K-ETA, the e-Arrival Card and what South Korea actually asks for

Most visitors to South Korea do not need a visa, and that part is simple: eligible passports enter visa-free for somewhere between 30 and 90 days depending on nationality, at no cost. The confusion is the two separate online forms sitting behind that, and the fact that you generally need one of them but not both.

K-ETA is the travel authorisation. It costs ₩10,000, is normally assessed within 72 hours, and once granted lasts three years or until your passport expires — so it is a one-off rather than a per-trip cost. Apply on the official k-eta.go.kr site; the paid intermediaries that rank alongside it charge several times the fee for filling in the same form.

The important exception is the exemption. Nationals of the designated visa-waiver countries are currently exempt from K-ETA through 31 December 2026, which covers a large share of visitors and means most readers will not need it at all. Check your own nationality on the official list rather than assuming, because the scheme has been extended year by year and the list has changed.

If you are exempt from K-ETA — or otherwise arriving without a valid one — you submit the e-Arrival Card instead. It is free, replaces the paper form that used to be handed out on the plane, and must be filed within the three days before you arrive. Doing it at home takes a few minutes; doing it in the immigration hall on airport wifi takes considerably longer.

Two practical notes. Apply for K-ETA at least a week out even though the stated turnaround is 72 hours, because a query on your application resets the clock. And keep the confirmation accessible offline: airlines check it at the departure gate, not only on arrival.

This is the fastest-moving information on the whole South Korea page. Both schemes have changed dates and eligibility more than once, so confirm the current position on the government sites listed below before you book anything non-refundable.