K-ETA South Korea 2026: Exemption, Fee and Tourist Visa Guide

Most visitors to South Korea either need a K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) or a full visa, and a third group can currently skip both. If you hold a passport from one of the 22 countries and regions on the temporary exemption list, you can enter visa-free without a K-ETA until 31 December 2026; other visa-waiver nationals need a K-ETA before boarding, and everyone else applies for a C-3 short-term visa through a Korean embassy or consulate.

Who needs a K-ETA, a visa or neither

Your nationality decides the group. In every case the trip must fit what visa-free entry allows: tourism, family visits, events, meetings or short business trips, with no paid work.

Temporarily exempt: nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, plus residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. No K-ETA is needed for arrivals up to and including 31 December 2026 (Korea time).
K-ETA required: other nationalities that can enter South Korea without a visa, such as many Latin American, Gulf and European countries not on the list above.
Visa required: nationals of countries without a visa-waiver arrangement, who apply for a short-term visitor visa, usually the C-3-9 tourism visa.

Some people are excused from K-ETA whatever their nationality. These include travellers aged 17 or under or 65 or over on the day of entry, holders of a valid Korean visa or alien registration card, diplomatic, official and UN passport holders, APEC Business Travel Card holders, airline crew, cruise passengers and transit passengers who stay airside.

Will the K-ETA exemption be extended into 2027?

As of 20 October 2026, the Ministry of Justice has not announced any extension beyond 31 December 2026. The exemption began in April 2023 and has been renewed each year, most recently by a notice on the official K-ETA site dated 23 December 2025. Until a new notice appears, assume that travellers from the exempt list arriving on or after 1 January 2027 will need a K-ETA, and check the K-ETA site notices before you book early-2027 trips.

K-ETA, exemption or C-3 visa: how they compare

Temporary exemption: free, no application, but you must complete an arrival card. Allowed stay depends on your nationality, usually 90 days, and six months for Canadians.
K-ETA: online application, fee of KRW 10,000, valid for multiple entries over three years. It also excuses you from filling in an arrival card.
C-3-9 tourism visa: applied for at a Korean embassy, consulate or appointed visa centre. It is usually issued as a single-entry visa used within three months, allowing up to 90 days per stay. Some missions also offer double or multiple-entry versions.

Exempt travellers can still apply for a K-ETA voluntarily if they want to skip the arrival card, but they pay the normal fee. A K-ETA issued earlier remains valid until its expiry date.

A K-ETA is not a visa. It is a pre-screening step, and the border officer still decides whether to admit you. The K-ETA validity period is also separate from your permitted stay: you cannot stay longer than the visa-free period allowed for your nationality.

Documents checklist

For a K-ETA application:

a passport from an eligible country, which you will scan or photograph
a recent facial photo showing your whole face from forehead to chin
a working email address (the K-ETA Centre has reported delays to Gmail and some US-based addresses, so consider an alternative)
a credit or debit card for the fee
your travel details: purpose, address in Korea, contact number, planned arrival and departure dates

For a C-3-9 tourism visa, requirements differ by embassy, but expect:

the visa application form, completed on the Korea Visa Portal and printed
a passport valid for at least six months, plus a copy of the photo page
a passport-style colour photo on a white background
proof of legal residence if you apply outside your home country
a letter from your employer or school, or proof of self-employment
recent bank statements, often covering the last three months
a day-by-day itinerary, hotel booking or host letter, and a flight itinerary
an invitation letter, where you have a host in Korea
proof of a K-ETA refusal, if you were refused before applying for a visa

Fees as of October 2026

K-ETA: KRW 10,000 per person (roughly US$7 to US$8), plus a 3% online payment charge. The fee covers the review and is not refunded if you are refused.
Temporary exemption: no charge.
e-Arrival Card: free.
C-3 visa: set by the embassy and varies by nationality; check your mission's fee table before you apply. Some missions accept cash or money order only.

The K-ETA can only be obtained through the official website or the official K-ETA mobile app. Many look-alike sites charge far more for so-called express or agency services. There is no official fast-track; applications are handled in order.

