FAQ

Citizens from certain countries can apply for a South Korean ETA. For example, if you're from one of the following countries, you're eligible:

Albania	Andorra	Antigua and Barbuda	Argentina	Austria
Bahamas	Bahrain	Barbados	Belgium	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana	Brazil	Brunei Darussalam	Bulgaria	Canada
Chile	Colombia	Costa Rica	Croatia	Czech Republic
Denmark	Dominica	Dominican Republic	Ecuador	El Salvador
Estonia	Fiji	Finland	France	Germany
Greece	Grenada	Guatemala	Guyana	Haiti
Honduras	Hungary	Iceland	Ireland	Israel
Italy	Jamaica	Kazakhstan	Kuwait	Latvia
Lesotho	Liechtenstein	Lithuania	Luxembourg	Malaysia
Malta	Marshall Islands	Mauritius	Mexico	Monaco
Montenegro	Morocco	Nauru	Netherlands	New Caledonia
New Zealand	Nicaragua	Norway	Oman	Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	San Marino	Saudi Arabia	Serbia	Seychelles
Singapore	Slovakia	Slovenia	South Africa	Spain
Singapore	Slovakia	Slovenia	South Africa	Spain
Suriname	Swaziland	Sweden	Switzerland	Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago	Tunisia	Turkey	Tuvalu	United Arab Emirates
United States	Uruguay	Vatican City, and Venezuela

U.S. citizens are included in South Korea's visa waiver program, which allows them to travel to South Korea without a visa. Instead, U.S. citizens are required to apply for a K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorization) online, which grants travel authorization for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days.

The K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorization) is mandatory for eligible foreign nationals who are traveling to South Korea for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days. This includes citizens of countries that are visa-free or have visa-waiver agreements with South Korea, as well as foreign nationals who hold a visa or residency permit issued by certain countries.

The processing time for the K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorization) is typically 72 hours, although in some cases it can be as quick as 30 minutes. The speed of the process depends on a few factors, such as the accuracy of the information provided in the application and the current volume of applications being processed. If your information is correct and there are no issues with your application, the K-ETA may be approved and issued quickly, but if there are errors or issues, it may take longer.

The K-ETA (Korean Electronic Travel Authorization) is issued for a validity period of 90 days and is intended for leisure or tourism purposes. If you plan to stay in South Korea for longer than the 90-day period allowed by the K-ETA, you will need to apply for a visa before traveling. The visa requirements and application process may vary depending on the purpose and length of your stay, so it's important to check with the South Korean embassy or consulate in your home country for the most up-to-date information and requirements.

To apply for K-ETA, you need certain travel documents, which you must resent during your application process. Therefore, you need to provide the following travel documents or requirements:

• A valid passport.
• A valid email address.
• Passport-size photograph.
• Credit card or debit card

The image selected for the visa or visa waiver application must be the correct size. Photos that are either too large or too small will not be accepted.

In addition, you need to upload your photograph digitally when applying for the K-ETA. This makes it easier to alter the size of the image.

The K-ETA photo size limitations are

• Less than 100 KB.
• Less than 700 x 700 pixels.

If you travel to South Korea accompanied by a child, it is important to note that they will require their own South Korean visa or K-ETA. Additionally, there are a couple of specific photo requirements that are applicable to young children and babies:

Babies and infants cannot hold any objects in the photo, like toys, pacifiers, and bottles.

The child or baby’s eyes must be open and fully visible, and the mouth must be closed.

The top of the shoulders must be visible, and the head should fill around 70% of the photo.

The photo can be of the child sitting, being held, or lying on the floor. However, the hands of others cannot be visible in the photo.

The visa photo size for children is the same as for adults.

In order to submit an application for K-ETA, it is essential to possess a valid passport that meets the necessary criteria. It is important to ensure that your passport has two empty pages and is valid for at least six months beyond your intended date of travel. Without a valid passport, you will not be able to proceed with the application process.

You must apply for a new South Korea ETA if One of the following information changes:

• Nationality.
• Name.
• Gender.
• Passport number.
• Passport expiration date.
• Criminal record.
If any of the information mentioned above changes, you must apply for a new ETA, even if your current one is still valid.

The general rule is that foreigners are not permitted to extend their stay in Korea beyond the duration granted upon their entry. If you plan to stay in Korea for an extended period, you must acquire an appropriate visa from a diplomatic mission of the Republic of Korea. However, individuals who enter Korea with a K-ETA for visa-free entry are allowed to remain in Korea for the maximum visa-free sojourn period that is granted to their country of origin per visit.

Once you have your approved ETA, it's valid for 2 years. However, if the passport you used to get the ETA expires in less than 2 years, your K-ETA will only be valid until your passport expires.