Do I need a K-ETA to visit Korea in 2026?

Not if your country is on the temporary exemption, which the Ministry of Justice has extended until December 31, 2026 (KST). The US is included. When you scan your passport during the K-ETA application, exempt nationals see a pop-up saying so.

How much does K-ETA cost and how long does it take?

The fee is 10,000 KRW per person (about 7 to 8 USD) plus an online payment charge of around 3%. Review generally takes up to 72 hours. The fee is not refunded, whatever the result (official site, checked 2026-10-06).

What is the e-Arrival Card?

The Ministry of Justice's free online arrival card. You can submit it from 3 days before you arrive in Korea, alone or for a group, on e-arrivalcard.go.kr.

If I have a K-ETA, do I still file an arrival card?

No. Not having to submit an arrival card is one of the benefits of an approved K-ETA, which is why some exempt travelers still choose to apply and pay the fee.

K-ETA or e-Arrival Card: what to file for Korea in 2026

Flying to Korea in 2026? Many visa-free travelers, the US included, are K-ETA exempt until Dec 31, 2026. File the free e-Arrival Card instead.

If you are flying to Korea before the end of 2026 on a visa-free passport, there are two forms to know: K-ETA and the e-Arrival Card. Many visa-free nationalities, the US among them, are temporarily exempt from K-ETA until December 31, 2026 (KST). If that is you, the one thing to do is file the free e-Arrival Card online, from 3 days before you land. If you would rather skip the arrival card altogether, you can still apply for K-ETA and pay the fee (official sites, checked 2026-10-06).

What K-ETA is, and who can skip it

K-ETA is Korea’s electronic travel authorization for people who can enter the country without a visa. For a list of countries the requirement is temporarily lifted as a tourism measure, and the Ministry of Justice has extended that exemption by another year, to December 31, 2026 (KST). The extension covers the countries already exempt, which include the US according to the Korean consulate’s notice.

The quickest way to check your own passport: start the application on the official site. When you scan the photo page of your passport, an exempt nationality gets a “K-ETA exemption” pop-up, and you can stop there.

If your trip runs into 2027, look at the notices on the K-ETA site before you book. The exemption dates above are the ones announced so far.

Why some exempt travelers apply anyway

An approved K-ETA means you do not have to submit an arrival card. Some people pay for that convenience, and the government notice says exempt nationals may still apply, with the fee charged. A K-ETA you already hold stays valid until it expires, and fees already paid are not refunded.

Applying for K-ETA

Apply only on www.k-eta.go.kr or in the official K-ETA mobile app. The site warns about lookalike agencies and phishing pages that charge a large fee for “express” service. On the official site the fee is 10,000 KRW per person, about 7 to 8 USD, plus an online payment charge of generally around 3%, and it is not refunded whatever the outcome (official site, checked 2026-10-06). It accepts VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, UnionPay and Alipay+. If your card blocks overseas payments, the payment may fail, so check with your card issuer first.

Review generally takes up to 72 hours. You can apply as a guest or with an account; the fee, review time and validity are the same, and an account lets you check results and update travel details without email verification.

Filing the e-Arrival Card

Without a K-ETA, you submit an arrival card, and the e-Arrival Card is the online way to do it. It is free and done entirely online at e-arrivalcard.go.kr. You can submit it from 3 days before your arrival date (official site, checked 2026-10-06).

There are two ways in. Individual filing covers 1 to 9 people. Group filing, for groups and travel agencies, covers 2 to 1,000. The steps are short: agree to the terms with your email address, enter your passport details, enter your travel details (arrival, departure and where you are staying), check everything, and submit. Have a valid passport and your accommodation address ready before you start.

Not sure whether you need it? The site’s e-Arrival Card navigator asks what you hold (a visa, a K-ETA, an alien registration card, or none) and tells you.

Before you fly

For data, an eSIM is the easy answer. Superalink is a Korean eSIM company; set it up at home and it works the moment you land. Superalink has a 20% discount for Every Ticket readers.

Five apps run a Korea trip: NAVER Map, Konest, Kakao T, WOWPASS and Papago. Every Ticket, the app I am building, is the sixth. Five to run the trip, one to keep it. Once you have data, the day’s route is recorded on its own, and the tickets you add become one card when the trip ends. Recording runs in the background without draining your battery, and the card is built on your phone, not on a server.

Entry rules, fees and system schedules can change. Check the official K-ETA site (k-eta.go.kr) and the e-Arrival Card site (e-arrivalcard.go.kr) before you travel.

FAQ

Do I need a K-ETA to visit Korea in 2026?: Not if your country is on the temporary exemption, which the Ministry of Justice has extended until December 31, 2026 (KST). The US is included. When you scan your passport during the K-ETA application, exempt nationals see a pop-up saying so.
How much does K-ETA cost and how long does it take?: The fee is 10,000 KRW per person (about 7 to 8 USD) plus an online payment charge of around 3%. Review generally takes up to 72 hours. The fee is not refunded, whatever the result (official site, checked 2026-10-06).
What is the e-Arrival Card?: The Ministry of Justice's free online arrival card. You can submit it from 3 days before you arrive in Korea, alone or for a group, on e-arrivalcard.go.kr.
If I have a K-ETA, do I still file an arrival card?: No. Not having to submit an arrival card is one of the benefits of an approved K-ETA, which is why some exempt travelers still choose to apply and pay the fee.