# K-ETA Korea 2026: Who Is Exempt and What to Fill In

> Visitors from 22 countries and regions, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan, can enter Korea without K-ETA until 31 December 2026. If you're exempt, you fill in the free e-Arrival Card instead, any time from 3 days before you land. Visa-free countries that are not on the list, such as Thailand and Malaysia, still need K-ETA (10,000 won, valid 3 years). Apply only on k-eta.go.kr and e-arrivalcard.go.kr.

- URL: https://formthrow.com/en/travel/korea-entry-requirements/
- Published: October 21, 2026
- Data as of: October 21, 2026

The short version of the K-ETA Korea rules for 2026: if your passport is from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or one of 17 other places on the list, you can visit without a K-ETA until 31 December 2026. Korea's Ministry of Justice extended the exemption for another year (per the notice on k-eta.go.kr).

That doesn't mean you can turn up with no paperwork at all. If you skip K-ETA, you fill in an arrival card instead, and these days you can do that online up to 3 days before you land. Work out which group you're in first, and the rest takes about ten minutes.

## K-ETA Korea exemption: the 22 countries and regions

| Region | Countries and regions |
| --- | --- |
| Asia | Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore |
| Americas | United States (including Guam), Canada |
| Europe | United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Austria |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand |

The exemption runs from 1 January to 31 December 2026, Korea time. The extension notice on k-eta.go.kr only says "currently exempt countries" and never actually prints the list, so I went looking for it. The full list turned up as a Ministry of Justice attachment on the Atlanta consulate's notice, and Taiwan is also named in a separate notice from Korea's office in Taipei. For the UK side, I read the FCDO's South Korea entry requirements page. It says British nationals travelling visa-free are temporarily exempt until 31 December 2026, and it warns against applying through unofficial sites.

Travellers from Thailand and Malaysia can enter visa-free, but those two countries aren't on the list, so they need a K-ETA. You'll see pages online claiming that all 67 visa-free countries are exempt. That's not what the notice says.

## Exempt from K-ETA, not from the arrival card

If you hold a K-ETA, you don't need to fill in the arrival card. Turn that around, and it means anyone who skipped K-ETA because they're exempt does have to fill one in. A lot of guides leave that part out.

The electronic arrival card has been available since 24 February 2025 (per the Ministry of Justice notice).

| Item | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Official site | e-arrivalcard.go.kr |
| When you can fill it in | From 3 days before you arrive in Korea |
| Cost | Free |
| What to have ready | Passport, flight number, address where you'll stay in Korea |
| Children under 14 | A parent or guardian fills it in |
| Exempt | People with a valid K-ETA, registered foreign residents, flight crew |

If you don't enter Korea within 72 hours of submitting it, the card expires. Doing it the day before your flight is a safe bet.

I read through a Hello Korea Daily post from January 2026 to see what the process looks like for an actual traveller. It says "You do not need to wait for approval", so once you hit submit there's nothing to sit around waiting for. It also tells you to save the issuance number, which is the kind of thing you forget about until an officer asks for it.

On paper forms, my sources don't agree. Travelers are strongly advised to complete the official electronic arrival card (e-Arrival Card) online prior to departure to avoid long manual immigration queues upon landing.

## How to apply for K-ETA, and what it costs

If your passport is from a visa-free country that isn't on the exempt list, you need a K-ETA before you board a plane or ship (per Ministry of Justice guidance).

| Item | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Where to apply | k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app |
| Fee | 10,000 won |
| Validity | 3 years (or until your passport expires, if that comes first) |
| When to apply | Any time, but at least 72 hours before boarding is recommended |
| Result | Usually within 72 hours |
| Not required | Diplomatic and official passports, ABTC holders, flight crew, transit passengers, people 17 or younger and 65 or older |

The 3-year validity applies to applications made from 3 July 2023. When I checked the top search results against the Ministry's guidance, some airline and travel agency pages still said "2 years" or "24 hours before". Go with the Ministry's version.

Even if you're exempt, you can still get a K-ETA if you want one. You pay the same fee, and in return you skip the arrival card. A K-ETA you already hold stays valid, but the fee isn't refunded.

## Fake application sites

The Ministry has said it hasn't designated any agency sites for K-ETA. The only official site is k-eta.go.kr, and the address ends in .go.kr. Lookalike agency sites charge you extra on top of the fee.

It's the same story with the arrival card. A March 2026 Ministry notice says the only official site is e-arrivalcard.go.kr, and any other page asking for your card details isn't official. The arrival card is free, so if you see a payment screen, you're on the wrong site.

