South Korea Entry Requirements 2026: Visa, K-ETA and Stay Limits by Passport

Leer esta guía en español →

Checked: 16 September 2026 · Short tourist visits · Ordinary passports

Your passport nationality determines your usual visa route; the country where you live or start your flight is not the same thing. Use the tables below to separate three questions: do you need a visa, do you need K-ETA, and do you need an arrival declaration?

This guide covers all 12 sovereign South American countries, seven selected countries with English-language readership, plus Spain and Mexico. It is not a list of every English-speaking country. Work, study, diplomatic passports, Korean dual nationality, residence permits and special transit or Jeju schemes require separate checks through the Korea Visa Portal.

Start with your entry route

• Visa-free does not automatically mean paperwork-free. Eligible visitors generally need K-ETA unless an exemption applies.
• K-ETA is travel authorization, not a visa. If required, obtain approval before boarding. Allow more than 72 hours: processing can take longer. Approval does not guarantee admission.
• An arrival card records your entry details. It cannot replace a visa or required K-ETA. A valid K-ETA used for visa-free entry normally removes the arrival-card requirement; a visa holder still needs the declaration even if they also hold K-ETA.

Sources: K-ETA guide and arrival-declaration rules.

South America: 12 passport nationalities

Swipe the tables sideways on a phone. All rows require a valid passport. The stay column gives the published visa-free limit, not a guaranteed period of admission.

Selected countries with English-language readership

Spain and Mexico

Read these conditions with the tables

* K-ETA exceptions: visa-free visitors aged 17 or younger or 65 or older on arrival are exempt. Other exemptions include valid Korean visa or residence-card holders. These exceptions do not create visa-free eligibility for a nationality that normally needs a visa. Check your individual circumstances in the official K-ETA FAQ.

The Ministry of Justice notice extends existing temporary nationality exemptions through 31 December 2026, Korean time. The official application identifies eligible passports during the passport-information step. Being listed as eligible to apply for K-ETA does not prove that payment or an application is required.

† Official information is not fully aligned: Ireland’s current travel advice says Irish visitors are exempt through 2026, while the Korea Tourism Organization list does not name Ireland. Colombia’s embassy page contains both K-ETA instructions and a temporary-removal notice. Mexico’s travel advisory still describes an exemption ending in 2025. For these rows, confirm your current exemption directly with K-ETA or the Korean consulate before paying or relying on exemption. They are not marked “no documents required.”

For the other “required unless exempt” rows, use the normal K-ETA route but check the official exemption result before submitting. Country exemptions can be updated separately from the eligibility list. Months are deliberately kept as months: do not convert three months into 90 days. Argentina’s current central list and embassy guidance say 90 days; older 30-day summaries should not be used. Other British passport categories have different entries in the central list.

Documents to prepare

• Required identity document: a valid ordinary passport, matching the passport used for your K-ETA or visa. A national identity card is not a substitute for this passport route. If you renew your passport, check whether a new K-ETA is needed.
• Required when applicable: your visa grant details or valid K-ETA approval, and an arrival declaration if you are not exempt. Keep accessible copies for travel.
• Information for the arrival form: passport, email, arrival date and flight, accommodation address and travel details. Prepare your hotel or host’s address and contact number.
• Travel evidence: keep your return/onward itinerary and accommodation confirmation. The UK’s official guidance expressly requires an onward or return ticket for British visitors. Financial or sponsorship evidence may be part of a visa application or requested for your circumstances; there is no single bank-balance amount established here for all 21 nationalities.

Sources: passport matching and renewal, arrival-form checklist, British visitor requirements and the Bolivian visa checklist.

Passport validity: check the rule for your passport and route

Do not assume that everyone needs six months. U.S. guidance requires a passport valid at entry; British and Canadian guidance require validity beyond the planned departure, and Irish guidance requires validity throughout the stay. Bolivia’s visa application checklist requires at least six months. Airlines and transit countries can impose additional document conditions. For nationalities not individually covered by these examples, confirm validity with the Korean consulate and carrier.

Official references: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Bolivia.

If you need a tourist visa

The Visa Portal lists Ordinary Tourist (C-3-9) separately from visa-free entry. It is generally for ordinary leisure travel. Consular guidance describes stays of up to 90 days, but use the duration actually granted to you. Visa validity is the period in which you may use it to seek entry; period of stay is how long you may remain after admission. A three-month-valid visa does not automatically give every holder a three-month stay. Sources: Visa Portal and C-3-9 consular guidance.

Bolivian ordinary-passport applicants: the embassy checklist includes an application, two photos, passport and identity-card copies, itinerary, issued return ticket, accommodation confirmation, passport with six months’ validity, fee and financial evidence. Sponsor-funded cases can need extra records. Consult the complete local checklist for amounts, recency rules and alternatives; it advises applying at least three weeks before travel. Requirements at a consulate outside Bolivia may differ.

Arrival card: free, close to your arrival date

Use the official e-Arrival Card website. Filing opens three days before arrival in Korean time; a submission expires after 72 hours without entry. It is free. Keep the confirmation number, but the guide says printing or carrying the form is not required. The current official guide still describes electronic and paper arrival cards; do not rely on old claims that everyone must use only the electronic version. Children who are K-ETA-exempt may still need an arrival declaration.

Health, transit and other documents depend on the trip

Q-CODE is a separate health declaration system. Its requirements depend on places visited or transited and current health rules, not just passport nationality. Check the KDCA notice effective 7 September 2026 and its current updates for your whole route. Do not use an old country list. Transit visas, travel with children and controlled medicines can require separate documents; check the relevant authorities before departure.

Before you fly: recheck the linked official pages for your arrival date, resolve any flagged exemption question, verify passport details and confirm your permitted stay. Immigration makes the final admission decision. This guide summarizes public information and does not guarantee boarding or entry.