Do I need a visa for South Korea?
South Korea sets its own entry requirements and applies them by nationality. There is no shared North East Asian permission, so entry to South Korea does not cover Japan or China.
Now pick the passport you travel on.
Entry rules by passport
Select your nationality for the full answer: stay length, passport validity, pre-registration and how to apply.
| Passport | What you need | Max stay |
|---|---|---|
| Lithuania | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Germany | Visa-free | 90 days |
| United Kingdom | Visa-free | 90 days |
| United States | Visa-free | 90 days |
| France | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Poland | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Netherlands | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Spain | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Italy | Visa-free | 90 days |
| Brazil | Travel authorisationApply for a Brazil passport | 90 days |
| India | Visa (apply online)Apply for a India passport | No stated limit |
| China | Visa (apply online)Apply for a China passport | No stated limit |
| Türkiye | Travel authorisationApply for a Türkiye passport | 90 days |
| Nigeria | Visa (apply online)Apply for a Nigeria passport | No stated limit |
| South Africa | Visa-free | 30 days |
| Philippines | Visa (apply online)Apply for a Philippines passport | No stated limit |
| Pakistan | Visa (apply online)Apply for a Pakistan passport | No stated limit |
| Bangladesh | Visa (apply online)Apply for a Bangladesh passport | No stated limit |
| Indonesia | Visa (apply online)Apply for a Indonesia passport | No stated limit |
| Egypt | Visa (apply online)Apply for a Egypt passport | No stated limit |
| Vietnam | Visa (apply online)Apply for a Vietnam passport | No stated limit |
These links go to our partner Evisa Express. trip1 earns a commission if you apply through one, at no extra cost to you. You can always apply directly with the government instead.
Need a visa for South Korea?
Apply through our partner Evisa Express. Forms, fees and government submission are handled, with status updates until it is approved.
trip1 earns a commission if you apply through this link. It costs you nothing extra.
What to do next
The part most visa checkers leave out: what actually needs doing before you fly.
Confirm with the official source
Rules change without notice, and only the immigration authority of South Korea can tell you where you stand. Search for its official site before you travel.
Check your passport
Passport validity required: valid on arrival. Renew first if you are close, because this is the most common reason travellers are turned away.
Check the rule for your own passport
What South Korea asks for depends on the passport you travel on, and the table above differs from row to row. Open your nationality for the stay length, the validity required and whether anything has to be applied for.
Good to know about South Korea
Seoul is a common transit point, and a stopover where you leave the airport is treated differently from one where you stay inside it.
Common questions
Entry to South Korea, answered from the same rules the table shows.
It depends on the passport you hold. Of the 21 most-checked passports listed above, 10 enter South Korea without a visa, 11 have to apply for something before travelling. Find your nationality in the table for the exact rule, the stay it allows and what has to be applied for.
10 of the 21 most-checked passports listed above: Lithuania, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, France, Poland, Netherlands and Spain and 2 more. The rest have to apply in advance.
It varies by passport — 90 days or 30 days across the visa-free rules in the table. The limit is per entry, so check the row for the passport you will actually travel on.
Valid on arrival. Renew before you travel if you are close to that, because it is one of the most common reasons travellers are refused boarding — by the airline, before they ever reach the border.
Not for any of the 21 most-checked passports listed above. Nationalities outside that list may still be offered one, so check the rule for the passport you hold.
Not for any of the 21 most-checked passports listed above. Nationalities outside that list may still have one available.
No separate arrival registration is listed for South Korea. Your airline may still ask for advance passenger information, which is not the same thing and is handled at check-in.
Once you are in South Korea
Where trip1 travellers go, and what to read before you book.
Travelling somewhere else?
Check any passport against any destination
