K-ETA Korea and the Korea e-Arrival Card: What You Need Before You Fly

If your country is visa-free for Korea, you need either an approved K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) or an arrival card, and in most cases you need one of them before you land. Citizens of 22 countries and regions, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Japan, are temporarily exempt from K-ETA until December 31, 2026; they file a free e-Arrival card instead, while everyone else applies for a K-ETA, which costs KRW 10,000 and covers the arrival card too.

This guide reflects official sources as of October 2026. Rules change, so check k-eta.go.kr and e-arrivalcard.go.kr before you book. This is general travel information, not legal advice.

Checked against official sources: October 2026

What K-ETA is and who needs it

K-ETA is an online pre-travel authorization for foreigners who can enter Korea without a visa. It is run by Korea's Ministry of Justice. You apply online, get an approval by email, and the approval is checked when you board your flight or ship to Korea.

In general, the rule works like this:

You hold a Korean visa: you do not need K-ETA.
Your country is visa-free for Korea and is not on the temporary exemption list: you need an approved K-ETA. A Korean embassy notice states that travelers without a K-ETA or a valid visa cannot board a flight to Korea.
Your country is on the temporary exemption list (see next section): you do not need K-ETA through December 31, 2026, but you must submit an arrival card.
Your country is not visa-free: K-ETA does not apply to you. You need a visa.

Korean embassy guidance also lists groups that are outside K-ETA, such as transit passengers who stay airside, crew, diplomatic and official passport holders, travelers on direct flights to Jeju Island, and certain age groups (the embassy notice we checked named travelers aged 17 and under and 65 and over). Because these categories have changed before, confirm yours on the official K-ETA site.

An approval does not guarantee entry. The immigration officer at the airport still makes the final decision.

The temporary K-ETA exemption: 22 countries until December 31, 2026

Korea first suspended the K-ETA requirement for 22 countries and regions in April 2023 to promote tourism. It has been extended year by year. Korean embassy notices published in December 2025 state that the Ministry of Justice extended the exemption for one more year, from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 (Korea time), for the countries already covered.

The 22 countries and regions on the list published by Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs are:

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

When you start an application on k-eta.go.kr and select your nationality, a pop-up tells you if you are on the exempt list. If you are, you can stop there, or you can still apply and pay the fee if you want K-ETA's main benefit: you skip the arrival card.

What changes in 2027?

The current extension ends on December 31, 2026. As of October 2026, we could not find an official announcement extending it into 2027. If no extension is announced, travelers from these 22 places will be back under the normal rule from January 1, 2027, which means applying for K-ETA before they fly. If you are traveling in early 2027, check the notices on k-eta.go.kr or your local Korean embassy website in December 2026. If the exemption ends, apply at least a week ahead of your flight.

How to apply for K-ETA: official site, fee, timing and validity

Apply only on the official website, www.k-eta.go.kr, or the official K-ETA mobile app. The official site warns about fake websites and agencies that charge much more than the real fee, sometimes for so-called express service. One Korean embassy notice mentions a lookalike site charging 20 times the official fee. Paying an agency does not make your application faster or more likely to be approved.

Item	Official figure (as of October 2026)
Fee	KRW 10,000 per person, paid by card
Processing	Generally within 72 hours
When to apply	At least 72 hours before boarding; embassies suggest up to a week ahead
Validity	3 years from approval for applications made from July 3, 2023, for multiple trips
Group applications	Up to 30 people in one application
Refunds	Fees are not refunded once an application is submitted

Step by step:

Open k-eta.go.kr (check the address carefully) or the official app.
Enter your passport details exactly as printed. Have a passport photo file and your contact details ready.
Fill in your travel details: purpose of visit, address in Korea such as your hotel, and other questions.
Pay the KRW 10,000 fee.
Wait for the result by email, or check it on the website.

Your K-ETA is tied to your passport. Korean embassy guidance says you must apply again if your passport number or expiry date changes, or if your name, nationality or other key details change, even when the old approval has not expired. Details cannot be edited after you submit.

The Korea e-Arrival card: who files it and when

The e-Arrival card is the online version of Korea's paper arrival card. The Ministry of Justice launched it on February 24, 2025. You file it at www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr on a phone or computer, and it is free.

