Last checked: October 8, 2026 · Sources: Korea Immigration Service sites k-eta.go.kr and e-arrivalcard.go.kr, KDCA (Q-CODE), Korea Customs Service and Incheon Airport — pages linked below.
New here? Start with our Incheon Airport arrival guide: immigration, customs, SIM or eSIM, money and the train or bus into Seoul, step by step.
K-ETA and the e-Arrival Card are two different things, and most visitors need only one of them. K-ETA is a pre-travel authorization for visa-free visitors: it costs 10,000 won, must be approved before you board, and lasts up to 3 years. The e-Arrival Card is the free online version of the paper arrival card, filed in the 3 days before you land. If you hold a K-ETA, you skip the arrival card. If you’re exempt from K-ETA, or you have a visa, you fill in the arrival card instead. On top of that, check whether you need a Q-CODE health declaration and whether you have anything to declare at customs.
Notices in force (checked Oct 8, 2026)
- K-ETA temporary exemption for the listed countries/regions runs until December 31, 2026 (KST). No extension past that date had been posted on k-eta.go.kr when we checked.
- Q-CODE is mandatory from Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2026 for anyone who stayed in or transited through the 32 “strict quarantine” countries listed further down, including the UAE and Qatar.
K-ETA or e-Arrival Card: which one do you need?
| Your situation | K-ETA | e-Arrival Card (or paper card) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free passport, not on the temporary exemption list, age 18–64 | Required before boarding | Not needed once you have a valid K-ETA |
| Passport on the temporary exemption list (until Dec 31, 2026) | Not required (optional, paid) | Required |
| Visa-free passport, age 17 or under or 65 or over on arrival day | Not required (optional, paid) | Required |
| You have a Korean visa | Not required | Required, even if you also hold a K-ETA |
| Registered foreign resident (residence card) | Not required | Not required |
| Transiting without passing immigration | Not required | Not required |
| Transiting but leaving the airport or collecting checked bags | Required if you’d otherwise need one | Required if you’re not a K-ETA holder |
The K-ETA site lists the other exempt groups: diplomatic and official passport holders, active-duty SOFA personnel, crew and seafarers, ABTC holders, UN passport holders and cruise passengers.
Families get caught by the age rule. Parents may hold a K-ETA, but a 12-year-old doesn’t need one, so the child still needs an arrival card. A child who is 18 on the arrival date needs their own K-ETA (K-ETA FAQ Q47).
Our take: if your country is on the exemption list, don’t pay for an optional K-ETA just to skip the arrival card. The e-Arrival Card is free, takes a few minutes, and works for one entry at a time. A K-ETA starts to make sense if you’ll visit several times before your passport expires, or if the exemption isn’t extended past 2026.
Which countries are exempt from K-ETA in 2026?
The Ministry of Justice extended the temporary exemption for one more year, January 1 to December 31, 2026 (KST), for “the countries/regions that are currently exempt”. The K-ETA site itself doesn’t print the list. The Korean embassy notices do, and they give 22 countries and regions (23 if Guam is counted separately from the US):
| Region | Exempt until Dec 31, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Asia | Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macao |
| 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 Korean Embassy in Switzerland’s notice (Dec 30, 2025) also lists Switzerland and Liechtenstein as exempt until the same date. The US and Singapore embassy notices don’t mention them.
There’s one way to be sure for your own passport. Start a K-ETA application on k-eta.go.kr. When you scan your passport photo page, an exempt passport triggers a “K-ETA exempt” pop-up. You can stop there; you haven’t paid anything.
Exemption doesn’t change how long you can stay. Each passport has its own visa-free period, shown on the K-ETA site’s eligible-countries page. For example, it’s 90 days for the US and the UK and 6 months for Canada.
How do you apply for K-ETA, and how long does it take?
| K-ETA | |
|---|---|
| Official site | k-eta.go.kr, or the official K-ETA mobile app |
| Fee | 10,000 won per person (about US$7–8) plus an online payment fee of about 3% |
| Payment | Visa, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, UnionPay, Alipay+ |
| Refund | None, even if you’re refused |
| Review time | Usually within 72 hours, sometimes longer. No express service exists |
| Validity | 3 years, or until your passport expires if sooner. Multiple entries |
| Group | Up to 9 people as a non-member, up to 1,000 as a member |
- Open k-eta.go.kr and choose member or non-member. Non-members verify an email address.
- Scan or upload your passport photo page and a face photo.
- Enter your trip details: purpose, address in Korea, dates and flight.
- Check everything, then pay.
- Check the result under Check Application Results on the site or app. The result goes to the main applicant’s email.
You must have the approval before you board a plane or ship to Korea. That includes Jeju. If you apply after boarding or once you’re in Korea, the K-ETA can be refused or your entry restricted. The K-ETA Center advises applying 1–2 months ahead.
