K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization): fee, validity and application steps
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
K-ETA is an online travel authorization that visa-free visitors to Korea must get before boarding a plane or ship. The fee is ₩10,000 per person (the site says about US$7–8) plus roughly 3% for online card payment, and an approved K-ETA is valid for 3 years (shorter if your passport expires sooner). One big exception applies in 2026: Korea has temporarily waived the K-ETA requirement for nationals of a list of countries through 31 December 2026.
₩10,000Fee per person, not refunded if refused
+ about 3%Online payment surcharge
3 yearsValidity (or until passport expiry)
72 hoursUsual review time, and the advised minimum before boarding
Apply only on the official site. The K-ETA front page says applications can be made only at www.k-eta.go.kr or in the mobile app named K-ETA. A notice dated 2022-12-16 warns about look-alike sites and agents asking high fees, and says the Korean government designates no official K-ETA agent. The official review has no express service either: the guide says no fast-track exists for anyone.
Step by step
- Check whether you need one. K-ETA is for people who enter Korea visa-free. The guide page says foreigners who want to enter visa-free must get the authorization before boarding. If you already hold a Korean visa, a registered-foreigner card, or fall in an exempt group (see the table below), you do not apply. The country list and the visa-free stay length for each country are on the official eligible countries page.
- Check the temporary waiver. A notice dated 2025-12-23 says the temporary K-ETA waiver is extended to run from 2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31 (KST). If your country is covered, a "K-ETA exemption" pop-up appears when you scan your passport photo page during the application. The list of countries is shown in that pop-up; rely on it. Even if exempt, you may still apply (the fee is charged) to get the benefits, such as skipping the arrival card.
- Apply at the right time. You can apply at any time, but the immigration ministry recommends applying at least 72 hours before boarding. Applying after you have boarded, or while already in Korea, can lead to refusal or entry restrictions.
- Choose member or non-member. Both have the same fee, review time and validity. Members get extra features: result lookup and travel-information updates without email verification, and a batch view of past applications. The non-member route starts with an email verification step.
- Fill in the seven application steps. Terms agreement, then (member) sign-up or (non-member) email verification, passport details, application details, review of what you entered, fee payment, completion.
- Pay the fee. ₩10,000 per person; the site lists VISA, MASTER, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, DISCOVER, UnionPay and Alipay+. If your card is blocked for overseas payments, the payment may fail. The fee is for the review, so it is not refunded when a request is refused.
- Wait for the result. The result is usually emailed within 72 hours and can also be checked on the K-ETA site. Review may take longer than 72 hours depending on volume. A notice dated 2026-03-11 reports delays in mail reaching Gmail users and suggests using a different email address (it says Outlook and Hotmail may see the same delay).
- Keep your data current. If your trip details change (purpose, address, contact, dates, flight, companions), update them under "travel information update" on the K-ETA site, or you may be refused entry. Re-apply for a new authorization if you get a new passport, or if your criminal-record or infectious-disease information changes.
- At the border. K-ETA is not a visa and does not guarantee entry: the immigration officer decides. A valid K-ETA holder does not fill in the arrival card (see the e-Arrival Card page).
Fee and validity
| Item | Official figure |
|---|---|
| Application fee | ₩10,000 per person (site: about US$7–8) |
| Online payment surcharge | About 3% ("generally"), on top of the fee. On ₩10,000 that is about ₩300, our arithmetic, not an official figure. |
| Refund | None, whatever the result |
| Validity | 3 years; if the passport expires sooner, until passport expiry. Applications made before 3 July 2023 had 2 years. |
| Entries | Multiple entries within validity |
| Stay per entry | Set separately by nationality. K-ETA validity is separate from the visa-free stay, and you cannot stay longer than your country's limit. |
Who does not need it
The K-ETA notice board lists these groups as excluded from the requirement. The post carries a 2021 date but already includes items from 2023, so it has plainly been edited since; check the live notice.
| Group | As listed |
|---|---|
| Korean nationals | Including dual nationals with a valid Korean passport |
| Active-duty military under SOFA | US Forces Korea status |
| Crew and seafarers | Including seafarers about to enter |
| ABTC (APEC) holders | — |
| Transit passengers | But they must apply if their destination or schedule changes and they want to enter Korea, or if they want to enter to collect baggage |
| Registered foreigners and visa holders | — |
| UN passport holders; diplomatic and official passport holders | — |
| Age 17 or under, or 65 or over (on entry date) | Since 3 July 2023; they may still apply, with the fee, to get the benefits |
| Cruise tourists | — |
Where the official sources differ
| Topic | One source says | Another says | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Validity | Immigration page: validity 3 years, entries unlimited in that period | K-ETA guide: 3 years, or until passport expiry if sooner than 3 years | The K-ETA guide adds the passport limit. Use it. |
| Fee | Immigration page: ₩10,000, extra fees separate | K-ETA fee page: ₩10,000 plus about 3% online fee; front page: about US$7–8 | Plan on a little over ₩10,000 at the card checkout. |
| Exempt groups | Notice list dated 2021-12-28 includes the 17-and-under and 65-and-over groups | Notice dated 2023-06-28 says that rule started 2023-07-03 | The 2021-dated list has been updated after its date. Dates on posts do not show when the content last changed. |
| "Temporary waiver" vs "exempt" groups | K-ETA notice 2025-12-23: waiver through 2026-12-31 for listed countries | No end date or country list on the pages read | After 31 December 2026 the waiver may or may not continue. Check the K-ETA site before you book. |
Banner on the K-ETA site. The K-ETA pages show a banner saying Korea is under a disaster-related special entry procedure and that all foreigners must file an entry report before entering. We did not open the linked details. Check the notice behind that banner before you fly.
Common questions
Is K-ETA the same as an arrival card?
No. The e-Arrival Card site says it is a different system. A valid K-ETA exempts you from the arrival card; having a temporary waiver does not (the e-Arrival Card page lists waiver-country nationals as people who must file).
Can a travel agent apply for me?
The ministry says it designates no official agent. Only the official site and app are named for applications.
Neither the K-ETA guide pages nor the immigration page print a revision date; they were read on 2026-10-19. The notices cited carry the dates shown above.
Official sources
- K-ETA — application guide — fee, review time, validity, reapplication, travel-info update, 7 application steps; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- K-ETA — fee information — ₩10,000, about 3% online fee, no refund, accepted cards (checked 2026-10-19)
- K-ETA — home and notice board — official-site-only warning, notices dated 2022-12-16, 2023-06-28, 2025-12-23 (waiver to 2026-12-31), 2026-03-11; exempt-group list (checked 2026-10-19)
- Ministry of Justice, Korea Immigration Service — key systems — K-ETA summary (fee, validity, 72 hours); no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
Prices change. If an official page shows a different number from this page, the official page wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.
Related
Korea duty-free allowance on arrival: limits for goods, alcohol, tobacco and perfumeKorea Customs Service allows US$800 of goods, plus liquor, 200 cigarettes and perfume on top. One older page sKorea e-Arrival Card: who must file, when, and what it costsThe Korea online arrival card is free, opens 3 days before arrival and is valid 72 hours. Official checklist oAlien registration (residence card) in Korea: who must register, deadline, fee and documentsStay over 90 days and you must register within 90 days of entry. Fee KRW 35,000 under the law, passport, photoKorea immigration fees: visa, extension of stay, status change, re-entry permit and residence cardOfficial fees: extension of stay KRW 60,000, status change KRW 100,000, multiple re-entry KRW 50,000, residenc