Inviting a visa-free visitor to Korea?

K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization, 전자여행허가) is a travel authorization that a foreign national entering Korea without a visa must obtain online before boarding a flight or ship. It is not a visa. It meets part of the conditions for visa-free entry, and the immigration officer at the port of entry still makes the final decision on entry. Travellers apply for it themselves on the official site, www.k-eta.go.kr, or the K-ETA app; the official site warns against paid "agency" or "express" services. Our part comes in when an application is refused, when the purpose of the visit is unclear, or when the visitor turns out to need a visa.

K-ETA at a glance

• When to apply: before boarding the flight or ship. Applying after boarding, or while already in Korea, can lead to a refusal or an entry restriction.
• Fee: KRW 10,000 per person, plus an online payment charge of about 3%. The fee pays for the review and is not refunded if the application is refused.
• Review: usually within 72 hours. There is no express service.
• Validity: 3 years, or until the passport expires if that comes first, for any number of entries. An authorization applied for before July 3, 2023 is valid for 2 years.
• Arrival card: a K-ETA holder does not fill in the arrival card.

Who must apply

A person needs K-ETA when all three of these apply:

• a foreign national entering Korea without a visa
• a short stay for tourism, a family visit, an event or meeting, or business. Profit-making activity is not allowed.
• not in one of the exempt groups below

Who is exempt

• Korean nationals, and dual nationals holding a valid Korean passport
• Active-duty military personnel under the SOFA
• Aircraft and ship crew, including seafarers about to enter
• APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) holders
• Transit passengers, with exceptions: a transit passenger who changes plans to enter Korea, or enters to collect baggage, must apply
• Registered foreign residents and holders of a visa
• UN passport holders, and diplomatic or official passport holders
• Visitors aged 17 or under, or 65 or over, on the day of entry
• Cruise passengers

Temporary exemptions for particular countries are announced from time to time, so check the notices on the K-ETA site before departure.

What the traveller needs

• A valid passport
• A valid email address
• A facial photo
• A credit or debit card for the fee (VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, DISCOVER, UnionPay or Alipay+). Payment can fail if the card blocks overseas transactions; the card company can lift the block.

The application runs in 7 steps: agree to the terms, sign up, enter the passport details, enter the travel details, check the entries, pay, and finish. It can also be filed without signing up.

After the authorization is issued

• Apply again when the criminal record or infectious disease information changes, even if the authorization is still valid, and when a new passport is issued (a name change, a lost passport or a renewal).
• Update the travel details under the site's travel information update menu when the purpose of entry, the address in Korea, the contact number, the dates, the departure flight or the companions change. Leaving them outdated can lead to a refusal of entry.
• Use one passport: a traveller with two passports applies with the one used to buy the ticket and to enter Korea. The passport number on the authorization must match.
• Validity is not length of stay: each stay follows the visa-free period for the traveller's nationality.

Where we help

K-ETA itself is a simple filing the traveller makes. We are not an application agent for it, and we do not charge to file it. We help with what surrounds it:

• Reviewing the case when an application has been refused, and working out the route that fits: applying again after a change in circumstances, or applying for a visa instead
• Checking whether the purpose of a trip fits a visa-free short stay. Profit-making activity does not, and work calls for a work visa.
• Invitation letters and supporting documents for foreign business partners, family or event guests
• Certified translation of the documents a visa application calls for

Common mistakes

• Assuming "visa-free country" means nothing is needed. Without K-ETA, boarding can be refused.
• Paying a look-alike agency or phishing site many times the official fee
• Keeping the old authorization after getting a new passport
• Not updating the address, dates or flight after the plan changes
• Reading the 3-year validity as permission to stay for 3 years

Refused, or not sure whether a visit needs a visa? Tell us the nationality, the purpose and the dates, and we will check the route before the trip is booked.