What documents do I need to travel to South Korea?
South Korea allows 90-day visa-free stays for many nationalities, and K-ETA is waived until 31 December 2026. Full document checklist for your trip1 stay.
Updated
Entering South Korea - what you need
Korea is one of the lighter-paperwork destinations in the region right now, mostly because of the K-ETA waiver. Here is what to have ready before your trip1 booking dates.
- A passport valid at the time of entry. Korea does not set a six-month rule, but many airlines prefer it, so check with yours if your passport expires soon.
- A K-ETA approval, if your nationality is not currently exempt, or a visa if you are not on the visa-waiver list at all.
- An arrival card, which you can submit electronically before departure or fill in on paper.
- A Q-CODE health declaration, only if you have symptoms after visiting a quarantine-inspection area or have visited a strict-inspection area.
- A return or onward ticket inside your permitted stay.
- Proof of accommodation, which your trip1 booking confirmation provides.
What the K-ETA waiver actually means
K-ETA is Korea's electronic travel authorisation, and it is currently waived for citizens of a long list of countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and some EU countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain. That waiver has been extended several times and now runs to 31 December 2026.
While the waiver is in force there is nothing to apply for. You board with your passport and a return ticket, and immigration handles the rest at the airport.
From 1 January 2027 the exemption ends unless Korea extends it again, and K-ETA applies to those nationalities once more. Because the end date has moved several times already, check the official K-ETA site in the weeks before you travel rather than trusting older articles.
If your nationality is visa-free but not covered by the waiver, you apply for K-ETA before you fly. Approval is usually quick, but it is not guaranteed, so do it well ahead of departure.
Arrival card, Q-CODE and customs
Korea has moved most of its arrival paperwork online. You can submit an electronic arrival card before departure instead of writing out the paper card during the flight, and paper cards are still accepted at the counter.
Q-CODE is the online quarantine and health declaration. It gives you a QR code that gets you through the quarantine desk faster than the paper route. Most healthy travellers do not need it.
A customs declaration is only needed if you carry goods above the duty-free allowance or cash above the reporting threshold. Otherwise you walk straight through the green channel.
Important: Overstaying in South Korea can trigger fines, detention and an exit ban that stops you leaving on your booked flight. The date recorded on entry is what counts, not the length of your hotel booking.
Checking into a hotel in South Korea
Korean hotels ask foreign guests for a passport at check-in and record the details. Bring the physical passport for every adult on the booking, since a photo is usually not accepted.
Keep your trip1 booking confirmation on your phone. The arrival card asks for your address in Korea, and the confirmation carries the hotel name and full address.
Some properties ask for a deposit at check-in to cover incidentals. That is the hotel's own policy, set by the property, and separate from how you paid trip1 for the room.
Entering South Korea - FAQ
No. US citizens are temporarily exempt from K-ETA until 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 K-ETA applies again unless Korea extends the waiver, which it has done several times, so check the official K-ETA site in the weeks before a trip next year. You still need a passport and a return ticket.
You need an arrival card, and the electronic one is the easiest route. Submit the free e-Arrival card online within 72 hours before you land, or fill in a paper card at the airport. It asks for your address in Korea, which your trip1 booking confirmation gives you.
A passport valid for your whole stay, a return or onward ticket, an arrival card and the address of where you are staying. You also need a K-ETA approval if your nationality is not currently exempt, or a visa if you are not on the visa-waiver list. Many airlines prefer six months of passport validity, so check with yours.
Up to 90 days for tourism or short business trips for most visa-waiver nationalities, including US and UK citizens. Paid work or longer stays need a visa arranged in advance. The date recorded on entry is what counts, and overstaying can bring fines, detention and an exit ban.
Usually not. Q-CODE is Korea's online health declaration, and you must submit it, or a paper form, only if you have symptoms after visiting a listed quarantine-inspection area, or if you visited a strict-inspection area. If it applies to you, filling it in before you fly gives you a QR code and a faster quarantine check.