After approval, keep it accurate. If your address in Korea, dates or flight change, update them under Update Travel Information. A new passport means a new K-ETA. A K-ETA is not a visa: the immigration officer still makes the final decision.
How does the e-Arrival Card work?
| e-Arrival Card | |
|---|---|
| Official site | e-arrivalcard.go.kr (there is no app) |
| Fee | Free |
| When | From 3 days before arrival (Korea time) until you reach the immigration desk |
| Valid for | One entry. It lapses 72 hours after you submit it, or once you pass immigration |
| Group | Up to 9 people on a phone, up to 1,000 on a computer |
| Languages | Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Russian |
Have these ready: passport, an email address you can check, arrival date and flight number, the address where you’ll stay first, and your departure date. The return flight number is optional. If you don’t have a return date yet, the site says to enter an approximate one.
The steps are: agree to the terms and enter your email, scan your passport, enter your trip details, check and submit. Since May 6, 2026, there’s an extra verification-code step during submission.
If you land on Jan 31, for example, you can submit on Jan 29, 30 or 31. You can still file it after landing, before the immigration desk, or fill in a paper card at the airport instead. Both count the same.
The e-Arrival Card has no QR code. Is that a problem?
No. When you submit, the site gives you an issue number and a PDF, and emails the same details to you. The official guide says nothing about a QR code. The immigration officer looks up your card from your passport, so you don’t have to show the number, the PDF or the email. The officer may ask for the issue number if something you entered doesn’t match. Save the PDF or a screenshot anyway, in case the email never arrives.
The QR code people remember is probably from Q-CODE, the separate health declaration below. The K-ETA site doesn’t mention a code to show either. What matters is that the passport you travel on has the same number as the one on your K-ETA (K-ETA FAQ Q50).
If the e-Arrival Card or K-ETA website isn’t working
The site won’t let me pick my arrival date
You’re probably more than 3 days out. The e-Arrival Card only opens 3 days before arrival, counted in Korea time. If you need it earlier, that’s a K-ETA, which is a different site.
The confirmation email never came
The e-Arrival Card site reports delays with Gmail, Outlook.com, Hotmail and QQ.com. The K-ETA site reports the same for Gmail and says Outlook.com and Hotmail may be affected. Save the PDF straight after you submit, or use a different email address. For e-Arrival, you can look up your card again under Check/Edit with the issue number or email verification.
The page is down or very slow
Check the notices first. Both systems post planned shutdowns on their notice boards. The e-Arrival Card site supports recent Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera and Edge.
The K-ETA payment fails or shows “3DS ERROR”
Your card issuer blocked the payment or the 3D Secure check. The K-ETA FAQ says to contact your card company about 3D Secure. Using a different card is another option. Cards blocked for overseas payments won’t go through.
I paid a website more than 10,000 won
That was an agency, not the government. The K-ETA site says Korea has no official K-ETA agencies, and the e-Arrival Card site warns that similar-named sites ask for fees and personal data. The only official addresses are k-eta.go.kr (plus the K-ETA app) and e-arrivalcard.go.kr. Both end in .go.kr. Check the address bar before you type your passport number.
My plans changed after I submitted
On e-arrivalcard.go.kr, you can edit your purpose of visit, address and departure date until you pass immigration. You can only change the arrival date within 3 days of first submitting. On k-eta.go.kr, use Update Travel Information.
Do you need a Q-CODE health declaration in 2026?
Most visitors don’t. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) requires a Q-CODE, or a paper health declaration, from two groups:
- anyone who stayed in or transited through a “strict quarantine inspection required area”, with or without symptoms
- anyone who visited a “quarantine inspection required area” and has symptoms such as fever or cough
The list changes every quarter. For Oct 1 – Dec 31, 2026, KDCA lists 32 countries or regions in the strict category:
| Region | Countries / regions (Q4 2026) |
|---|---|
| Middle East | Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait |
| Asia | Mongolia, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Anhui, Yunnan, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Tianjin, Hunan, Hubei) |
| Africa | South Sudan, Rwanda, Madagascar, Burundi, Angola, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, Tanzania |
| Americas | United States (New Mexico, Michigan, Washington), Brazil |
Note the word “transit”. On these rules, changing planes in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha puts you in the group that must submit. So does flying from Seattle.
How it works:
- Fill it in on the KDCA Q-CODE page from 7 days before arrival.
- You get a QR code. Save it or screenshot it, and show it to the quarantine officer before immigration.
- If you didn’t do it in advance, there are kiosks and tablets in the quarantine area.
- If something changes, re-enter it and get a new QR code. Each entry needs a new one.
- Not declaring, or declaring falsely, can mean a fine of up to 10 million won under the Quarantine Act.
The e-Arrival Card doesn’t replace this, and it doesn’t replace customs either.
Do you have to fill in a customs declaration?
