South Korea’s official Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) application portal (www.k-eta.go.kr) published a notice yesterday confirming a one-year extension of the temporary K-ETA exemption for many visa-exempt travelers.
This decision, made by South Korea’s Ministry of Justice and first mentioned last September, aims to support the country’s tourism industry, which has been severely impacted in recent years.
“The Ministry of Justice decided to extend the temporary exemption period for 1 more year to stimulate the tourism industry, the exemption will be effective until December 31, 2026 (KST),” the announcement states.
The extension applies to all countries and regions currently exempt from the K-ETA requirement. Eligible travelers will see an informational message when scanning the identity page of their passport on the application portal.
Who is covered by the K-ETA exemption?
The extension applies exclusively to nationals of countries that are already exempt from the K-ETA requirement. These travelers may continue to enter South Korea without submitting a prior application for as long as the exemption remains in effect.
No additional steps are required to benefit from this exemption, provided travelers meet South Korea’s standard entry requirements.
Nationals of the following 67 countries and territories will be able to continue traveling to South Korea in 2026 without applying for a K-ETA:
| Africa | South Africa |
| America | Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, United States |
| Asia | Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Singapore, Taiwan |
| Europe | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican |
| Middle East | Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates |
| Oceania | Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu |
K-ETA: Optional, but useful for some travelers
However, the authorities specify that exempt travelers may still choose to apply for a K-ETA, in particular to benefit from certain advantages, such as exemption from presenting the e-Arrival Card upon entry into the country.
In such cases, the K-ETA application remains subject to an administrative fee of 10,000 ₩ (approximately US$8), which is non-refundable. Any K-ETA already issued remains valid until its expiration date, regardless of the exemption period currently in effect.
