K-ETA or e-Arrival Card? | Korea's Entry Forms Before the December 31, 2026 Exemption Deadline

Korea's entry paperwork confuses people for a simple reason: three different online forms sound alike, and one of them is about to change. If you hold a passport from the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan or one of the other covered places, you have not needed a K-ETA (전자여행허가) since April 2023. That exemption is scheduled to end on December 31, 2026, Korea time, and as of October 20 no extension had been announced.

With a record 15.05 million international arrivals from January through August 2026 (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), plenty of people face this question. This guide sorts out which form applies to you, what changes if the exemption lapses, and how to avoid look-alike sites that charge for something cheap or free.

Key takeaways

Travelers from the exempt countries who land by December 31, 2026 need no K-ETA, but they do need an arrival card. The online version is free and opens 3 days before arrival.
The US State Department already tells Americans to expect a K-ETA requirement from January 1, 2027. Korea has not announced an extension.
A K-ETA costs 10,000 won, is valid for 3 years and replaces the arrival card. Apply only at k-eta.go.kr or in the official app.

Contents

K-ETA, e-Arrival card, customs: three different things
Who is exempt until December 31, 2026
What we know about January 2027
How to apply for a K-ETA without hiccups
Filing the free e-Arrival card
Look-alike sites and paid "agents"
If your K-ETA is refused or stuck
FAQ
Bottom line
Sources

1. K-ETA, e-Arrival card, customs: three different things

The K-ETA is a pre-travel authorization for people who can visit Korea without a visa. You get it online before you board, and airlines check it. The e-Arrival card (전자입국신고서) is the online version of the old paper arrival card (입국신고서) that immigration officers collect. The customs declaration (여행자 휴대품 신고서) belongs to Korea Customs. Even the e-Arrival card site stresses that it is "a separate system" from K-ETA.

The link between them: an approved K-ETA exempts you from the arrival card. Without one, you file the arrival card.

Your situation (as of October 2026)	K-ETA	Arrival card
Passport from an exempt country, arriving by Dec 31, 2026	Not required (optional, fee applies)	Required: e-Arrival card online or paper on arrival
Same, but you chose to get a K-ETA anyway	Approved	Not required
Visa-free nationality not on the exempt list	Required before boarding	Not required once you hold a K-ETA
Aged 17 or under, or 65 or over, from a visa-free country	Not required since July 2023	Required unless you choose to get a K-ETA
Holding a Korean visa	Not applicable	Required, even if you also hold a K-ETA

For customs, travelers with nothing to declare have not needed a form since May 1, 2023, according to VISITKOREA. If you exceed the US$800 duty-free allowance or carry other declarable goods, declare them on paper or in the Korea Customs Declaration for Travelers app.

2. Who is exempt until December 31, 2026

The Ministry of Justice extended the temporary exemption on December 23, 2025, covering January 1 to December 31, 2026 (KST). Korean consulate notices list 22 countries and regions:

Asia: Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macao
Americas: United States (including Guam), Canada
Europe: UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Austria
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand

The Korean Embassy in Switzerland's notice also lists Switzerland and Liechtenstein as exempt through the same date. The definitive check is on the K-ETA site itself: if your passport is covered, a pop-up appears when you scan your passport page during the application.

The exemption does not change how long you may stay, which depends on nationality: the State Department gives Americans 90 days visa-free, and the Canadian government lists up to 180 days for Canadians. The slip below shows an entry date and a "permitted until" date six months later.

3. What we know about January 2027

The official exemption ends on December 31, 2026. When we checked the K-ETA notice board on October 20, 2026, the newest exemption notice was still the one from December 23, 2025. The US State Department's Korea page is already blunt: "Starting January 1, 2027, you will need a K-ETA before traveling to South Korea."

That could still change. Last year the extension was posted only on December 23, eight days before the old exemption expired, and the Korea Tourism Organization echoed it on December 26. A late decision would not be unusual, but it leaves a gap for anyone flying over New Year or in early 2027.

Our take: who should simply apply now

A K-ETA approved today is valid for three years, or until your passport expires if that comes first, and the official notices say existing approvals stay valid until they expire. If your trip starts on or after January 1, 2027, or straddles New Year, a 10,000-won K-ETA is cheap insurance against a last-minute rule change. It also lets you skip the arrival card. If you land well before December 31 and won't be back within three years, skip the fee and file the free e-Arrival card.

One caution: the notices define the exemption in Korea time but do not say how a flight departing December 31 and landing January 1 is treated. If that is your itinerary, apply rather than guess.

