South Korea first introduced the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) system in September 2021 as a pre-departure screening tool for visa-free travelers. However, in an effort to boost international arrivals, Seoul suspended this requirement in 2023 for many nationalities, including key tourism markets such as Europe and North America.
The waiver initially took effect in April 2023 and was scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. The newly announced extension adds another year, ensuring eligible travelers can continue to enter without prior electronic approval till December 2026.
The waiver applies exclusively to citizens of countries that are already visa-exempt and includes travellers from:
- Africa: South Africa
- Americas: Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United States
- Asia: Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Singapore, Taiwan
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City
- Middle East: Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
- Oceania: Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu
You can check out the full list of countries here.
While no longer mandatory, the K-ETA system has not been scrapped. Exempt travellers such as those from Malaysia and Turkiye may apply for a K-ETA, particularly if they want to streamline arrival procedures. A valid K-ETA allows travellers to skip the arrival card altogether. The application fee remains KRW 10,000 (USD 6.92) and is non-refundable.
Travellers entering without a K-ETA will be required to complete a standard arrival card on landing, which must be presented at immigration.
Those who already hold a valid K-ETA may continue using it until its expiry date and are exempt from filling out the arrival card. Applications submitted before the exemption extension remain non-refundable, even if the traveller now qualifies for the waiver.
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