Only if you have something to declare. The Korea Customs Service says travellers with nothing to declare skip the form and use the “nothing to declare” exit, though you may still be inspected. If you do have something, use the paper form or the Traveler Customs Declaration app or mobile web (m.customs.go.kr/tms, in English).
| Duty-free allowance (per traveller) | Limit |
|---|---|
| Goods bought abroad (total) | US$800 |
| Alcohol (on top of the above) | Total 2 L and US$400 |
| Cigarettes | 200 |
| Perfume | 100 ml |
Under-19s (by year of birth) get no alcohol or tobacco allowance. You must also declare cash and other means of payment over US$10,000, and any meat, fruit, vegetables, plants and other food. Declaring voluntarily cuts the duty by 30%. Getting caught without declaring adds 40%, or 60% if it happens twice in 2 years.
What happens at immigration when you land?
At Incheon, arriving passengers go through quarantine, then immigration, then baggage claim, then customs.
- Quarantine: show your Q-CODE if you’re in one of the groups above.
- Immigration: follow the red line for foreign nationals. Hand over your passport, plus a paper arrival card if you didn’t file one online. If you’re 17 or older, you’ll give fingerprints and have your face photographed.
- Baggage and customs: collect your bags, then take the declare or nothing-to-declare exit.
Can you use the automatic gates (Smart Entry Service)? On arrival, mostly no. The Korea Immigration Service lists registered foreign residents aged 17+, Korea Priority Card holders, travellers from countries with a mutual-use agreement (USA, Hong Kong, Macao SAR) and foreign crew members with a multiple landing permit. Filing an e-Arrival Card doesn’t make you eligible. When leaving, Incheon Airport says short-term visitors aged 17+ can use the automatic gates without registering.
Priority lanes are for diplomats, crew, people with reduced mobility, children under 7, people 70 and over, pregnant women, Korea Priority Card holders and businesspeople recommended by Korean business associations.
What to have ready when the plane lands
- Passport, the one your K-ETA or e-Arrival Card was filed with
- K-ETA approval, or the e-Arrival Card issue number or PDF saved offline. A paper card at the airport is the fallback
- Q-CODE QR code saved as a screenshot, if your route touched a listed country
- The address of your first night’s stay, which goes on the arrival card
- A plan for data from the airport: see eSIM vs SIM vs pocket WiFi
- A transport card for the trip into the city: see the Seoul Climate Card tourist pass
- A maps app that works in Korea: see Naver Map in English
- The walk from the gate to the train or bus into Seoul: see Incheon Airport arrival step by step
Help
- Immigration Contact Center: 1345 in Korea, or +82-2-1345 from abroad. Weekdays 09:00–22:00; after 18:00, Korean, English and Chinese only
- e-Arrival Card questions: earrivalcard@korea.kr (Korean and English)
- K-ETA questions: use the inquiry form on k-eta.go.kr. The K-ETA Center (02-2666-0463) doesn’t do phone consultations
- KDCA call center (quarantine, Q-CODE): 1339
- Incheon Airport immigration office: T1 +82-32-740-7391–4, T2 +82-32-740-7361–4
Read next
Sources
- K-ETA official site — main page (fee, review time, official-only warning)
- K-ETA — Application guide (apply before boarding, validity, arrival card exemption, updates)
- K-ETA — Fee information (10,000 won, 3% payment fee, cards, no refund)
- K-ETA — Eligible countries, stay periods and exempt groups
- K-ETA — Notice on Extension of K-ETA Temporary Exemption (Dec 23, 2025)
- K-ETA — Unofficial websites and agencies warning (Dec 16, 2022)
- K-ETA — FAQ (exempt groups, review time, Jeju, minors, payment errors)
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Switzerland — Temporary Exemption of K-ETA, country list (updated Dec 30, 2025)
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the USA — Extension of K-ETA Temporary Exemption (Dec 29, 2025)
- e-Arrival Card official site — Guide (free, 3 days, 72-hour validity, issue number)
- e-Arrival Card — Who must submit and who is excluded
- e-Arrival Card — Declaration procedure
- e-Arrival Card — Notices (verification code from May 6, 2026; email delays; free of charge; inquiries)
- e-Arrival Card — FAQ
- KDCA — Q-CODE (who must submit, 7 days before arrival, fine)
- KDCA — Strict quarantine inspection areas, Q4 2026 (effective Oct 1, 2026, Korean with English PDF)
- Korea Customs Service — Traveller customs clearance (Korean)
- Korea Customs Service — Customs Clearance Guide for Passengers (English)
- Incheon Airport Customs — Arrival declaration procedure (Korean)
- Korea Customs Service — Traveler Customs Declaration (mobile web)
- Korea Immigration Service — Automated Immigration Clearance Service (SES)
- Incheon Airport — Manned Immigration (arrival card, fingerprints, priority lanes)
- Incheon Airport — Smart Entry Service
- Incheon Airport — Arrival Procedures