South Korea entry requirements for US passport holders

작성자:

Scope of this guide

Scope of this guide: this post is for travellers holding a United States of America passport. It reports what South Korea’s own authorities (the Ministry of Justice K-ETA and e-Arrival Card sites) publish, checked on 2026-10-09. It does not cover other passports, long stays, work or study visas, and it is not legal advice. Entry rules can change: confirm them on the official sites linked below before you travel. The pages we could read do not say whether the temporary K-ETA exemption currently applies to US passports; the K-ETA application shows it.

What South Korea’s authorities say

  • Korea’s K-ETA list shows an allowed stay of 90 days for passports from the United States of America.
  • The Ministry of Justice extended the K-ETA temporary exemption until December 31, 2026.
  • The extension applies to the countries and regions that are currently exempt from K-ETA.
  • People subject to the exemption see a pop-up message when they scan their passport photo page during the K-ETA application.
  • Exempt travellers who want benefits such as not having to submit an arrival card may still apply for K-ETA.
  • K-ETA exempt individuals are among the people subject to the e-Arrival card declaration.
  • People who have received a K-ETA are listed among those excluded from the e-Arrival card declaration, unless they enter with a visa.
  • The e-Arrival card is a separate system from K-ETA.

Who is affected

This guide is for travellers holding a United States of America passport, as listed on Korea’s K-ETA page.

When it applies

The K-ETA temporary exemption runs until December 31, 2026 (KST).

Key conditions and figures

  • The K-ETA fee is 10,000 KRW, approximately USD $7 to $8 per person.
  • K-ETA assessment generally takes within 72 hours.
  • Travellers aged 17 or younger, or 65 or older on the date of entry, are exempt from applying for K-ETA.
  • The e-Arrival card is free and can be filed online starting 3 days before arrival.

What readers can do

  • Scan your passport photo page in the K-ETA application to see whether the exemption pop-up appears for your passport.
  • Beware of look-alike agencies and phishing sites that charge high fees for K-ETA applications.
  • Have your valid passport, valid email address, entry date and flight number, and place of stay ready for the e-Arrival card.
  • Check entry requirements on Hi Korea, the Korea Visa Portal, the K-ETA website or your nearest Korean consulate.

What is still unknown

  • Whether the temporary K-ETA exemption currently applies to US passports: the Korean notice covers the countries and regions that are currently exempt but does not list them, so check the pop-up in the K-ETA application.
  • Passport validity, onward ticket and customs rules were not covered by the Korean pages used here, so confirm them on Hi Korea or with your nearest Korean consulate.
  • Entry rules for stays longer than the allowed period, work, study or other purposes.
  • The US government’s own travel information could not be read by script (travel.state.gov blocks automated access), so it was not used.

한국어 요약

한국 K-ETA 페이지에 명시된 미국 여권 소지 여행객을 위한 이 안내에 따르면, 미국 여권 소지자는 90일 체류가 허용됩니다. 법무부는 현재 K-ETA 면제 대상 국가 및 지역에 대해 K-ETA 임시 면제 조치를 2026년 12월 31일까지 연장했습니다. 면제 대상자는 K-ETA 신청 시 여권 사진 페이지를 스캔하면 팝업 메시지를 보게 되며, 입국일 기준 만 17세 이하 또는 만 65세 이상 여행객도 K-ETA 신청이 면제됩니다. 입국 신고서 제출 면제와 같은 혜택을 원하는 면제 여행객은 K-ETA를 신청할 수 있으나, K-ETA 면제 대상자도 전자 입국 신고서 제출 대상에 포함됩니다. K-ETA 수수료는 1인당 10,000원(미화 약 7~8달러)이며, 심사는 일반적으로 72시간 이내에 소요됩니다.

Sources

This post explains and compares the documents above; read them for full details.

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