K-ETA in 2026 and 2027: who needs it and how to apply

Most people meet the K-ETA for the first time when an airline check-in screen asks for it, or when a search ad offers to “process” it for a fee that’s suspiciously high. Then they find out their country might be exempt, but only until a certain date, and that the date is coming up. If you’re booking a trip that lands in Korea around the new year, that’s the part that matters.

The short version

If you hold a passport from a country that can visit Korea without a visa, you need a K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) before you fly, unless you’re on the temporary exemption list or in an exempt group. Twenty-two countries and regions, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and much of Western Europe, are exempt until December 31, 2026. As of October 9, 2026, the Korean government had not said whether that exemption continues into 2027.

The official K-ETA costs 10,000 won, is valid for three years, and is applied for only at k-eta.go.kr or in the official K-ETA app.

Who needs a K-ETA

According to Korean embassy guidance, the K-ETA applies to nationals of the 67 visa-waiver countries and 45 designated visa-free countries traveling for:

• Tourism
• Visiting relatives
• Events or meetings
• Non-profit business

You don’t need one if you already hold a Korean visa. For work, study or settling in Korea, you need a visa from the embassy, not a K-ETA.

Several groups are exempt regardless of nationality. Embassy guidance lists travelers aged 17 and under and 65 and over, UN passport holders, APEC Business Travel Card holders, US Forces Korea members, aircraft and ship crew, transfer passengers, and holders of diplomatic or official passports.

The 22 exempt countries and regions

The temporary exemption runs from January 1 to December 31, 2026, Korea time. It covers nationals of 19 countries and residents of three regions:

The quickest check is the K-ETA site itself. Start an application, select your nationality, and if you’re covered, a “K-ETA Exempt” pop-up appears.

What happens in 2027

Nothing official yet. As of October 9, 2026, we found no announcement from the Ministry of Justice about extending the exemption past December 31, 2026, and none about ending it.

What we do know is the pattern. The exemption was first introduced in 2023 for the Visit Korea Year campaign. The extension to 2025 was announced on December 11, 2024, and the extension to 2026 was announced in December 2025. In both cases, travelers learned about it a couple of weeks before the old deadline.

So if your trip lands on or after January 1, 2027, plan as if you’ll need a K-ETA until the government says otherwise. If you apply now, your approval stays valid for its full three years even if the exemption is extended. The flip side: fees already paid aren’t refunded.

How to apply

1. Go to k-eta.go.kr or download the official K-ETA app. These are the only official channels, and the government hasn’t designated any agencies.
2. Have your passport, an email address, a recent photo and a credit card ready. The photo is a profile photo you upload during the application.
3. Fill in your trip details, including the purpose of your trip, where you’ll stay in Korea and contact details.
4. Pay the 10,000 won fee. The official site doesn’t add extra charges.
5. Check your result on the website or app. Results usually arrive within 72 hours, but can take longer when application numbers are high.

One person can apply on behalf of a group of up to 30 people, which helps families and tour groups.

Apply at least 72 hours before you board, and up to a week ahead is safer. Your approval lasts three years from the date it’s granted, or until your passport expires if that comes first. Get a new passport and you need a new K-ETA.

A K-ETA isn’t a visa, and it doesn’t let you change your status once you’re in Korea. It covers short visits for the purposes listed above. If you’re coming to work, study or live here, apply for the right visa through the Korean embassy instead. For questions about your application, the K-ETA Center under the Ministry of Justice handles them through the “Ask Us” page on the official site, and the Immigration Contact Center is on +82-1345.

The arrival card

Korea has an online arrival card, the e-Arrival card, at e-arrivalcard.go.kr. It launched on February 24, 2025. You can submit it within three days before you arrive, and it stops being valid if you don’t enter Korea within 72 hours of submitting it.

