QuickTravelTools Visa requirements for South Korea
Most visitors need an electronic travel authorisation for South Korea before boarding. 2 enter visa-free.
Popular passports: US · British · Canadian · Australian · Irish · New Zealand · Indian · Filipino · Singaporean · Malaysian · Emirati · South African
Rules by passport
Visa-free (2)
- South Korea
- the United States
Checked against Republic of Korea K-ETA portal (Ministry of Justice) on October 10, 2026.
eTA / electronic travel authorisation (109)
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Oman
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- the Bahamas
- the Dominican Republic
- the Marshall Islands
- the Netherlands
- the Seychelles
- the Solomon Islands
- the United Arab Emirates
- the United Kingdom
- the Vatican City
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Tuvalu
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Checked against Republic of Korea K-ETA portal (Ministry of Justice) on October 10, 2026.
Visa required (88)
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Chad
- China
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ivory Coast
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- the Central African Republic
- the Comoros
- the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- the Gambia
- the Maldives
- the Philippines
- the Republic of the Congo
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Checked against Republic of Korea K-ETA portal (Ministry of Justice) on October 10, 2026.
Visa fees for South Korea
| Visa type | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | 40 USD, single entry, stay up to 90 days (basic rate) | Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the USA (overseas.mofa.go.kr) |
| eTA | 10000 KRW, K-ETA application fee; online payment processing fee charged separately (about 3%) | Republic of Korea, Ministry of Justice (K-ETA portal) |
Processing times
| Visa type | Processing time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| eTA | K-ETA assessment typically takes 72 hours or less | Republic of Korea, Ministry of Justice (K-ETA portal) |
Visa processing time: No official source publishes this information. No general published processing time for sticker visas on official Korean sources Checked: Embassy of the Republic of Korea (overseas.mofa.go.kr).
Apply through official channels
Start the official K-ETA official portal (application guide) Apply for K-ETA online before boarding; mandatory for eligible nationalities not on the temporary exemption list
Start the official Korea Visa Portal (Ministry of Justice) Official e-Form visa application portal; sticker visas are also lodged at Korean embassies/consulates
Travel insurance for South Korea
Not required. No official source we have checked requires travel insurance to visit South Korea, and none publishes a minimum coverage amount for visitors.
Some visa services claim insurance is mandatory for South Korea and charge you for a policy. We found no official rule behind those claims, so we will not present it as one. Insurance may still be a sensible choice for your trip, but for South Korea it is your choice, not an entry rule. We watch for new mandates daily, and this page will say so if one appears.
Countries that do require it: the full travel insurance requirements list.
Sources and verification
199 of 199 passport rules verified against Republic of Korea K-ETA portal (Ministry of Justice), 0 with no official source publishing the rule.
- Republic of Korea K-ETA portal (Ministry of Justice) (checked October 10, 2026)
Common questions
Do I need a visa for South Korea?
It depends on your passport. 2 of 199 passports enter South Korea visa-free; 197 need a visa or authorisation arranged in advance. Find your passport in the groups above.
What does a visa for South Korea cost?
It depends on the visa type and your passport. For example, the visa costs 40 USD, single entry, stay up to 90 days (basic rate). See the full fee table above.
How long does South Korea visa processing take?
Standard processing for the eta: K-ETA assessment typically takes 72 hours or less.
Do I need travel insurance for South Korea?
No verified requirement. No official source we have checked requires travel insurance to visit South Korea, and none publishes a minimum coverage amount for visitors. Some visa services claim it is mandatory and charge for a policy; we found no official rule behind those claims.