K-ETA Korea 2026: Do You Need One? Exemption Ends 31 Dec

By Gape · 7 min read · Published October 12, 2026

Quick answer: K-ETA (전자여행허가) is Korea’s online travel authorization for visa-free visitors, but passports from 22 countries and regions, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, are exempt until 31 December 2026. Korea hasn’t said, as of 10 October 2026, whether the exemption will be extended into 2027. Visitors aged 17 or under or 65 or over never need one.

If you hold an exempt passport, you still fill in an arrival card: the free online Korea e-Arrival Card (전자입국신고서) or a paper card before immigration. Everything below is from the Ministry of Justice’s K-ETA and e-Arrival Card sites and Korean embassy notices, read in Korean.

Do you need a K-ETA for Korea in 2026?

Not if your passport is from one of the 22 exempt countries or regions. Everyone else who enters Korea visa-free does, unless they fall into an exempt group (see below).

The exemption doesn’t change how long you can stay. The K-ETA site lists visa-free stays of 90 days for the US, UK and Australia, 3 months for New Zealand and 6 months for Canada.

Some English-speaking travelers are caught out because their country isn’t on the list. Ireland is visa-free (90 days) but not exempt, so Irish passport holders need a K-ETA now. The same goes for Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand, among others. Korea’s K-ETA scheme covers 112 countries and regions in total.

The quickest check: start an application on the official site. If your passport is exempt, the site shows a “K-ETA exemption” (K-ETA 면제 대상) pop-up.

When does the K-ETA exemption end?

The current exemption runs until 31 December 2026 (Korea time). A decision on 2027 hadn’t been published by 10 October 2026.

The history matters if your trip is in early 2027, because each extension has come late:

• The exemption started on 1 April 2023 and was first meant to end on 31 December 2024.
• The extension through 2025 was announced on 26 December 2024, five days before it would have lapsed.
• The extension through 2026 was flagged as a plan on 25 September 2025. But official notices didn’t appear until 18 December 2025 (Korean Embassy in Canada), 23 December 2025 (K-ETA website) and 29 December 2025 (Korean Embassy in the US).
• On 18 December 2025, Korean American newspaper Korea Daily reported travelers confused by the silence, and the LA consulate was still awaiting documents.

So the exemption has been extended twice, but you couldn’t confirm it until the last week of December either time.

Should you apply anyway for a trip in early 2027?

If you fly in the first weeks of January 2027 and nothing has been announced by mid-December, applying is cheap insurance. A K-ETA costs ₩10,000 and stays valid for three years.

Exempt travelers are allowed to apply voluntarily and pay the fee. The Ministry of Justice also says a K-ETA already issued stays valid until it expires. Here’s how the trade-off looks:

Pick “apply now” if your trip starts before about 10 January 2027, your dates are fixed, or several family members are traveling. Waiting is reasonable if your trip is later in 2027, but check the official K-ETA site again a few weeks before you fly.

Don’t apply after you board. The K-ETA site says applying after boarding or once you’re in Korea can lead to refusal or entry restrictions.

Who never needs a K-ETA?

Several groups are exempt whatever their nationality and whatever happens to the temporary exemption. The K-ETA FAQ lists:

• Travelers who are 17 or under, or 65 or over, on the day they enter Korea
• Transit passengers who stay airside. If your plans change and you pass immigration, even just to collect your bags, you need a K-ETA first.
• Holders of a Korean visa or a Korean alien registration card (외국인등록증)
• Korean citizens, including dual nationals traveling on a valid Korean passport
• Diplomatic, official and UN passport holders, APEC Business Travel Card holders, airline crew and seafarers, active-duty SOFA military, and cruise passengers

For a family with teenagers and grandparents, that means only the adults aged 18 to 64 need to apply if the exemption ends.

How do you apply for a K-ETA?

Apply only on the official website (k-eta.go.kr) or the official K-ETA app, at least 72 hours before you board. The K-ETA site warns about agency and phishing sites that charge large fees for the same thing.

1. Have your passport, an email address, a recent face photo and a payment card ready.
2. Start an application at k-eta.go.kr (as a member or guest) and enter your passport details.
3. Fill in your trip details: purpose, address in Korea, dates and flight.
4. Pay ₩10,000 (about US$7–8, plus a 3% online payment fee). The fee isn’t refunded if you’re refused.
5. Check the result on the site. It usually takes up to 72 hours but can take longer, and there’s no express service.

After approval, you can use the same K-ETA for multiple trips for three years. Apply again if you get a new passport. If your trip details change, update them on the K-ETA site. A K-ETA isn’t a visa and doesn’t guarantee entry: the immigration officer still decides.

K-ETA vs e-Arrival Card: what’s the difference?

They’re two separate things, and exempt travelers only need the second one. The e-Arrival Card replaces the paper arrival card; K-ETA is pre-travel screening.

If you hold a valid K-ETA, you skip the arrival card entirely. The e-Arrival Card site also warns about look-alike sites: the real one never asks for payment details.

What changed recently

• 1 April 2023: 22 countries and regions became temporarily exempt from K-ETA, initially until 31 December 2024.
• 3 July 2023: K-ETA validity rose to three years (applications before this date are valid for two years).
• 26 December 2024: The exemption was extended through December 2025.
• February 2025: The Korea e-Arrival Card launched as a free online alternative to the paper arrival card.
• 18–29 December 2025: Official notices extended the exemption through 31 December 2026.
• As of 10 October 2026: No announcement on 2027.

FAQ

Do US citizens need a K-ETA for Korea in 2026?

No. US passport holders (including Guam) are exempt until 31 December 2026 and can stay up to 90 days visa-free. You’ll still need an e-Arrival Card or a paper arrival card.

Does my child or my 70-year-old parent need a K-ETA?

No. Anyone aged 17 or under or 65 or over on the day of entry is exempt, whatever their nationality. The K-ETA site shows a pop-up saying no application is needed if you try.

I’m transiting through Incheon. Do I need a K-ETA?

Not if you stay in the transit area. If you need to pass immigration, for example to collect checked bags or change your plans, you need a K-ETA before you arrive.

I got a new passport. Is my K-ETA still valid?

No. A K-ETA is tied to the passport you applied with, so you must apply again with the new one, even if the old K-ETA hadn’t expired.

Is K-ETA the same as a Korean visa?

No. It’s a pre-travel authorization for people who can already enter Korea visa-free. It doesn’t extend your stay or allow paid work, and the immigration officer makes the final decision at the border.