the regulations, rules, and requirements that a foreign citizen must meet in order to travel to the country.

South Korean visa requirements state that all travelers entering the country, whether they have a visa or not, need to have a passport valid for at least 6 months that contains between one or two blank pages.

Upon arrival in the country, it may also be necessary to prove that the visitor has enough funds for the stay to gain entry to South Korea.

According to the South Korean visa law, there are currently around 110 visa-exempt nationalities for the country. These foreign citizens may enter South Korea for differing periods of permitted stay visa-free.

Depending on nationality, visa-exempt citizens may stay in South Korea from 30 to 180 days. However, from September 2021, these same travelers will be required to have an approved ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) to visit South Korea for the same periods of stay.

However, individuals from over 130 countries and territories around the world require a visa to travel to South Korea no matter the period of stay or purpose of travel.

This applies whether the visitor needs a visa for business, tourism, transit, a working holiday, overseas study, corporate investment, foreign language teaching, residency, or other purposes.

South Korea currently only offers the option of obtaining a visa through a government diplomatic office, either an embassy or a consulate, as a visa on arrival is not available for the country.

Therefore, applying for a South Korea visa currently involves having to attend an appointment in person and supplying an embassy with a range of supporting documentation depending on the visa type requested.

Find further information about these different types of visa for South Korea below.

Tourist Visa Policy for South Korea

According to the country’s tourist visa policy, foreign citizens from more than 110 countries can visit South Korea for tourism without having to obtain a visa in advance. The length of visa-free stay for tourism permitted depends on the traveler’s nationality and ranges from 30 days to 6 months.

Nevertheless, from September 2021, these same citizens will be required to have an approved South Korea ETA to visit the country for tourism, no matter the duration of their intended stay. This Electronic Travel Authorization is a multiple entry visa waiver valid for 2 years from approval. It may be obtained through a simple online application that takes just a few minutes to complete.

All other foreign travelers are required to obtain a tourist visa to enter the country, which at the moment must be applied for at the nearest embassy or consulate of South Korea.

A consular appointment for a South Korea embassy visa for tourism should be made well in advance of the intended date of arrival in the country, to ensure sufficient time for processing and approval.

An approved tourist embassy visa may be issued as a single or multiple entry visa for a short stay. It is also possible to obtain a tourist visa extension once in South Korea and before the visa expires.

See more information about South Korean tourist visa requirements for your nationality. below.

South Korea ETA

The ETA for South Korea, called K-ETA, is an Electronic Travel Authorization implemented by the South Korean government to expedite entry for visa-exempt passport holders at border entry checkpoints. It is also being introduced with the aim of pre-screening visa waiver nationals for any infectious diseases before they arrive in the country.

The South Korea K-ETA program was implemented on a trial basis for select visa-exempt nationalities in May 2021. However, it will become mandatory for all travelers with visa exemption for South Korea to have an approved ETA to visit the country by September 2021.

An approved ETA for South Korea allows the holder to enter the country for purposes of tourism, to visit friends or family, to attend conferences or meetings, or for commercial activities. It is valid for 2 years from the date of issue and allows multiple entries to South Korea during its validity.

In order to complete the simple online South Korea ETA form, it is necessary to provide basic personal, passport, and travel information. Applicants also need to provide a valid email address to which the approved ETA tourist authorization is sent.

Once approved, travelers are required to print a copy of the approved ETA visa waiver to present to border officials upon arrival in South Korea.

Check if you are eligible to apply for the K-ETA for South Korea by browsing the list below.

Albania
Andorra
Barbados
Dominica
Guam
Guyana
Ireland
Malta
Mexico
Monaco
New Caledonia
Nicaragua
Palau
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Slovenia
United Kingdom
United States
Vatican City
Venezuela

South Korea ETA Info

Apply Online

Embassy or Consular Visa Required

There are more than 130 countries that require a visa to visit South Korea no matter the travel purpose or period of the intended stay. ETA-eligible citizens who want to stay for longer periods than permitted for their nationality must also obtain a visa.

This type of document must be obtained from a government office of South Korea well in advance of travel, by making an appointment at the nearest embassy or consulate.

South Korean immigration regulations dictate that it is necessary to have an eligible passport with a minimum validity of 6 months from the intended arrival date, containing at least one or two blank pages, to apply for an embassy visa.

It may also be necessary to provide a range of supporting documentation, including proof of funds and round-trip flights, depending on the type of embassy visa the applicant requires.

The South Korean embassy visa type required must be indicated on the application form the traveler must fill out, whether a student visa, business visa, tourism visa, transit visa, work visa, resident visa, or other visa option.

An approved consular travel document for South Korea may be issued as either a single or multiple entry visa, depending on the type of visa and the regulations and agreements that South Korea has with their country.

It is recommended to make the embassy visa appointment well in advance of the intended arrival date in South Korea, since processing and approval can take several weeks, sometimes even longer.

Check the list below to find out if you require an embassy visa to travel to South Korea for your nationality.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Algeria
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Armenia
Aruba
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Cuba
Curacao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Isle of Man
Ivory Coast
Jersey
Jordan
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Libya
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Martinique
Mauritania
Mayotte
Moldova
Mongolia
Montserrat
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Pakistan
Palestinian Territory
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Reunion
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Somalia
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United States Virgin Islands
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

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Visa Not Required

According to the South Korean visa policy, there are more than 110 visa-exempt nationalities for the country. Depending on nationality, these foreign citizens may enter South Korea for a stay of 30 to 180 days.

However, from September 2021, it will become mandatory for these same nationalities to obtain an approved Electronic Travel Authorization to visit South Korea for the same periods of stay. The K-ETA can be obtained in minutes through a simple online application and is valid for 2 years from approval. It allows multiple entries to South Korea during its validity.

These same citizens will need a visa if they intend to spend longer than the period of stay permitted with an ETA for their nationality. This must be applied for at the nearest South Korean embassy or consulate well in advance of the intended date of arrival.

Additionally, most foreign nationalities do not need a transit visa to pass through South Korea, if the transit time is less than 24 hours and if they do not leave the transit area, at Incheon Airport.

Travelers arriving at all other South Korean airports may transit without a visa on the same calendar day if they remain with the airport transit area.

Below you can find a full list of the countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter South Korea.