Entering Korea in 2026: K-ETA, e-Arrival Card and the Fake Sites
Do you need a K-ETA or an e-Arrival Card for Korea in 2026? Who is exempt, the official sites, what they cost, and the fake sites charging tourists for nothing.
The short answer
Most visitors to Korea in 2026 need one free online form, the e-Arrival Card, and some need a ₩10,000 K-ETA instead. Both are done only on official .go.kr sites. Anything that charges you more, or charges you for the e-Arrival Card at all, is not the government.
- On the K-ETA exemption list (to 31 Dec 2026)? Submit the free e-Arrival Card.
- Visa-free but not exempt? Get a K-ETA (₩10,000). It replaces the arrival card.
- Need a visa? Your visa route still applies, plus the e-Arrival Card.
Which form do I actually need?
🛂 The two forms side by side
| K-ETA | e-Arrival Card | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Pre-travel authorisation for visa-free nationals | Online arrival declaration |
| Official site | k-eta.go.kr / official K-ETA app | www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr |
| Cost | ₩10,000 (about $7) | Free |
| When | At least 72 hours before boarding is recommended | Within 3 days before arrival |
| Who | Visa-free nationals not on the exemption list | Most foreign visitors without a valid K-ETA |
The exemption list is temporary
The Ministry of Justice extended the temporary K-ETA exemption for a set list of countries and territories to 31 December 2026, as part of the Visit Korea campaign. Exempt travelers can still apply for a K-ETA if they want to, which also removes the need for an arrival card, but the fee is not refunded. Check the list again for trips in 2027, because the exemption has been extended a year at a time.
The fake-site problem
The most common way travelers lose money here is not at the airport. It is a search result.
"I searched 'Korea arrival card', clicked the first result, filled everything in and paid a 'processing fee'. At the airport I found out the official one is free."
- Official e-Arrival Card: free
- Passport scan and card number given to an unknown site
What it turns on: the domain. Korean government services end in .go.kr. A polished site with "official" in its name and a different domain is a middleman at best.
Korea's immigration service has warned about this
In March 2026 the Korea Immigration Service published warnings in several languages about fake e-Arrival Card sites. It said the only official site is www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr and that travelers should never give payment details to any other site. If you already paid a look-alike site, contact your card issuer and say the charge was not for a government service.
Signs of a look-alike site
- Asks for a fee for the e-Arrival Card
- K-ETA "service fee" far above ₩10,000
- Domain not ending in .go.kr
- "Express" or "guaranteed" approval
Signs you are in the right place
- www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr
- www.k-eta.go.kr or the official app
- Fee shown in won, ₩10,000 for K-ETA
- Linked from a Korean embassy page
How to do it in ten minutes
- Type the address yourselfDo not click ads. Go to www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr or www.k-eta.go.kr directly.
- Check whether you are exemptOn the K-ETA site, the passport scan shows a "K-ETA exempt" pop-up if your nationality is on the 2026 list.
- Have your details readyPassport, flight number, arrival date and the address and phone number of where you will stay.
- Submit within the windowThe e-Arrival Card can only be filed in the three days before arrival. A K-ETA is best done at least 72 hours before you fly.
- Save the confirmationA screenshot is enough. Use the same passport you will travel on; a new passport needs a new K-ETA.
Traveling in a tour group from China, Vietnam or nearby?
Group-tour visa fees ($15) for China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Cambodia are waived until 31 December 2026, according to the Ministry of Justice. If a tour operator lists a "visa fee" for a group visa this year, ask what it covers.
Once you are through, it gets easier
Korean arrival halls are fast and well signed in English, Chinese and Japanese, and the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline answers in those languages around the clock if anything goes wrong after landing.
The bottom line
Entering Korea is cheap and quick when you use the official sites: a free e-Arrival Card for most visitors, or a ₩10,000 K-ETA for some. The only expensive version is the one you find through an ad. Korea itself is a very safe and well-organised place to arrive; the look-alike sites are a problem of the internet, not of the country.
If a look-alike site charged you, tell your card issuer and tell other travelers. A short public review naming the domain warns people who are searching the same words you did.
Sources
Sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — K-ETA temporary exemption extended to 31 Dec 2026
- Korea Immigration Service — Beware of fake e-Arrival Card websites (March 2026)
- EY tax alert — e-Arrival Card mandatory for foreign nationals from 1 Jan 2026
- Ministry of Justice — group visa fee waiver for six countries extended to end of 2026
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a K-ETA to visit Korea in 2026?
Not if your nationality is on Korea's temporary K-ETA exemption list, which the Ministry of Justice extended to 31 December 2026. Visa-free nationals not on that list still need a K-ETA. The official K-ETA site shows a 'K-ETA exempt' notice when you scan your passport, which is the quickest way to check.
What is the e-Arrival Card for Korea and is it mandatory?
The e-Arrival Card is Korea's online arrival declaration, submitted at e-arrivalcard.go.kr within the three days before you land. From 1 January 2026 it replaced the paper arrival card for most foreign visitors. Travelers holding a valid K-ETA do not need to submit an arrival card.
Is the Korea e-Arrival Card free?
The official e-Arrival Card at www.e-arrivalcard.go.kr is free. Korea's immigration service has warned about look-alike sites that charge a fee and has said the official site is the only one; do not enter payment details on any other site.
How much does a K-ETA cost?
The official K-ETA fee is ₩10,000 (about $7), paid on k-eta.go.kr or the official K-ETA app. Third-party sites often charge several times that for the same application, and some are not connected to the Korean government at all.
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