Jeju visa-free entry: who qualifies, how long you can stay and the limits
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
Yes, many foreign visitors can enter Jeju without a visa. Under the Jeju Special Act, a foreigner who arrives at a Jeju airport or port for tourism or transit may enter without a visa unless their country is on the Justice Ministry's exclusion list. Jeju's tourism organisation describes the stay as up to 30 days. For nationals of the countries named in a second Justice Ministry list, moving on from Jeju to another part of Korea needs a separate permission from the Justice Minister. Confirm the current country list and the 30-day figure with immigration (1345) before you book.
Who can enter Jeju without a visa?
Article 197 of the Jeju Special Act (in force from 2026-10-13) says foreigners with a stay status such as tourism or transit who enter through a Jeju airport or port may enter without a visa, except nationals of countries designated by the Minister of Justice. Three other points in the same article:
- The Governor can ask for changes. The governor of Jeju may ask the Justice Minister to change the notice when residents need protecting from an epidemic or disaster, and again when the emergency ends.
- Stay length is set by notice. The Justice Minister may fix the stay length of visa-free entrants separately by public notice, overriding the general immigration rule.
- Foreign-invested companies: a visa recommendation from the governor can replace one from a central agency.
The Act covers stays for purposes such as tourism and transit; it is not a work permit. The 2022 Justice Ministry briefing describes the scheme as admitting nationals of countries that otherwise need a visa for Korea into Jeju visa-free, apart from 23 excluded countries. Nationals of countries that are already visa-free for all of Korea should read our visa-free countries page; confirm with immigration (1345) how Article 198 applies to them.
How long can I stay?
The legal length is set by the Justice Minister's notice, not in the Act. The notice, "Designation of nationals who cannot enter Jeju without a visa and nationals who need permission to extend their stay area" (Justice Ministry notice no. 2022-189, posted 2022-05-30), is published only as an attached HWP file, which we did not download. The one place we could read a number is Visit Jeju, the Jeju Tourism Organization's site, which says visitors from 180 countries could fly directly to Jeju International Airport and "stay up to 30 days without any red tape", but it describes this as the situation before the pandemic. So the 30 days is a widely repeated, official-organisation figure, not a verified current notice.
Which nationalities are excluded?
The excluded countries are in the same Justice Ministry notice. In 2022 the Justice Ministry said Jeju admits visa-free all nationals except those of 23 countries named in the notice, and that the same notice also names countries whose nationals need permission to move to the mainland. This page names no country; check the current list with immigration (1345). If your nationality needs a visa for the rest of Korea, check with your embassy or the Korea Immigration Service on 1345 (Mon to Fri 09:00 to 22:00, per HiKorea) before relying on Jeju.
Can I leave Jeju?
It depends on your nationality. Article 198 says that for nationals of countries named in the Justice Minister's notice, travel to another part of Korea needs a "residence area extension" permission, applied for by the foreigner. Once permitted, the person may stay elsewhere in Korea without a visa. Immigration officers and police may check at airports, ports and on ships and aircraft whether a permission was granted, and the permission can be cancelled for reasons such as false statements or violating its conditions.
The Enforcement Decree lists cases in which extension may be granted: a person who needs to leave Korea from another place because bad weather or cancellations leave no ship or aircraft from Jeju; a person who needs treatment at a medical institution elsewhere in Korea and submits a doctor's opinion; and others the Justice Minister accepts as unavoidable.
| Question | Answer | Source type |
|---|---|---|
| Where must I enter? | A Jeju airport or port | Jeju Special Act Art. 197 |
| Which nationals are excluded? | Those named in the Justice Minister's notice (23 countries in 2022; current list not read) | Act Art. 197; 2022 briefing |
| How long? | Set by Justice Ministry notice; described as 30 days | Act Art. 197(4); Visit Jeju (pre-pandemic wording) |
| Can I travel to the rest of Korea? | Nationals named in the notice need residence-area extension permission first | Act Art. 198; Decree Art. 35 |
| Is K-ETA needed? | Required for the 112 visa-free countries since 2022-09-01, per the 2022 notice; see below | K-ETA notice 2022-08-26 |
Do I need K-ETA for Jeju?
A K-ETA notice dated 2022-08-26 says that from 1 September 2022, nationals of the 112 visa-free countries or regions who want to visit Jeju must apply for and receive K-ETA approval to board a flight to Jeju. It adds that nationals of the other Jeju visa-free countries are not covered in principle, though the government can apply K-ETA to a nationality whose entries cause border-safety or stay-order problems. That notice is four years old. Korea has since waived K-ETA temporarily for some nationalities through 2026-12-31; our K-ETA page covers that waiver and the fee. For Jeju-specific rules, check the K-ETA site for your nationality.
If you are not sure whether your passport is visa-free for the rest of Korea, see Korea visa-free countries and stay length.
Before you go
- Enter through a Jeju airport or port: Article 197 gives the visa-free entry only there. Article 198 lets immigration officers and police check, at airports, ports and on board, whether a required permission was granted.
- Check your nationality against the current Justice Ministry notice (or ask 1345) before you buy tickets.
- Do not plan work or study on a Jeju visa-free entry; the Act covers tourism, transit and similar purposes.
- If you need to travel on to the mainland, apply for residence-area extension permission before you try to board.
Law texts read on 2026-10-19 on law.go.kr (Jeju Special Act in force 2026-10-13; Enforcement Decree in force 2026-09-18). The Justice Ministry notice was not downloaded. Not covered: the current list of excluded nationalities, special group-tour waivers for specific nationalities, and proposals for longer remote-work stays. This is not legal advice; confirm with immigration (1345).
Official sources
- Jeju Special Act (제주특별법), Articles 197 and 198 (law.go.kr) — visa-free entry through Jeju airports and ports, stay length by notice, residence-area extension; in force 2026-10-13 (Article 198: joNo=0198) (checked 2026-10-19)
- Enforcement Decree of the Jeju Special Act, Article 35 (law.go.kr) — cases in which residence-area extension may be granted; in force 2026-09-18 (checked 2026-10-19)
- Ministry of Justice — Jeju visa-free exclusion and extension-permission notice (2022-189) — notice page dated 2022-05-30 that designates the countries; the list itself is an HWP attachment, not downloaded (checked 2026-10-19)
- K-ETA notice: K-ETA applied to Jeju from 2022-09-01 — K-ETA required for the 112 visa-free countries or regions travelling to Jeju; dated 2022-08-26 (checked 2026-10-19)
- Policy Briefing (korea.kr) — K-ETA introduced in Jeju, 2022-08-26 — 23 countries excluded from Jeju visa-free entry as of 2022 (checked 2026-10-19)
- Visit Jeju — winter in Jeju article — the 30-day figure, written in the past tense about the pre-pandemic situation (checked 2026-10-19)
- HiKorea — Immigration/Stay Guide: tourism, transit, under 90 days — 1345 Immigration Contact Center hours; B-1 and B-2 entry for stays under 90 days (checked 2026-10-19)
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