South Korea Entrance Requirements
South Korea · Practical guide
South Korea entry requirements
What a British traveller actually has to do before flying to Korea — and in what order.
Researched, not visited — how we know this ↓British passport, travelling before 31 Dec 2026. Six things exist; two need action.
1 · Passport valid past your departure date (not six months).
2 · Free e-Arrival Card, filed within 3 days of arrival, at e-arrivalcard.go.kr.
Not needed: visa (90 days visa-free) · K-ETA (waived to 31 Dec 2026).
Only if applicable: Q-Code (if unwell or transiting a designated area) · customs declaration.
Checked 20 July 2026.
The short answer
British passport, travelling before 31 December 2026?
Two things. Neither costs anything.
Passport valid past your departure date
Not six months. Just an expiry date later than the day you leave Korea.
Free e-Arrival Card, within 3 days of landing
Online at e-arrivalcard.go.kr. A few minutes. You cannot file it earlier than 72 hours before arrival.
Everything that could apply to you
Six things exist. Two need action. Here are all of them, including the four that don't apply.- Passport validity Must be valid past the day you leave Korea. Not six months. Check yours
- e-Arrival Card Free. File online within 3 days of arrival — and no earlier. Do this
- Visa Not required for tourism or short-term business up to 90 days. Not needed
- K-ETA Waived for British nationals until 31 December 2026. Not needed
- Q-Code health declaration Only if you arrive unwell, or have transited a designated area. Only if…
- Customs declaration Only if you're carrying food, large sums of cash, or goods to leave behind. Only if…
Not you? Choose your situation —
I'm from another K-ETA-waived country
The waiver covers 22 countries and territories. If yours is on the list below, your path is identical to the British one above: passport valid beyond departure, then the free e-Arrival Card.
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Italy
- Japan
- Macao
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Singapore
- Spain
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
- USA (incl. Guam)
The waiver is based on nationality, not residence. Living in Britain does not place you on the list if your passport is from elsewhere.
I need a K-ETA, or I want one anyway
You need one if you are eligible for visa-free entry but your nationality is not on the waiver list — or if you travel from 1 January 2027, when the waiver is currently scheduled to end.
Apply only at k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app. KRW 10,000, generally processed within 72 hours, valid three years for multiple entries.
Holding a K-ETA exempts you from the e-Arrival Card — which is why some frequent visitors buy one voluntarily even while the waiver applies.
I need a visa, or I'm travelling for work or study
Visa-free entry covers tourism and short-term business only. You need a visa for work, study, stays beyond 90 days, or if your nationality is not on the visa-free list. Working while on visa-free entry is illegal, including teaching.
Start with the Korean Embassy in the UK. Note that visa holders must still file the e-Arrival Card.
How we know this
We have not travelled to South Korea. This page is built from official sources — the Korean Ministry of Justice, the K-ETA and e-Arrival Card portals, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and UK Foreign Office travel advice — rather than personal experience. Every rule links to the authority that sets it, and where sources disagree or a rule is about to change, we say so.
Do you need a visa?
Probably not. British citizens can enter South Korea for up to 90 days for tourism or short-term business without a visa. You need an onward or return ticket, and you may be asked to show it.
Two boundaries worth being clear about. Working is not permitted on visa-free entry — this includes teaching English, the most common way people get caught out. And 90 days is a ceiling, not an entitlement: the officer at the border decides how long you may stay, and can admit you for less.
Passport validity
For a tourist stay of up to 90 days, your passport needs an expiry date after the day you leave Korea. That is less demanding than the six-month rule many countries apply — and less than some airline check-in desks will tell you.
Entering on a long-term visa, your passport should have at least six months' validity from arrival. You will be refused entry if your passport has been reported lost or stolen, even if you have since found it.
K-ETA — waived now, scheduled to return in 2027
The K-ETA is Korea's electronic travel authorisation, working much like the American ESTA: an online pre-clearance obtained before you fly and tied to your passport.
Right now, most British travellers do not need one. The Ministry of Justice has temporarily waived the requirement for 22 countries and territories. The waiver began in April 2023 and has been extended annually; the current extension was announced on 23 December 2025 and runs to 31 December 2026, Korean Standard Time.
If you do need one
| Cost | KRW 10,000 — roughly USD 7–8 |
|---|---|
| Processing | Generally within 72 hours. Often faster, but do not rely on it. |
| Valid for | 3 years from approval, multiple entries |
| Stay permitted | Up to 90 days per visit |
| Where to apply | k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app — nowhere else |
Age exemptions
Travellers aged 17 and under or 65 and over are exempt from K-ETA regardless of nationality. Age is assessed on the date you enter Korea, not the date you apply. Age-exempt travellers file the e-Arrival Card instead.
Only the official site is safe. The Foreign Office states that other sites
offering K-ETA application services "are generally scams", and the official portal carries the same
warning on its front page. Third-party sites typically charge several times the KRW 10,000 fee for
retyping a form you can complete yourself, and some exist to harvest passport data. The only
legitimate addresses are k-eta.go.kr and the official app.