How to apply for a K-ETA

Check your status: open the official K-ETA website or app and select your nationality or scan your passport. Exempt travellers will see a pop-up confirming they do not need to apply.
Choose to apply as a member or a guest. Guests verify their email address instead of creating an account.
Enter your passport details, upload your photo and complete the travel and background questions.
Review every answer carefully, especially names, passport number and dates.
Pay the fee by card.
Check your result online. If approved, no printout is needed, but keep a copy handy.
If your dates, address or flight change later, use the travel information update function rather than reapplying.

You must reapply if you get a new passport, even if the old K-ETA has not expired, and if your criminal record or infectious disease information changes.

How to apply for a C-3 tourist visa

Find the Korean embassy or consulate responsible for where you live, and read its visa page for the current checklist.
Complete the online application form on the Korea Visa Portal and print it.
Book an appointment if required, or use the appointed visa application centre. Some missions do not accept travel agents or friends submitting on your behalf.
Submit your documents, pay the fee and, if asked, attend an interview.
Track the outcome on the Korea Visa Portal on the expected date.

Timing

K-ETA: usually decided within 72 hours, but it can take longer. The rules say you must hold approval before boarding a plane or ship to Korea; applying after boarding or once in the country can lead to refusal. Apply at least a week before you fly to leave a margin.
K-ETA validity: three years, or until your passport expires if that comes sooner.
e-Arrival Card: can be submitted from three days before arrival, Korea time.
C-3 visa: Korean missions publish their own processing times. Missions in Canada and Singapore quote around one to two working weeks, while others quote three to four weeks. Apply well ahead of travel.

e-Arrival Card and Q-CODE

Travellers who enter without a K-ETA, including those using the temporary exemption and C-3 visa holders, must complete an arrival card. The quickest way is the free Korea e-Arrival Card on the official Ministry of Justice site, which accepts individual and group submissions from three days before arrival. K-ETA holders are excused from this step.

Q-CODE is a separate health declaration run by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. It is only required if you have been in an area designated for strict quarantine inspection, or have symptoms of a monitored disease. The list of areas changes often.

Jeju Island visa-free entry

Jeju has its own visa-free scheme. Most foreign nationals arriving directly at Jeju airport or port can stay on the island for up to 30 days without a visa, but nationals of countries designated by the Ministry of Justice are excluded, and travel to the mainland needs a separate permit.

Common refusal and entry problems

Paying an unofficial website that files late, wrongly or not at all.
Giving false or inaccurate information. This can lead to the K-ETA being refused or cancelled for you and everyone on the same application, and may affect future entry.
Passport mismatch: travelling on a different or renewed passport from the one linked to your K-ETA.
Applying after boarding, or leaving it too late for processing.
An unclear travel purpose, a thin itinerary or weak ties to home. These are the most common reasons for C-3 visa refusals and for being turned away at the border.
Planning work. Neither K-ETA entry nor a tourist visa allows paid activities.

If your K-ETA is refused, you are not automatically barred from Korea. You can usually apply for a visa at a Korean embassy and should include proof of the refusal.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a K-ETA for South Korea in 2026?

Not if you are a national of one of the 22 temporarily exempt countries and regions and arrive by 31 December 2026. Other visa-waiver nationals do need one, unless they are 17 or under, 65 or over, or fall into another exempt category.

Is the K-ETA exemption extended to 2027?

No extension had been announced as of 20 October 2026. Watch the notices on the official K-ETA website, as previous extensions were announced in late December.

How long is a K-ETA valid for?

Three years from approval, for multiple entries, or until your passport expires if sooner. Each stay is still limited to the visa-free period for your nationality.

Do I need an arrival card if I am K-ETA exempt?

Yes. Exempt travellers without a K-ETA must complete an arrival card, and the free e-Arrival Card can be submitted online from three days before you land.

Can I get a Korea tourist visa on arrival?

No. South Korea does not offer visa on arrival. If you need a visa, you must get a C-3 visa from a Korean mission before you travel.

Check before you travel

Korean entry rules, especially the K-ETA exemption list and its end date, change at short notice. Before booking, confirm your status on the official K-ETA website, check the Korea Visa Portal and your local Korean embassy for visa requirements, and submit your e-Arrival Card through the Ministry of Justice site only.