South Korea Visa 2026: K-ETA, Visa-Free Entry, Jeju and Tourist Visas

South Korea is visa-free for more than 110 nationalities, but the entry rules depend on which of three lists your passport is on. Most Western, Latin American and East Asian passports enter without a visa for 30 to 180 days. Of those, 22 countries are temporarily excused from the K-ETA travel authorisation until 31 December 2026, while the rest, including Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Russia, must hold a K-ETA before boarding. Everyone else, including Indian, Nigerian, Pakistani, Philippine, Bangladeshi, Chinese and Vietnamese passport holders, needs a visa, with two narrow exceptions: Jeju Island by direct flight, and a 30-day transit for people holding a visa for the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Europe.

Key points about South Korea entry rules: - The K-ETA eligibility table is the official statement of who is visa-free and for how long: 90 days for the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Ireland, Romania, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Türkiye, Thailand, Morocco, Israel and Taiwan; three months for New Zealand, Mexico and Malaysia; six months for Canada; 60 days in a row and 90 in any 180 for Russia; 30 days for South Africa and Saudi Arabia - K-ETA costs KRW 10,000 plus a 3% card fee, is valid for three years or until the passport expires, and is normally decided within 72 hours. Nationals of 22 countries and regions are exempt until 31 December 2026: the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and Austria. Travellers under 18 or aged 65 and over are exempt everywhere - Since 1 January 2026 arrivals without a K-ETA submit the free e-Arrival Card online within three days before landing; the UK and Canadian governments note that a paper card is still accepted at the desk - Jeju Island admits visa-required nationals for up to 30 days if they fly in directly from abroad, except 23 nationalities including Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Iran and Iraq. Indian, Chinese, Philippine and Vietnamese passports qualify - Transit passengers holding a valid visa or residence for the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or one of 32 European countries may enter for up to 30 days on the way to or from that destination, with the same 23 nationalities excluded - Visa fees are set by reciprocity. Indian citizens pay Rs3,600 for a single entry under the 1 August 2026 revision plus the centre's charge; Nigerian citizens pay NGN 60,000; Pakistani citizens PKR 12,000; Philippine citizens no consular fee for short visits, only the PHP 1,000 centre fee. The USD 15 group visa fee is waived for tour groups from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Cambodia until 31 December 2026

Who needs a visa: Any nationality not on the K-ETA eligibility table. That includes India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nepal, Kenya, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Myanmar, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Iran. Ukraine was not on the table when checked on 8 September 2026. The short-term visit visa for tourism is the C-3-9; C-3-1 covers business meetings and events and C-3-4 general business. Applications are lodged in person at the embassy, or in India, Nigeria, the Philippines and many other countries at a Korea Visa Application Centre run by VFS Global, BLS International or a similar contractor, which adds its own service fee. Since 1 July 2020 no visa sticker is issued: approved applicants print a Visa Grant Notice from the Korea Visa Portal.

Processing times differ sharply by mission: ten working days in India and the Philippines, 10 to 15 business days in Lagos, and a minimum of eight weeks in Pakistan, where the embassy warns that every application goes through additional screening. Apply well ahead of any trip.

Chinese tour groups: a visa-free trial for Chinese nationals in organised groups ran from 29 September 2025 to 30 June 2026. No extension of the visa-free trial had been published as of 8 September 2026; what was extended is the fee waiver on group visas.

Two clocks to watch: the K-ETA exemption for 22 countries and the group visa fee waiver both end on 31 December 2026 unless renewed. The exemption has been extended each December since 2023.