Check-in counters and travelers with luggage in the departure lobby of Incheon International Airport — Check-in counters in Incheon Airport's departure lobby, 2006. For flights to Korea, the K-ETA requirement applies before boarding. Photo: Kanchi1979 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

4. How to apply for a K-ETA without hiccups

The official fee is 10,000 won (the site says roughly US$7-8, plus a separate online payment fee). It is non-refundable even if you are refused. Assessment usually takes up to 72 hours, there is no paid express lane, and the Ministry of Justice recommends applying at least 72 hours before boarding.

Use only www.k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app. Check the address bar first.
Pick your email carefully. A March 11, 2026 notice on the K-ETA site reports delays receiving Gmail messages and asks applicants to use another address. It adds that Outlook.com and Hotmail.com may be affected too.
Consider creating an account. The site says members can check results and update details without email verification, which helps if the email never arrives.
Scan your passport and fill in the travel details: purpose of visit, where you'll stay in Korea and your expected dates. Our Seoul neighborhood guide can help you pick a base.
Pay, then check the result on the site under the application result menu rather than waiting on your inbox.
Keep it current. If your dates, address or companions change, use "Update Travel Information". A renewed passport needs a new K-ETA, even if the old one has not expired.

A K-ETA is not a visa and does not guarantee entry; the immigration officer decides. On arrival, foreigners aged 17 and over routinely give fingerprints and a face photo.

5. Filing the free e-Arrival card

If you are exempt and skip the K-ETA, this is your form, and it is free. Filing opens three days before arrival in Korea time, so someone landing on January 31 can submit from January 29. Have your passport, an email address, your arrival date and flight number, and your accommodation ready.

From the official guide: a phone submission can cover up to 9 people. You can edit stay details later, but the arrival date only within 3 days of first submitting. A card expires 72 hours after submission, so filing a week early does not work. Nothing needs printing; the issuance number arrives by email.

Forgot? Canada's travel advice notes a paper card is still available on arrival. Our eSIM and T-money guide covers the rest of the pre-landing list.

6. Look-alike sites and paid "agents"

The K-ETA site has carried a warning since 2022: unofficial sites were "demanding a higher application fee," damage had been reported, and the government "has not delegated the service of the K-ETA application to any agencies." Canada's travel advice says scams involving the e-Arrival card are also occurring, and that you should not use any site that charges for it.

On October 20 we pulled the 15 most recent X posts mentioning K-ETA or the e-Arrival card together with Korea. Every one came from two accounts advertising a paid application service, several promising to fix "email verification" problems. The official fix is free: use a non-Gmail address and check results on k-eta.go.kr. Three habits help:

Type k-eta.go.kr or e-arrivalcard.go.kr yourself instead of following ads.
Know the prices: 10,000 won for a K-ETA, nothing for the arrival card.
Never send passport scans to anyone promising faster approval; no expedited service exists.

7. If your K-ETA is refused or stuck

Don't keep reapplying. A K-ETA notice explains that if you apply three or more times within six months, you must wait six months from the first result before applying again. Applications to fix typos in personal details are an exception. Korean embassies, such as the one in Malaysia, say that if you are refused, or your application has been pending for at least 72 hours, you can apply for a short-term visa instead. Embassies cannot see K-ETA files, so send questions to the K-ETA Center's online inquiry form.

The lesson is timing: the embassy in Malaysia warns it will not expedite visas for flights only days away. Apply as soon as your dates are firm.

FAQ

I'm American and land in Seoul on December 20, 2026. What do I need?

A valid passport and an arrival card: either the free e-Arrival card filed online up to 3 days before landing, or the paper version at the airport. A K-ETA is optional while the exemption runs.

My trip is in February 2027. Should I wait for an announcement?

You can, but nothing guarantees an early one. A K-ETA now costs 10,000 won, covers three years and replaces the arrival card. For most 2027 travelers, we think that is easier.

Does my 15-year-old need a K-ETA?

No. Visa-free travelers aged 17 or under, or 65 or over, have been exempt since July 3, 2023. They still need an arrival card unless they choose to get a K-ETA.

Bottom line

Landing before December 31? File the free e-Arrival card and you're set. Flying later, or over New Year? A K-ETA is the low-cost way to stop depending on an announcement that may come late. Either way, use only the .go.kr sites and recheck in late December. Visiting in December? Our kimjang season guide lists kimchi-making events running into mid-December.

This guide summarizes official notices as of October 20, 2026. It is general travel information, not legal or immigration advice. Korea Vibe Hopper is not affiliated with any visa or K-ETA service.

Sources

By the Korea Vibe Hopper team · Updated October 20, 2026