Who must submit it: in principle, every foreigner entering Korea must submit an arrival card. The Ministry of Justice lists these exemptions:

Holders of a valid K-ETA approval
Foreigners registered in Korea, including permanent residents and those with domestic residence reports
Aircraft crew and others listed on the official site

In practice, this means a traveler from an exempt country who does not apply for K-ETA files the e-Arrival card. A traveler with an approved K-ETA does not.

Timing: you can submit from 3 days before your arrival, counted in Korea time. If you do not enter Korea within 72 hours of submitting, the card becomes invalid and you must file again. You file a new card for every entry.

Other rules from the Ministry of Justice:

No approval step. You get a submission number; you do not need to print anything because officers can see it in the system.
You can correct your details on the website until your immigration check.
Up to 9 people can be included in one submission. Groups of 10 or more use the group feature on the PC website.
Children under 14 must be submitted by someone else, such as a family member.

Is the paper arrival card still used?

When the e-Arrival card launched, the Ministry of Justice said paper cards would remain available alongside it through December 2025. As of October 2026, we could not find an official notice confirming whether paper cards are still handed out in 2026. Do not count on them. File the e-Arrival card online before you fly, or apply for K-ETA, and you will not need either form at the airport.

Do I need K-ETA or an e-Arrival card? Quick table

Your situation (as of October 2026)	K-ETA	e-Arrival card
Citizen of one of the 22 exempt places, traveling by Dec 31, 2026, no K-ETA	Not required	Required (free, within 3 days before arrival)
Citizen of one of the 22 exempt places who chose to apply for K-ETA	Optional, KRW 10,000	Not required while K-ETA is valid
Citizen of one of the 22 exempt places, traveling from Jan 1, 2027	Required unless the exemption is extended again	Not required if K-ETA is approved
Citizen of another visa-free country	Required before boarding	Not required if K-ETA is approved
Holder of a Korean visa	Not applicable	Required unless registered in Korea
Registered foreign resident of Korea	Not applicable	Not required

If you are unsure, use the navigator on e-arrivalcard.go.kr, which asks what documents you hold, and the nationality check on k-eta.go.kr.

Timeline before your trip

When you book: check your nationality on k-eta.go.kr. Check that your passport will stay valid for your whole trip. If you plan to renew your passport soon, renew it before you apply for K-ETA, since a new passport means a new application.
At least 1 week before departure (K-ETA travelers): apply on the official site and pay KRW 10,000. A week leaves time if the review takes longer than 72 hours or if you need to fix something.
Before you check in: confirm you have the approval email. Airlines check K-ETA status at boarding.
Within 3 days before arrival (e-Arrival card travelers): file the card on e-arrivalcard.go.kr. Do not file too early: it expires if you do not arrive within 72 hours of submitting. Save the submission number.
If your flight is delayed by more than a day: check whether your e-Arrival card is still within its 72-hour window, and resubmit if needed.
At the airport in Korea: go through immigration with your passport. You do not need to show a printout of the e-Arrival card or K-ETA.

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens need a K-ETA for Korea in 2026?

No, not for trips through December 31, 2026. The United States, including Guam, is on the temporary exemption list. US travelers without a K-ETA must submit an arrival card, which you can file free online at e-arrivalcard.go.kr within 3 days before arrival. Check k-eta.go.kr for any change before you travel.

Will K-ETA be required again in 2027?

The current exemption ends on December 31, 2026. As of October 2026, no official extension into 2027 had been announced on the sources we checked. Unless the Ministry of Justice extends it again, travelers from the 22 exempt places will need a K-ETA from January 1, 2027.

How much does K-ETA cost?

KRW 10,000 per person on the official site, k-eta.go.kr, or the official app. Websites that charge more are agencies or lookalike sites, and the Korean government warns against them. The fee is not refunded after you submit.

How long is a K-ETA valid?

Three years from approval for applications made from July 3, 2023, and it can be used for multiple trips. You must reapply if you get a new passport or if your passport number, expiry date, name or nationality changes.

Do I need an e-Arrival card if I have a K-ETA?

No. The Ministry of Justice exempts holders of a valid K-ETA from submitting an arrival card. Registered foreign residents of Korea and aircraft crew are also exempt.