Approval is not admission. A granted K-ETA means you may board and be considered for entry. The immigration officer at the border makes the actual decision.
Why you might want one anyway
Holding a valid K-ETA exempts you from the e-Arrival Card for three years, on every trip. If you expect to visit more than once or twice before the waiver ends, KRW 10,000 buys you out of repeating a form. For a single visit before 31 December 2026, there is no reason to pay.
The e-Arrival Card
This is the one thing most British travellers actually have to do. It is Korea's electronic entry declaration — the digital replacement for the paper card once handed out on the plane. It is free, and filed online at e-arrivalcard.go.kr.
The timing trap
You can submit it within 72 hours (3 days) of arrival — and no earlier. A submission automatically expires 72 hours after it is made.
This catches people in both directions. Travellers who try to get it done a fortnight ahead find the system will not accept them; travellers who plan to do it at the airport end up filling a form on their phone in a check-in queue. The evening before you fly is the right moment.
Who files it, and who doesn't
| Must file | Exempt from filing |
|---|---|
| Korean visa holders Nationals of K-ETA-waived countries — including British travellers K-ETA age-exempt travellers (17 and under, 65 and over) SOFA personnel, UN laissez-passer and ABTC holders, incoming ship crew |
Korean nationals Alien registration, permanent residence or overseas-Korean residence card holders Valid K-ETA holders — unless entering on a visa, in which case file Group e-visa holders and certain visa-free group tours; foreign aircrew |
Practical notes
Each traveller needs their own submission. For children under 14, a parent or guardian files on their behalf. You will need passport details, flight details and your address in Korea — have your first night's accommodation booked before you start.
Paper forms still exist. Despite widespread claims online that paper cards were abolished, the Foreign Office states that paper entry declaration forms remain available. If you land without having filed, you complete a paper form at immigration. That is a delay, not a crisis.
Q-Code and health screening
Q-Code is a health declaration run by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. It is not a general requirement and most British travellers will not need it — but the penalty for getting it wrong is severe, so it is worth two minutes.
Whether you need it depends on where you have been, not who you are.
| Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Arriving from — or having transited — a Strict Quarantine Inspection Required Area | Q-Code or paper health questionnaire — required |
| Arriving from a Quarantine Inspection Required Area and showing symptoms | Q-Code or paper health questionnaire — required |
| Arriving from a Quarantine Inspection Required Area with no symptoms | Nothing required |
The UK is currently designated a Quarantine Inspection Required Area. In practice a British traveller flying direct and feeling well needs nothing. A traveller who is unwell on arrival, or who has routed through a country on the stricter list, does.
Two cautions. The country lists change frequently, so check before you fly rather than relying on this page. And transit counts — a stopover in a designated area can trigger the requirement even though you never cleared immigration there.
Failure to complete a required health declaration carries a fine of up to KRW 10 million. Check the current lists at qcode.kdca.go.kr.
Customs on arrival
Full detail lives on Money, customs and tax refunds in Korea. The short version: you must declare anything prohibited, restricted, or subject to duty or tax. Korea takes agricultural and food restrictions seriously, and meat and plant products are the most common source of trouble for travellers who did not think they were carrying anything unusual.
Cash above a threshold must be declared on both arrival and departure. Alcohol, tobacco and perfume have separate allowances, distinct from the general goods allowance.
We are not printing allowance figures here. The numbers circulating on travel sites disagree with each other and we have not yet verified them against the Korea Customs Service directly. Check customs.go.kr for current limits.
What you need, in four questions
Answer 1 and 2, then either 3 or 4 depending on where 2 sends you.
Question 1
Is your nationality eligible for visa-free entry to Korea?
Question 2
Is your nationality on the 22-country K-ETA waiver list?
Question 3 if your nationality is on the waiver list
Do you arrive on or before 31 December 2026?
Question 4 if your nationality is not on the waiver list
Are you 17 or under, or 65 or over on the day you enter?
Before you go, in this order
The order is not cosmetic — each step gates the next.
- Confirm your nationality is eligible for visa-free entry — gates everything below
If it is not, stop here and apply for a visa. Nothing else on this list applies in the same way.
- Check your arrival date against the waiver window
On or before 31 December 2026 and on the 22-country list: no K-ETA. After that, or not on the list: apply and allow 72 hours.
- Check your passport expiry
Must be later than your departure date from Korea. Do this before booking anything non-refundable.
- Book your first night's accommodation
The e-Arrival Card asks for your address in Korea. You cannot complete it without one.
- File the e-Arrival Card — within 3 days of arrival, not before
Unless you hold a valid K-ETA, in which case skip it. The evening before you fly is the right moment.
- Check the Q-Code lists if you are unwell or have transited elsewhere
Otherwise ignore this step.
