South Korea e-Arrival Card

Who must file the e-Arrival Card

The Ministry of Justice lists these travellers as subject to the declaration ²:

• People with a valid Korean visa for the planned entry date
• Citizens of countries temporarily exempt from K-ETA
• Citizens of K-ETA eligible countries aged 17 or under or 65 or over
• Holders of diplomatic or service passports from K-ETA eligible countries
• US forces members covered by SOFA with a valid military ID and orders, UN laissez-passer holders, valid ABTC holders and some seafarers

Who is excluded

These groups do not fill in an arrival card ²:

• Citizens of the Republic of Korea, including dual nationals, who must use their Korean passport
• Holders of a valid Korean Residence Card, Permanent Resident Card or Overseas Korean Resident Card
• People who have an approved K-ETA. Those holding a K-ETA who enter on a visa must still file the card
• Group visa holders and certain visa-free group tourists named by the Ministry
• Foreign flight attendants of aircraft entering Korea

K-ETA and the arrival card

The e-Arrival Card is a separate system from the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) ¹. Travellers with K-ETA approval are exempt from submitting the arrival card on entry ⁴.

K-ETA is temporarily waived for nationals of a group of countries from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 ³. Those travellers file the e-Arrival Card instead, or can choose to pay for a K-ETA to skip the arrival card ^2,3.

When to file and how long it lasts

You can file from 3 days before arrival in Korea, based on Korea Standard Time ¹. The card stops being valid 72 hours after submission, or once you pass Korean immigration ¹. You must submit a new card each time you enter Korea ¹.

How to file

• Use https://www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr on a PC or phone ¹.
• Have your passport, a valid email address, your entry date and flight number, and your place of stay ready ¹.
• A PC submission can cover up to 1,000 people. A phone submission can cover up to 9 ¹.
• Your issuance number is sent by email. You do not need to carry the card, but the number can help at immigration ¹.
• You can edit details on the official site before immigration. The arrival date can only be changed within 3 days of first filing ¹.

Cost and false information

The e-Arrival Card is free ¹. Filing it on the official site is enough, and those who submit it do not need a paper card ¹. False information can lead to penalties or an entry ban under Korean law, including when someone files for you ¹. The K-ETA site warns of agency and phishing sites that charge high fees ⁵.