Like the United States and many other countries, South Korea now offers online authorisation to travel to the country. This is the South Korea K-ETA. You don't need a visa to travel to South Korea. However, you must be a national of an eligible country and meet certain conditions to obtain it. Here are the countries covered by the South Korea K-ETA.
Countries eligible for the K-ETA* scheme
112 countries (or territories) are authorised to enter South Korea with a K-ETA permit.
European countries
There are 43 European countries that have been granted permission to enter Korea without a visa. These include France, Germany, Finland, Spain, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Latvia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Greece and Montenegro. Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Albania, Andorra, Bulgaria, Portugal, Poland and Holland are also covered by the K-ETA.
The same applies to Turkey, the Vatican, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Russia and San Marino. Other European territories such as Romania, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Monaco and Liechtenstein are also included. Malta, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia and Croatia are also involved.
American countries
The number of eligible countries in the Americas is 32. The list includes Trinidad and Tobago, El Salvador, Suriname, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela and Uruguay. Also included are Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Paraguay, Panama, Nicaragua and Mexico. Travellers from Jamaica, Honduras, Haiti, Guyana, Guatemala, Grenada, the United States and Ecuador may also apply for authorisation. The list also includes Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, Canada, Brazil, Barbados, the Bahamas, Argentina, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.
Countries in Africa, the Middle East and Oceania
In Africa, only certain countries (eight) are authorised to apply for the K-ETA. These are Morocco, South Africa, Seychelles, Eswatini, Lesotho, Tunisia and Botswana. In the Middle East, seven countries are involved. They are Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
What's more, 14 countries in Oceania are eligible for K-ETA. Tuvalu, Tonga, Samoa, Palau and New Zealand are eligible for this authorisation. The same applies to Nauru, Micronesia, Kiribati and Solomon Island. If you are a national of the Marshall Islands or countries such as Guam, Fiji and Australia, you will also be able to receive authorisation.
Conditions for obtaining and validity
If you are not a national of one of the countries listed, you cannot enjoy the privileges offered by this travel application. Please note that you cannot apply for a K-ETA while in South Korea. South Korea must be obtained at least 24 hours before your departure date.
In addition, K-ETA authorisation will only be granted if you are going to South Korea for tourism, to visit relatives (friends or family), to attend meetings, to take part in an event or for business purposes. Note that in the latter case, your activities must not be remunerated. If you are going to the country to work or study, you must obtain a traditional visa from the embassy.
The validity of the authorisation is as follows of two years. This period begins when you receive your authorisation. Your identity document must be valid throughout the process. If your passport expires before then, or is reissued, you will need to reapply for a K-ETA.
The length of your stay depends on your country of origin. If you come from Canada, you are allowed to stay in South Korea for 180 days. French nationals are exempt from the visa requirement for 90 days.
In short, the K-ETA is the electronic authorisation that allows you to travel to South Korea without having to present a visa. This document, which is sometimes confused with an electronic visa, is intended for international travellers from various eligible countries.
* The authorities have announced that 22 nationalities will be exempt from the K-ETA until the end of 2024 as part of the "Visit Korea Year". I'll let you read our article.
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