## What to know at immigration and customs

How long you can stay visa-free depends on your passport. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs table from 2024, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and the US get 90 days. The UK page above also gives British visitors 90 days and says your passport has to be valid beyond your departure date. Ensure your passport carries at least six months of validity beyond your intended departure date to comply with international airline boarding standards.

Since May 2023, you only need a customs declaration form if you have something to declare. If you don't, just walk through.

Short-term foreign visitors can use the automated immigration gates (SES) when they leave Korea, and if you're 17 or older you don't have to register in advance. On the way in, only registered foreign residents can use them (per Ministry of Justice guidance).

## Will 2027 still be exempt?

Nobody knows yet. Last year, with 12 days left before the exemption was due to end, there still hadn't been any announcement, and the US edition of the JoongAng Ilbo reported on the confusion. I skimmed the news and official notices from June through 21 October this year and found no word on 2027.

If you're arriving in January 2027 or later, check the notice board on k-eta.go.kr about two weeks before you fly. If the exemption has ended by then, you can still apply for a K-ETA up to 72 hours before departure, so you won't have left it too late.

Once you land, the first things you'll want are a transit card and mobile data. The [T-money card guide](https://formthrow.com/en/travel/tmoney-card-guide/) and [picking a Korea eSIM](https://formthrow.com/en/travel/korea-esim-guide/) will make day one easier, and there's more for the rest of your trip in the [travel posts](https://formthrow.com/en/travel/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need K-ETA in 2026 if I have a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport?

No. South Korea's Ministry of Justice extended the temporary K-ETA exemption to 31 December 2026, and these five are among the 22 countries and regions covered, along with Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Singapore.

### If I'm exempt from K-ETA, do I still have to fill anything in?

Yes, the arrival card. You can fill it in for free at e-arrivalcard.go.kr starting 3 days before you land. Only people who hold a K-ETA are exempt from the arrival card.

### How much is K-ETA and how long does it last?

It costs 10,000 won and lasts 3 years. If your passport expires sooner, it lasts until the passport expiry date.

### Are Thai or Malaysian passport holders exempt too?

No. They can visit visa-free, but their countries are not on the temporary exemption list, so they need a K-ETA.

### Will the exemption continue in 2027?

No announcement had been made as of 21 October 2026. If you are coming in January 2027 or later, check the notices on k-eta.go.kr again before you fly.

## Sources

- [전자여행허가제(K-ETA) 안내](https://immigration.go.kr/immigration/3339/subview.do), 법무부 출입국·외국인정책본부
- [대한민국 전자여행허가제(K-ETA) 한시 면제 기간 연장 알림(2025.12.23)](https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/board/viewboarddetail.do?bbsSn=299706&esntlPnotiMtYn=Y), 법무부 K-ETA 누리집
- [전자여행허가제(K-ETA) 한시 면제 기간 연장 안내(법무부 면제 대상 국가·지역 첨부)](https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-atlanta-ko/brd/m_4921/view.do?seq=1251228), 주애틀랜타 대한민국 총영사관
- [K-ETA 한시 면제 안내(대만 포함)](https://www.mofa.go.kr/tw-ko/brd/m_1452/view.do?seq=1347579), 주타이베이 대한민국 대표부
- [K-ETA 대행 사이트 주의 안내(2025.8.12)](https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration/220/597906/artclView.do), 법무부 출입국·외국인정책본부
- [전자입국신고서 도입 안내(2025.2.18)](https://www.moj.go.kr/bbs/immigration/224/592036/artclView.do), 법무부
- [전자입국신고서 시행(2025.2.24)](https://www.moj.go.kr/bbs/moj/189/592259/artclView.do), 법무부
- [Beware of fake e-Arrival Card websites(2026.3.9)](https://www.immigration.go.kr/bbs/immigration_eng/229/604164/artclView.do), 법무부 출입국·외국인정책본부
- [전자입국신고서(e-Arrival Card)](https://www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr), 법무부
- [무비자 입국 국가와 체류 기간 표(2024.2)](https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ni-ko/brd/m_5783/view.do?seq=1154523), 외교부
- [자동출입국심사(SES) 안내](https://immigration.go.kr/moj/193/subview.do), 법무부 출입국·외국인정책본부
- [여행자 휴대품 신고서, 신고할 물건 있는 사람만(2023)](https://newsseoul.co.kr/news/view/1065580819228468), 서울신문
- [K-ETA 면제 종료 12일 앞두고 공지 없어 혼란(2025.12.18)](https://www.koreadaily.com/article/20251218221053077), 미주중앙일보
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