US passport holders need the K-ETA Arrival Card — not a visa — to enter South Korea. To enter South Korea you need: a valid passport, K-ETA Arrival Card, Passport validity requirement, Onward/return ticket, Transit exemption for non-visa-exempt nationals, Customs Declaration. We complete and submit your K-ETA Arrival Card for you.
South Korea Visa & K-ETA Arrival Card Fees & Cost
South Korea visa fees vary by passport nationality and visa type. The government fee is set by South Korea and paid to them; our service fee is separate and covers expert review of your application before it is submitted. Fees below are for a US passport.
Visa type
Government fee
Max stay
Our service from
K-ETA Arrival Card
$0.00
90 days
$69.00
Tourist Visa (C-3-9) — for stays over 90 days
$40.00
90 days
$149.00
South Korea Visa & K-ETA Arrival Card Processing Time
South Korea asks travellers to apply at least 0 days before arrival. Government processing usually takes 0 days, but governments do not guarantee a decision date, so apply as early as you can — applications are accepted well ahead of travel.
Our Standard, Rush and Emergency options set how quickly we review and file your application; the decision itself remains with the South Korea government. Whichever you choose, we tell you the date your visa is guaranteed by — on time or your money back.
How It Works
How to Get Your South Korea Visa & K-ETA Arrival Card — Step by Step
1
Apply online in 5–10 min
Complete our short guided form with your passport and travel details.
2
Specialist reviews first
We check every detail against your passport before anything is submitted.
3
We submit your K-ETA Arrival Card
Filed with the South Korea authorities on your behalf.
4
K-ETA Arrival Card by email
Your confirmation arrives in your inbox, ready for travel.
Full Requirements — VIE Intelligence Engine
South Korea Visa & K-ETA Arrival Card Requirements
Select a category below. All South Korea visa data is updated daily from official government and embassy sources via our VIE Intelligence Engine.
South Korea requires 0 documents for this application. Our system validates all of these automatically before submission.
🛂
Passport valid 6+ months past entry
Critical▼
Passport validity, blank pages, dual nationality, and special rules — what South Korea immigration checks before letting you in.
⏰
Passport must be valid 6 months past entry
Critical▼
🛂
Dual nationality rules
If applicable▼
✅
Emergency and damaged passports
FYI▼
🇮🇱
Israeli stamp in passport
Not an issue for South Korea▼
⚖️
Criminal record impact
May affect▼
Entry ports, biometrics, wait times, and intel from our VIE border intelligence database.
✈️
South Korea e-Visa: designated entry ports only
Restricted▼
🖐️
Biometrics on arrival
Not required▼
📱
Social media screening
Not reported▼
⏱️
Typical immigration wait times
VIE Data▼
🏨
Accommodation registration within 24 hours
Required by law▼
🛫
Airline pre-board document checks
Varies by airline▼
Vaccinations, health insurance, and South Korea's medication import rules.
💉
Yellow fever certificate
Not required from US▼
💊
Banned and restricted medications
Check before travel▼
🏥
Travel health insurance
Strongly recommended▼
🧬
HIV test requirement
Not required▼
🌡️
Health screening on arrival
Not active▼
Proof of funds, cash declaration limits, and duty-free allowances.
💵
Proof of sufficient funds
May be checked▼
💱
Cash declaration threshold: $10,000 USD
Declare if over limit▼
🛍️
Duty-free customs allowances
FYI▼
🚫
Prohibited import items
Know before you pack▼
Essential laws and cultural rules from VIE practical intelligence data.
🚁
Drone LawsBanned
🌐
VPN UsageIllegal
🍺
AlcoholRestricted
🌿
CannabisIllegal — severe
🎰
GamblingIllegal
📷
PhotographyMilitary areas banned
🏳️🌈
LGBTQ+ safety and legal status
Legal, exercise discretion▼
🚁
Drone rules
Registration required▼
💰
Tipping culture
Optional▼
🚨
Emergency numbers & US Embassy
Save before you go▼
If you're connecting through another country on the way to South Korea, check your transit visa requirements here.
Transit Country
Airside
Landside
US Visa Needed?
🇦🇪 UAE (Dubai/Abu Dhabi)
✓ Free
✓ Free
No
🇶🇦 Qatar (Doha)
✓ Free
✓ Free
No
🇸🇬 Singapore
✓ Free
✓ Free
No
🇯🇵 Japan
✓ Free
✓ Free
No
🇰🇷 South Korea
✓ Free
✓ Free
No
🇹🇭 Thailand
✓ Free
✓ Free
No
🇨🇳 China
⚠️ Varies
⚠️ 144hr only
Check first
⚠️ Transit rules change frequently. Always verify with your airline before booking.
What South Korea requires when you depart — and the overstay penalties you really don't want to trigger.
✅
Exit visa required?
