Korea Guides
South Korea e-Arrival Card vs K-ETA: Which Form Do You Need?
In this guide
The Korea e-Arrival Card is free at e-arrivalcard.go.kr. It is an arrival declaration, not K-ETA travel authorization. Which you need depends on your nationality and entry status: check your individual requirements through the official services before travelling.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18. Requirements can change. Recheck the official guidance immediately before your actual arrival date, particularly for travel around the end of 2026.
Two systems, different jobs
The e-Arrival Card records information for immigration, including your passport, arrival flight and accommodation. K-ETA is advance travel authorization for eligible visa-free visitors who are not exempt from applying. Neither should be confused with a visa or a customs declaration.
An approved K-ETA does not guarantee admission. Korean immigration officers make the final entry decision. Likewise, submitting an arrival declaration does not make you eligible for visa-free entry or replace a visa you otherwise need.
Start with your entry status
| Your situation | What to check |
|---|---|
| Exempt from applying for K-ETA | Exemption is not K-ETA approval. The official declaration guide lists K-ETA-exempt travellers among those subject to arrival reporting. |
| Holding valid K-ETA approval | K-ETA holders are generally excluded from arrival reporting. However, someone entering with a visa must complete the declaration even if they also hold K-ETA. |
| Holding a valid Korean Residence Card | The official guide excludes Residence Card holders, including Permanent Resident and Overseas Korean Resident Card holders. Verify that your document and entry status qualify. |
| Entering with a Korean visa | Visa holders are listed among those subject to declaration. Check the specific exceptions rather than assuming that any visa, or concurrent K-ETA approval, removes the requirement. |
Other exceptions exist, including specified group arrangements and crew categories. Some official detail panels contain date-limited provisions. Do not apply an expired group-tour exception to an independent trip.
What the 2026 K-ETA exemption means
The official extension covers previously designated countries and regions through December 31, 2026, Korean Standard Time. VISITKOREA lists the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand among them. That is not an exemption for every nationality or every English-speaking country.
Separate age exemptions cover eligible visa-free travellers aged 17 or younger and 65 or older. Check the official K-ETA eligibility guidance for your passport and circumstances.
Exempt travellers may voluntarily apply for K-ETA to obtain its associated benefits, including arrival-card exemption where applicable. This is not a free application: the official fee is KRW 10,000, with an additional online payment fee. Fees are non-refundable, including after refusal. A 2027 extension was not confirmed in the official material reviewed for this guide.
The submission window and validity are different
The official portal uses a three-day filing window based on Korean Standard Time. Use the arrival dates actually offered by the portal rather than calculating eligibility from a departure date in your home time zone. Separately, the guide says a submitted declaration loses validity after 72 hours.
Use the official portal’s available arrival dates, and check your submission if your flight changes. The guide permits editing before immigration inspection, with limits on arrival-date changes. After completing immigration, a later re-entry requires a new declaration if you remain subject to reporting.
Is the paper arrival card gone?
The official guidance is mixed. The February 2025 launch announcement described paper and electronic options running together through the end of 2025. However, the official online guide reviewed for this article still includes “Select electronic/paper arrival card” and states that the two have equal validity.
That does not support a confident claim that paper cards were abolished everywhere from January 2026. Use the free electronic route where applicable, and check current official guidance immediately before arrival rather than relying on an older transition deadline.
Avoid paying for a free declaration
The official e-Arrival Card service requires no payment. Its warning says a website requesting payment information is not the official service. Check the domain before uploading your passport, and avoid handing passport details to an unverified intermediary.
K-ETA is different: its legitimate application carries a fee. Use k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app, not a lookalike advertising costly agency or expedited services.
Official sources
Check the linked official sources, scope, and dates in each guide. Interfaces, model specifications, and travel requirements can change. Publication and update dates do not imply hands-on testing or a new source review. For travel, recheck requirements for your nationality and circumstances with the relevant official authorities.
How we edit ↗