- Check customs limits against what you are actually packing
Relevant if you are carrying food, large amounts of cash, or goods to leave behind.
Keep your confirmations offline. Screenshot the e-Arrival Card confirmation and any K-ETA approval. Airport wifi is not a plan.
What happens when you land
Written from official process documentation rather than experience — see how we know this.
Incheon separates arriving passengers into Korean nationals and foreign nationals at immigration. Follow the foreign national queue.
At the desk you present your passport. If you filed the e-Arrival Card, the officer's system already holds your declaration — there is nothing to hand over, though having the confirmation on your phone does no harm. If you did not file, you will be directed to complete a paper form first.
Expect fingerprint scanning and a photograph; these apply to most foreign nationals aged 17 and over. You may be asked your purpose of visit, how long you intend to stay, where you are staying and whether you hold an onward ticket. Short, direct answers are what the process expects.
The officer stamps your passport with the period you are admitted for. Look at it. The stay you are granted is the stay you have, and it can be shorter than 90 days.
Customs comes after baggage reclaim, with the usual declare and nothing-to-declare channels.
If something goes wrong
If this happens · minor
"I didn't file the e-Arrival Card before landing"
Paper entry declaration forms are still available at immigration. You complete one on arrival and continue — expect a delay rather than a problem. You cannot file the electronic version once you have landed, so do not stand in the hall trying. Take the paper form.
If this happens · serious
"I paid a third-party site for a K-ETA"
Only k-eta.go.kr and the official app are legitimate. Check whether an application was
actually lodged by searching your passport details on the official site — if none exists, you have no
K-ETA and must apply properly. Treat the passport data you gave them as compromised; these sites are
often phishing operations. Contact your bank about the payment, and be alert to follow-up approaches
referencing your travel plans.
If this happens · serious — stops you boarding
"I thought the waiver covered me, but it doesn't"
Airlines check authorisation before departure and will deny boarding without it. The waiver is based on nationality, not residence — living in Britain does not put you on the list if your passport is from elsewhere. Discover this before travelling and you can apply immediately, allowing 72 hours. Discover it at check-in and you are very unlikely to fly that day.
If this happens · serious
"My K-ETA was approved but I was refused entry"
An approved K-ETA permits you to travel and be considered for entry. It is not a guarantee of admission — the immigration officer decides at the border. Refusals commonly involve unclear purpose of visit, no onward ticket, insufficient funds or previous immigration history. You may request the reason. Contact the British Embassy in Seoul if you are detained or need consular assistance.
What changes from 2027
The K-ETA waiver is currently scheduled to end on 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, as things stand, British travellers would need a K-ETA again. For a trip in 2027 that means applying at k-eta.go.kr before you fly — KRW 10,000, allow 72 hours — after which you no longer file the e-Arrival Card. The K-ETA lasts three years, so one application covers several trips.
Treat that date as provisional. The waiver has been extended annually since April 2023, and each extension has been announced only weeks before the previous one lapsed — the current one was confirmed on 23 December 2025, eight days before it took effect. A further extension is plausible. So is expiry as scheduled. If you are travelling in early 2027, watch the K-ETA notice board from about November 2026. We will update this page when the decision is announced.
Questions people still ask
Do I need a visa or a K-ETA?
British passport, travelling before 31 December 2026: neither. A valid passport and a free e-Arrival Card. Other nationalities — use the path chooser at the top of this page.
Is the K-ETA really free right now?
It is not free — it is waived. Nothing to apply for and nothing to pay, because the requirement itself is suspended for 22 nationalities until 31 December 2026. Apply voluntarily and it costs KRW 10,000.
Do I fill in the e-Arrival Card before or after I land?
Before — online, within three days of arrival, and no earlier than that. If you land without having filed, you complete a paper form at immigration instead.
I'm 68. Does anything change?
Travellers aged 65 and over are exempt from K-ETA regardless of nationality, assessed on your date of entry. While the waiver is running this makes no practical difference to a British traveller — you file the e-Arrival Card either way. It matters from 2027.
Are third-party K-ETA sites safe?
No. The Foreign Office describes them as generally scams. They charge well above the official
KRW 10,000 for retyping a form you can complete yourself, and some exist to harvest passport data. Use
only k-eta.go.kr or the official app.
What actually happens at immigration?
Passport, fingerprints and photograph, a few questions about purpose and length of stay, then a stamp showing the period you have been admitted for. Check that stamp before you walk away.
Do I need travel insurance to enter?
Not as an entry condition — Korea does not require proof of insurance at the border. That is a separate question from whether you should have it.
Check this yourself
Checked 20 July 2026 · next review 18 September 2026 · waiver decision expected around December 2026
- K-ETA official portal — waiver status, fees, applications
- K-ETA notice board — where extensions are announced first
- e-Arrival Card portal — filing and exemptions
- Q-Code / KDCA — quarantine area lists
- Korea Customs Service — allowances and prohibited goods
- FCDO South Korea travel advice — UK-specific
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