No — standard tourists▼
💸
Departure tax
Included in ticket▼
🚫
Exit ban for unpaid fines
Know this▼
⚠️ Overstay Consequences
$8
Per day fine
24h
Grace period
3yr
Max ban
Possible
Deportation risk
🌏 Digital Nomad Status — VIE Data
Digital Nomad Visa
Not yet available
Remote-work authorisation
No dedicated category
Avg internet speed
—
Monthly cost of living
—
Coworking scene
—
In-country extension
Not permitted
🛂
Best visa strategy for digital nomads
Strategy▼
💰
Tax implications for remote workers
Important▼
Avoid These Mistakes
Why South Korea Visa & K-ETA Arrival Card Applications Get Rejected — And How We Prevent It
Our document review catches these before submission. Applications rejected due to our error are resubmitted at no charge.
⏰
Passport expires within 6 months of entry
Airlines deny boarding and immigration refuses entry. The #1 cause of rejections.
✓ We verify passport validity before submitting
⚠️
Details don't exactly match your passport
A single character difference in name, DOB, or passport number causes rejection.
✓ We verify all fields match your passport scan
🔄
Prior overstay or visa violation
Prior overstays are on record and may trigger automatic rejection. Tell us — we can advise.
✓ We guide you through handling prior violations
Why Choose Us
South Korea Visa & K-ETA Arrival Card: Expert Help vs Applying Directly
You can apply on the government portal for free. Here's why 500,000+ travelers paid us instead.
🔍
Never rejected for a preventable mistake
73% of rejections are caused by 4 fixable errors. We check every application first. Rejected due to our error? We resubmit free.
📡
Government portal monitored 24/7
South Korea's application system goes offline without warning. We watch it around the clock and submit the moment it returns — you never have to keep checking.
👨👩👧
Get your whole family right first time
Inconsistencies between family applications are a top rejection trigger. We manage all applications together.
🙋
Human help for complex cases
Prior overstay? Dual nationality? A specialist handles your case personally. Avg response under 2 hours.
🛡️
30 years in business
Since 1992. 500,000+ customers. 11,700+ reviews on Trustpilot.
Official Advisories
Current Travel Advisories for South Korea
🇺🇸
US State Dept
Exercise Normal Precautions
🇬🇧
UK FCDO
No special precautions
🇨🇦
Canada DFATD
Take normal precautions
🇦🇺
Australia DFAT
Exercise normal safety precautions
Quick Reference
South Korea Visa & K-ETA Arrival Card Requirements by Nationality
Select your passport above to personalise this table.
K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) is an online pre-travel authorization that visa-exempt foreign visitors must obtain before entering South Korea for tourism, visiting relatives, business or events.
Who needs to apply for K-ETA?
▼
If you can find your nationality listed on the official K-ETA website, you must apply for K-ETA before travel; if your nationality is not listed, you need a visa instead.
Which nationalities are temporarily exempt from needing a K-ETA, and until when?
▼
Nationals of a group of countries including Canada, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and most of the EU/EFTA are temporarily exempt from the K-ETA requirement; this exemption period runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026.
What happens if my nationality is not on the K-ETA eligible list?
▼
If you cannot locate your country in the K-ETA eligible country list, you are not eligible for K-ETA and must instead apply for an appropriate Korean visa.
How much does K-ETA cost?
▼
The K-ETA application fee is approximately 7-8 USD, payable online during the application process at the official K-ETA website.
What is the Korea Electronic Arrival Card (K-EAC)?
▼
It is Korea's electronic arrival declaration; Korean visa holders, K-ETA-exempt individuals and most other categories of entrants must complete it, while those who already hold a valid K-ETA are excluded from this declaration.
Can I apply for a Korean visa fully online?
▼
Korea's e-Visa system lets the Minister of Justice issue a visa directly online, but it is currently limited to specific professional categories such as professor (E-1), researcher (E-3) and technology transfer (E-5) visas, applied for via the Visa Portal (visa.go.kr).
Where do I submit a Korean tourist visa application?
▼
Korean missions do not accept visa applications online or by email; all visa applications must be submitted in person at a Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC), after registering the application on the Korea Visa Portal.
Do K-ETA-exempt travellers need to do anything before arriving in Korea?
▼
Travellers from K-ETA-exempt countries are still expected to complete immigration's standard entry procedures; those without a K-ETA generally file the Korea Electronic Arrival Card instead, while K-ETA holders are excluded from that declaration.
Social Proof
What Travelers Say About Our South Korea Visa & K-ETA Arrival Card Service
11,700+
reviews on Trustpilot
Common themes from South Korea visa customers:
✓ Fast processing✓ Easy application✓ Caught my photo error✓ Approved first try✓ On-time delivery
PassportsAndVisas.com relies exclusively on official government sources for visa requirements. Our VIE Intelligence Engine cross-references multiple official sources daily to ensure accuracy.
▶South Korea Official Immigration Portal. (Web). Official government portal
▶U.S. Department of State — South Korea Travel Information. (Web). travel.state.gov
▶IATA Timatic — Visa & Health Requirements Database. (Web). iatatravelcentre.com