How this fits with K-ETA:

• If you have an approved K-ETA, you don’t need to fill in an arrival card at all. That’s the main reason exempt travelers sometimes apply anyway.
• If you’re exempt and skip the K-ETA, you submit an arrival card. From January 1, 2026, Korea made the e-Arrival card the requirement for foreign nationals arriving without a K-ETA, so do it online before you fly.

Mistakes that catch travelers out

Paying a lookalike site. Search results are full of sites designed to look official. Embassy notices warn that some unofficial sites have charged about 20 times the official fee, and there have been reports of people losing money. If the address isn’t k-eta.go.kr, close the tab.

Applying at the airport. Results usually take up to 72 hours, sometimes longer, so a same-day application is a gamble you don’t need to take.

Typos in your passport details. You can’t edit a submitted application. If your name, passport details or other personal information was entered wrong or changes, you have to apply again and pay again, even if your current K-ETA is still valid.

Thinking a K-ETA guarantees entry. It doesn’t. The immigration officer at the airport makes the final decision.

Changing plans without updating. If your Korean address, contact details or trip purpose changes, update them on the K-ETA site before you enter.

Re-applying straight after a refusal. Embassy guidance says not to resubmit unless your circumstances have changed significantly.

What we’d do

From an exempt country, arriving before December 31, 2026: skip the K-ETA and submit the e-Arrival card online within three days before landing. Or pay the 10,000 won for a K-ETA if you’ll visit again in the next three years and would rather never deal with arrival cards.

From an exempt country, arriving in January 2027 or later: apply for a K-ETA now, or at least set a reminder for mid-December to check k-eta.go.kr. It costs 10,000 won and covers three years of trips.

From a visa-free country that isn’t exempt: apply as soon as your flights are booked, and at least 72 hours before you board.

Traveling with kids or parents: check ages. Travelers 17 and under and 65 and over are exempt, but everyone else in the group needs one unless they’re covered by the country exemption.

Before you go, run through our trip checklist, and if you take regular medication, read our guide to bringing medication into Korea. Once you land, here’s how to get from Incheon Airport to Seoul.

Questions people ask

Do Americans need a K-ETA in 2026?

No, not for arrivals up to December 31, 2026. The US is one of the 22 countries and regions on the temporary exemption, and Guam is included. You can still apply voluntarily for the 10,000 won fee.

Will the K-ETA exemption be extended into 2027?

Not announced as of October 9, 2026. The last two extensions were announced in December, so watch k-eta.go.kr and your Korean embassy's notices late in the year.

How long does K-ETA approval take?

Results usually come within 72 hours, but can take longer when applications are heavy. Apply at least 72 hours before you board, and earlier if you can.

Do I still fill in an arrival card if I have a K-ETA?

No. Travelers with an approved K-ETA don't have to fill in the arrival card. If you enter without one, you submit an arrival card, which can be done online at e-arrivalcard.go.kr within three days before you arrive.

Is a K-ETA a visa?

No. It's a pre-travel authorization for visa-free visitors coming for tourism, family visits, events or non-profit business. Work, study and long stays need a visa, and the immigration officer at the airport still makes the final decision.

How we checked this

Change log

• October 9, 2026 First published.

Sources

1. Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Norway: K-ETA guidance (checked 2026-10-09)
2. Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ireland: K-ETA notice (2024-01-01)
3. Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hagatna: notice of K-ETA temporary exemption extension (checked 2026-10-09)
4. KPMG: South Korea extends K-ETA exemption, e-Arrival card requirement (2026-01-30)
5. EY: Korea extends temporary K-ETA exemption until 31 December 2026 (2026-01-05)
6. Korea Travel Agents Association: K-ETA exemption extended through 2025 (2024-12-12)
7. Korea.net: K-ETA exemption extended to 2025 (2024-12-13)
8. Ministry of Justice (Korea Immigration Service): online submission of entry declaration (2025-02-24)
9. EY: Republic of Korea mandates e-Arrival card for foreign nationals from 1 January 2026 (2025-12-11)
10. Korea Herald: the steps to fill out and submit an online arrival card (2025-02-24)

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